Program / Event Details

Provider: Artivate at Levine Music

Address
2801 Upton Street NW
Washington D.C., MD 20008
Primary Contact: Artivate At Levine
K. Shaka Opare – The Buckets

The Buckets

As a cast member of the hit Broadway show STOMP, Kwame collaborated with Enough Said Productions to co-direct the short film and PSA “STOMP Out Litter,” an anti-litter campaign in San Francisco. The success of this initiative inspired the creation of the Great Recycled Orchestra Workshop (G.R.O.W.) to raise awareness about the impact of littering on urban communities. In G.R.O.W. workshops, students learn musical elements and practice percussion using unconventional instruments like 5-gallon buckets, plastic water bottles, and old basketballs. This creative educational experience inspires them to take action in their communities.

Max Workshop Audience = 50 Students

Buckets Workshop

Using integrative and collaborative pedagogy, this workshop encourages students to explore creatively with purpose. Participants quickly recognize the importance of teamwork and often celebrate their ability to play new rhythms together.

 

Percussive Dance: STOMP Bootdance

STOMP: A Unique Dance Experience | STOMP is a dynamic percussive dance style born from the legendary Broadway show of the same name. This energetic art form fuses movement and music, drawing rhythms from a wide range of genres. In our workshop, students learn authentic percussive dance combinations directly from a former cast member of the show, gaining invaluable insights into this captivating style. Join us and discover the rhythm within!

Bootdance: A Powerful Percussive Art Form | Bootdance blends the vibrant elements of South African Gumboot and American Step Dance, both of which have origins deeply rooted in quests for liberation, equal opportunity, and a drive to connect to their heritage in an expression of positive self-identity. It’s essential to experience cultural diversity to confront cultural indifference. Our work is guided by a rhythm of compassion and understanding. Through Bootdance, the seamless integration of movement and music allows us to embody the experiences of others, fostering a deeper and more sustainable appreciation of diverse cultures.

Engaging with this art form enriches social-emotional competence and nurtures the intrinsic skills essential for creative expression. Join us on this journey to connect, create, and celebrate our shared humanity!

 

Fees are for daytime school programs in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia only.

Evening, weekend, workshop, and non-school fees differ – please contact us.

Additional travel fees apply.

 

About K. Shaka Opare

Kwame Shaka Opare is the visionary creator of Triumph of Disruption: A Movement to Subvert and the founder of Engage Creativity. With over three decades of experience in the arts and arts education, his extensive work spans the performing arts, education reform, youth advocacy, and scholarly pursuits including several projects in West Africa. An acclaimed performer on stage and screen, Kwame is also a distinguished strategist in arts education, celebrated for his innovative pedagogy and exceptional ability to engage students, fostering a dynamic learning environment.

 

Biography

Kwame Shaka Opare is a classically trained West African dancer with an MFA in Dance from the University of Maryland. At 14, he became a principal dancer with Kankouran West African Dance Company (Washington DC). As a young adult, he moved to New York where he established himself as a dynamic instructor and choreographer. In the late 90s, he began touring with the Broadway show STOMP, in the lead role and as rehearsal director where he remained for 8 years. The desire to explore the possibilities of West African dance in contemporary performance brought the creation of the DishiBem Traditional Contemporary Dance Group in 2003. Kwame has created critically acclaimed works that speak to social issues, including his award-winning choreography Sweet Suite Nina, about the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the people of New Orleans and the Gulf region. Kwame Shaka was named Brooklyn Academy of Music’s (BAM) inaugural recipient of the Baba Chuck Davis Emerging Choreographer Fellowship. With the fellowship, he spent over three months studying, documenting, performing, and choreographing with the National Dance Company of Ghana and at the University of Ghana, Legon. Kwame Shaka used his expertise as a photographer to create a short documentary film that would accompany his live performance entitled, .theProcess: Ghana (BAM 2017)

Kwame is frequently invited to lecture and teach about his use of dance to “disrupt the status quo of marginalized youth in public schools.” As a dance specialist advisor for the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards, he played a vital role in developing the national dance curriculum. His choreography fuses traditional West African dance, STOMP (percussive dance), and contemporary styles, using modern performance to explore and address pressing social issues.

Event/Program Details

Dates: 2025-01-01 - 2025-06-30
Event Length: 45 minutes
Location: On location
Audiences: 9 - 12, Educators, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Art Forms: Dance and Movement, Music
Program/Event Format: In School Workshop, In School Performance, After School/Weekend