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F.O.P.
/ C.H.A.O.S Homeschoolers
and Friends:
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THE FINE PRINT
This
year, I'm planning several activities our
growing, informal network of homeschooling and dance families.
Please respect my time by doing your best to find
the information you need on this page, before asking me. I'll try to post all the information you need to have a
successful, low-stress trip.
This page is “activity central”, and should explain most of what you
need to know. Bookmark it! FIELD TRIP GUIDELINES --
Directions: I have posted links
and/or addresses to help you figure out how to get to each event. Sometimes Mapquest or Google Maps can be
helpful. Event coordinators generally
do not organize carpooling – you may want to arrange to go with a friend.
--Please
double-check your calendar before signing up for a trip, to make sure it fits
your schedule. Once tickets are
ordered they cannot be “un-ordered”. --Sometimes,
there are unexpected problems with the event providers (snow, change of date,
etc.) In these cases I will do
my best to keep you informed, usually by email. I often cannot contact each person individually. Please understand that I can only
refund money if and when the venue refunds money to me. --In
case of snow, please contact me or the venue to see if the
activity has been canceled. Some events, like the Student Discovery Series, go on regardless of weather. We
will most likely use email to notify people in case of bad weather. I cannot refund
your money if an event goes on and you can’t attend, so please take this into
account when ordering tickets. --Please
mark field trip dates on your calendar – I probably won’t be sending out
reminders.
"A good education
for every child does not mean the same education for every child. " This
Web Page by Pauline Harding for Art Nurk, askpauline@comcast.net |
This year we plan to go to:
If you are interested in an event, please contact the person listed. Tip--> Make street parking in Philly easier with a Smart Card - no more quarters needed! Philadelphia Shakespeare Theater– As usual, we plan to go to the performances at the Philadelphia Shakespeare Theater (formerly Philly S'peare Festival).
Tickets are $10 each. This trip is likely to sell out. These plays are consistently excellent – we’ve had a group at almost every play they’ve done for the past seven years! Print this order form and send it with your check. (If you can't open the order form, try this version.) Contact: Pauline Each play lasts about 3 hours, including a short intermission and an optional Q&A session with the cast at the end. NOTE: As of 11/02/09, I have only one ticket left for MacBeth and 11 left for Midsummer. If you would like to go to a different performance, please contact Lucy Tyson at Philly Shakespeare at 215-496-9722; tell her you are a homeschooler interested in attending a student matinee. Tickets Ordered, as of 10/21/09: Penn Presents: Student Discovery Series/Dance Celebration 2009-2010 - Dance and Shakespeare! TO ORDER TICKETS: Please print out this ORDER FORM and send it to me with a check. (If you have trouble with the order form, try this version.) Student Discovery SHAKESPEARE: (Note: Read a summary of the play before you go or you will be hopelessly lost. We like Lambs' Tales From Shakespeare.) Student Discovery DANCE: • These events are part of the Dance Celebration Series. Each show is an hour long, and usually includes a “talkback” with the dancers after the show. All shows take place on the University of Pennsylvania campus, at the Zellerbach Theater in the Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. These have been excellent in the past. These performances are intended for a "school field trip" audience. The performers sometimes do a shorter version of their normal evening performance, and sometimes do a completely different “school” program. There’s no way to really know in advance what they will be doing. This is contemporary dance - sometimes it is a bit modern and obscure. They don’t dumb it down and they don’t clean it up. • Which to choose? Some families go to just one, some pick a few, and some go to the whole series. Penn Presents Dance Celebration has descriptions of the evening performances (which may differ than the school-oriented performances) and links to company websites, which can help you to choose. The Dance Celebration website has more specific information on the school-oriented performances - but be aware that what the company will present can and often does vary from these descriptions. River North will be presenting their "Dance Through the Ages" program: "From hand jives to poodle skirts to polyester, River North’s lively and informative program Street Beat - Dance Through the Decades teaches students about the historical and social conditions of the 20th century and how they influenced jazz dance and dance today ... Dancers in decade-true costumes bring the Charleston, Waltz, Swing, Jitterbug, Disco, and Hip Hop to life." I've seen this one several times before, and it's a very good choice for those new to dance, of all ages. If you choose only one in the series, I'd choose this one. If you've seen River North before, keep in mind that this is the same program as in previous years. Expect this one to sell out early. Momix veers more towards the "circus" end of the dance spectrum; their performances are crowd-pleasing but sometimes not strictly "dance" per se. If you want to add a second program, this is the one I'd choose. It will almost certainly sell out. I don't know if their presentation will be the same as in past years or new. Rasta Thomas is pretty high energy - it should be entertaining. (I've been assured that their school-oriented performance will be different than their more "adult" evening performance.) Thank You Gregory is a rare opportunity to see some excellent tap dance and get some sense of tap history, BodyVox is pretty artsy, STREB is more on the circus side of things. All four of these are probably good choices if you wish to add additional performances - check out the descriptions here to get a sense of which might appeal to your family. Doug Elkins & Friends' Fräulein Maria is likely to play with gender roles; I wouldn't choose this one if that is not your cup of tea, though if you don't mind that sort of thing it might be quite fun. "Doug Elkins and his stellar troupe deconstruct and reinvent this beloved 1965 standard [The Sound of Music] into an edgy yet fun-loving, gender-bending, cabaret romp." If you're very interested in dance, I'd consider going to all of them; the price can't be beat. Keep in mind that my descriptions are my best guess at what to expect after talking to the Annenberg staff and reading up on the companies, but things can and do change, and what they end up presenting can be quite different than what we were expecting, so you should be open to whatever the company decides to present. ALL ANNENBERG SHOWS, DANCE & SHAKESPEARE: * If you enjoy going to the UnSkate, note that the performances marked * are on UnSkate days. It is possible to do both in one day by driving directly from Philly to the rink (eating lunch in the car); however it is a long drive. • Directions are here, parking and public transport info is here. Sometimes you can find street parking, especially on 38th street. (Allow extra time for this, and either bring plenty of quarters (25 cents = 10 minutes or so) or get a Smart Card (available online or at most Wawa stores in Philly; it's easier than carrying a ton of quarters!). I sometimes park in the garage at 38th and Walnut. Garage parking can be expensive ($12-18). • There are often traffic jams at this time of the day - allow extra time to get to Philadelphia. If you arrive early, you can browse the Penn Bookstore. After the show, eat your lunch in the adjacent courtyard (there are street vendors on 36th street), and wander over to the Penn Museum, which features ancient artifacts from Egypt, Greece, and Rome. • You will be attending with "F.O.P. Homeschoolers" (for "Friends of Pauline"). We will not be assembling as a group – simply arrive, present your tickets, and you will be seated. Please make your own arrangements to meet friends in the lobby if you want to sit with them. • Tips: Plan to arrive a bit early (10:00-10:15 for the 10:30 shows) so you can get a good seat. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR PERFORMANCES THAT ARE SOLD OUT! Visit the bathroom first. No food, drinks, or gum in the theater. They may ask you to leave obvious lunchboxes and coolers at the door. No recording or taking pictures. The show starts promptly – if you are late, you may have to wait to be seated. Turn off cell phones during the performance. Minimize talking during the performance. (You may need to explain things to younger children – the best way is to speak directly into their ear, and ask them to do the same to you.) • At each Dance Celebration show, they welcome visiting schools by name. It’s traditional to cheer loudly when they mention the "Homeschool Associations"! • If you lose your tickets, or if you want someone else to use your tickets but you can't get the actual paper tickets to them, give me a call - I can usually arrange for location passes. • Additional tickets *may* be available through the box office. You can call 215-898-3900. Some shows do sell out. Prices vary based on the number of tickets you are purchasing. • The dance shows are usually fine for most younger children. There are often preschool children in the audience. Note that the theater has begun requiring each person to have a ticket, regardless of age, even lap children. • SNOW NOTE: In case of bad weather, including a serious snowstorm, you can assume the show will go on regardless. Please use your own judgment in deciding to attend. Take this into account when purchasing tickets, as I will not be able to refund unused tickets, even if there is a snowstorm! FREE! Dance Celebration Master Classes If your child is serious about dance, they may enjoy taking a free Master Class with one of the visiting Dance Celebration Series companies (see above). These are usually held just after the company's Student Discovery Series performance. I know of two homeschooled teens who have attended these classes – they both found it to be very inspiring, and one is now dancing professionally. (Actual Quote: “That was the best thing I’ve ever done in my whole life.”) Please schedule these on your own. FREE! Pennsylvania Ballet Dress Rehearsals Contact: Pauline If you missed the deadline, note that I usually have cancellations. If you are interested, please join the Delco Dance Yahoo group I have set up. Within a few weeks of the performance, I will ask for confirmations from those who requested tickets; if there are cancellations I will offer those tickets to others via the Yahoo group. PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST TICKETS UNLESS YOU ARE REASONABLY SURE YOU WILL USE THEM. CHECK YOUR CALENDAR FIRST! What to expect: Typically, we will see the dancers rehearse half of the show, often with live music. This is a working dress rehearsal, so there may be stops and starts, dancers may not dance full out, etc. In rare cases (injury, etc.), they may end up doing something different than advertised. (I will not be ordering tix for The Nutcracker or Carmina Burana.)
FOP Homeschoolers Group: DETAILS: --Please note that this opportunity is intended for school audiences. Adults may only attend if they are bringing a student. Students who are going may bring a parent, and/or a dance teacher. Please contact me if you'd like to discuss an exception. Christiana Skating Center. In 2009-2010, the UnSkate will be from 1:00-3:00 on the third Friday of each month, September through May, with the possible exception of March/April, which is sometimes different due to Easter and Spring Break. Dates are 9/18, 10/16, 11/20, 12/18, 1/16, 2/20, 3/20, 4/17, 5/15. Again this year Unschoolers & Others has invited members of F.O.P./C.H.A.O.S Homeschoolers to join them at the UnSkate! Cost is $3.25 per skating child, which includes rental of traditional roller skates. Inline-skates are available from the rink for an additional $3 charge. (Or you can bring your own skates.) Parents skate for free, and non-skating children can come in for free. No outside food or drink is allowed in the rink, except for bottles for babies and toddlers. The snack bar will not be open, but there are vending machines which offer water, Gatorade, and the like for $1.50. There is also a water fountain. Please enjoy your snacks in the car before or after skating. This is a very casual event, with kids from tots to teens. If your kids can't skate, don't worry - this is a good place to learn, and most kids catch on after a few visits. There is a large carpeted area for kids who are learning to wander around. Moms enjoy skating and/or chatting in the seating area; it's a great place to meet experienced homeschoolers. If you go to the Unskate more than once, you should probably join U&O. Contact: Carol-from-U&O |
