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 THE FINE PRINTPlease read this before requesting tickets! FIELD TRIP GUIDELINES --
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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! Penn Presents: Student Discovery Series/Dance Celebration 2011-2012 Join us for more great dance in the 2011-2012 school year! This series features hour-long performances from some of the world's best dance companies. There's an international flair to this year's series, so it's a nice Arts/Geography blend. If your student is a serious dancer, see also the master classes that accompany this series. TO ORDER TICKETS: Tickets are $5 each. Print out this order form, fill it out, and send it with your check to the address on the form. I will buy your tickets and leave them for you at the theater at the Will Call window. You can pick them up when you go to If you prefer, you can put together your own group, and deal directly with the theater. You need to buy at least 10 tickets to be a group, the price goes down depending on how many different shows you see, and three shows gets you to the $5 rate. (I think I have that right, but you'll want to double-check.) Call group sales at 215-746-7997 and speak to Edward Epstein for more info. (Note: There is no Shakespeare offered at the Annenberg this year. Join us at Philly Shakespeare instead.) Contact: Pauline ~ Chunky Move*+, Friday, November 18, 2011 @ 11:30 AM (Note later time!) (From Australia.) ~ RUBBERBANDance Group*, Friday, January 20, 2012 @ 10:30 AM ~ Inbal Pinto & Avshalom Pollak Dance Company+, Friday, February 10, 2012 @ 10:30 AM ~ Spirit of Uganda*+, Friday, March 16, 2012 @ 10:30 AM<-- SOLD OUT ~ DanceBrazil, Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 10:30 AM<-- SOLD OUT ~ Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal*, Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 1:00 PM (Note later time!)
~ MOMIX*, Friday, May 18, 2012 @ 10:30 AM<-- SOLD OUT • Most of these events are part of the Dance Celebration Series, except Spirit of Uganda and Kenge Kenge, which are part of the Philadelphia International Children’s Festival. Each show is an hour long, and the Dance Celebration performances usually include a “talkback” with the dancers after the show. All shows take place on the University of Pennsylvania campus, in the Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. These have been excellent in the past. The 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/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. This brochure contains descriptions of the pieces the companies will be doing in their evening performances. (Spirit of Uganda is described here.) Keep in mind that the companies may do excerpts from their evening show in the daytime performance we will see, or they may do something completely different. See also The Dance Celebration site and the Annenberg Center SDS/DC site for further information about the series. The Dance Celebration site sometimes 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. NOTE: If you have seen one of these companies in a previous year, please note that they may present the same performance, a similar one, or something completely different than they did in the past. I will ask the theater about this and post what I can find out. --Inbal Pinto is likely to be very accessible for younger kids. They are likely to perform lots of little pieces, and their movement vocabulary is upbeat and acrobatic. Some costumes may be clown-like. 'It’s dance theatre at its best when fantasy meets sideshow
spectacle in Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak’s master work
Oyster, a full-length Philadelphia premiere about a fantastic
circus world of wandering street acrobats and other bizarre
characters dressed in doll-like make-up, spiky blonde wigs and
tutus. Drawing its name from filmmaker Tim Burton’s (Edward
Scissorhands, Alice in Wonderland) book of short poems and
sketches, Oyster is a witty blend of ballet, mime, modern dance,
physical comedy and acrobatics employing fantastical costumes
and set to an eclectic score. The Village Voice described this
masterful work as “part surreal vaudeville, part circus, and
part toy store after midnight...a delight for the eye” and the
Washington Post states it is “a work of stunning beauty that
transcends time and place.”' --DanceBrazil is usually a crowd-pleaser. In the past, they've presented an informative program mixing live music on native instruments with dance influenced by Capoeira. "DanceBrazil has thrilled audiences
throughout the world with a dazzling fusion of Afro-Brazilian
culture, live music, contemporary dance and Capoeira, the --Momix is on the "circus" side of the dance world - not much classical dance but a very entertaining performance. This would be a good first choice for kids who have not seen much dance, especially active boys. If you've seen Momix with us before, be aware that they may do the same pieces. Expect this one to sell out early. "Celebrated for its ability
to conjure up a world of surrealistic images using props, light,
shadow, humor and the human body...
These beloved dancer-illusionists pack each performance with
wit, beauty, visual fantasy and stunning physicality, leaving
audiences floating “out on a dizzying high of pleasure”". --Spirit of Uganda includes live music, singing, and dance, and should be a good geography/cultural experience accessible to all ages. See here for a short video. --Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal "features neither ballet nor jazz,
but instead presents a thrilling fusion of all styles and polished
technique." "..bright, witty
dances that were easy to like, vibrantly
performed by a troupe that doesn’t so much
dazzle you with its technical prowess (though
it has that) as charm you with its vivid
personality.” --RUBBERBANDance Group is hip-hop-inspired ballet. (My impression was more on the ballet side than the hip-hop side.) There may be some sadness to the piece they are presenting, so this might not be a good choice for sensitive young ones. "a fresh, new exciting,
seemingly improbable fusion of hip hop, ballet and modern
dance” --Chunky Move is suggested for older kids, not because of content but because the modern may-not-be-rhythmic music and sophisticated movement vocabularly might not hold the attention of the younger crowd. Younger kids who have more experience with dance/music may also be interested. I actually think it looks kind of cool - here's a useful video to get a sense of it. "Australia’s Chunky
Move is a company that feasts on theatrical invention and hightech special effects. ... A side-step from the norm for Chunky
Move, [their piece] Connected relies less on digital technology and more on
Margolin’s purpose-built, kinetic sculpture. Constructed from
wood, recycled plastic, paper and steel, Margolin’s weightless
waveform sculpture appears as the agile dancers twist and
hurl through space. Beginning with simple movements and
hundreds of tiny pieces, the dancers construct the aweinspiring sculpture in real performance time." If you're very interested in dance, I'd consider going to many 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. Details for Student Discovery shows: * Unskate: If you enjoy going to the UnSkate, note that the performances marked * are on third Fridays, typically UnSkate days. For 10:30am performances, 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. +Penn Museum: To round out your day, I have scheduled a visit to the Penn Museum for the days marked +. See here for details. • Directions to the Annenberg: 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!). If you park on the street, watch the time, and be sure you read all of the signs and comply with them; tickets can be expensive and it can sometimes be tricky to understand what is and is not allowed, and where to pay. I usually park in the garage at 38th and Walnut; garage parking can run about $12-$18, which isn't cheap, but avoids the risk of a ticket. • Nearby the Annenberg: 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; my favorite is Magic Carpet, which has a great selection of vegetarian food from a variety of world cultures. See if there's an interesting exhibit at one of Penn's libraries or at the Institute of Contemporary Art (both free). Consider a visit to the Penn Museum, which features artifacts from Egypt, Greece, and Rome - this is a "must see" museum if you are studying ancient history. • Show Day Tips: 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. • Arrival Time: 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! The show starts promptly. If you are late, you may have to wait until an appropriate break in the performance to be seated. • Rules: 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. 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 whisper directly into their ear, and ask them to do the same to you.) • Young Children: The dance shows are usually fine for most younger children. These are school-oriented performances; the audience is mostly 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. • Ticket Orders: I have ordered tickets for the following people. Tickets Ordered and at Will-Call For: • Traditional Cheer: At each Dance Celebration show, they welcome visiting schools by name. It’s traditional to applaud/cheer loudly when they mention the "Homeschool Associations"! • Lost Tickets: 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. If you can't get ahold of me, call the theater and ask for the Group Sales person, Jen Glass. Mention me - she will have a list of your tickets and be able to help you. • Additional tickets *may* be available through the box office, though the price will probably be higher than our group rate. You can call 215-898-3900. Some shows do sell out. Prices vary based on the number of tickets you are purchasing. See here or here for details. • SNOW NOTE: In case of bad weather, including a serious snowstorm, you can assume the show will go on regardless. Contact the theater to verify. 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. 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 both went on to dance professionally. (Actual Teen Quote: “That was the best thing I’ve ever done in my whole life.”) Please schedule these on your own. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology We will be taking three trips to the Penn Museum in Philadelphia. Each trip will feature a docent-led tour of a particular gallery, as well as time to explore on your own.
Students, seniors, and military are $7 each, Adults are $9 each, and chidren under 5 are free. I need to receive your ticket order by 3 weeks before the trip. There is a minimum of 15 paying people, and a maximum of 30, per trip. If there is significant interest I will consider scheduling an additional tour group each day; it would have to be on a different topic. To order tickets, print this form and send it, with a check, to the address on the form (or give it to me when you see me, at CGA etc.). There is a Dance Celebration performance nearby on the Penn campus on each of these days, to make it easy to fill your day in Philadelphia. See here for details. Please be at the Kress entrance 15 minutes prior to the tour's start time! We will not wait for you. If your schedule allows, you can enter the museum early. You must use the Kress entrance. I will leave a list of participants at the Kress entrance desk, so they should know you have already paid. As early as 11:30 you can use the lunchroom if there is space; you will likely share it with other visitors. There is a coatroom area where coats and lunchboxes may be stored while you tour the museum. You can enter the museum galleries as early as 12:30 and look around yourselves before (and/or after) the tour. Parents should accompany children in the galleries. Be sure to be back at the entrance by the time we start the tour; we will not wait for stragglers! Directions: Please enter through the Kress entrance. The driveway to this entrance is located on South Street between the east side of the Muesum building and the nearby parking garage. Museum Rules: In the galleries, there is no food, no drink, no gum, no videotaping, no backpacks or large bags, no running or disruptive behavior, and no touching of the artifacts or their cases. With some exceptions, non-flash photography is permitted. Children should be chaperoned at all times. In case of inclement weather, we may cancel and then run the trip on another day. If the weather is bad, I will let you know via email the morning of the trip. If the trip is canceled, or if the trip is rescheduled and you let me know you cannot make the new date, the museum (through me) will refund your tickets. If the trip is on but you cannot go, I cannot refund your money; please take this into account when buying tickets. Philadelphia Shakespeare Theater As usual, we plan to go to the performances at the Philadelphia Shakespeare Theater (formerly Philly S'peare Festival). This year we will see: Twelfth Night, Wednesday April 25, 2012, arrive by 10:15am Tickets are $13 each. I realize that it is early to plan an outing for the spring, however based on past experience this trip is likely to sell out in early fall. I have reserved some tickets; they are first-come, first-served, until they're gone. These plays are consistently excellent – we’ve had a group at almost every play they’ve done for many years! (Note - usually the theater does two plays each year. However this year's second play, Titus Andronicus, is not being offered as a student matinee.) Contact: Pauline Tickets Ordered: The following people have purchased tickets. Again, note that there are no paper tickets given in advance. Lunch: Please note, there are no lunch facilities available. Because there is limited gathering space, please make meal arrangements elsewhere for before or after the performance. Usually, you can/should bring a small snack/lunch and eat it during the very brief intermission. Because the church may be using the rooms downstairs for programming, or setting them up for something later in the day, you should assume that we cannot we will not be able to use these rooms during intermission. Expect to eat standing up in the lobby, in about 10 minutes; plan your food choices accordingly! No eating in the theater, please, or in any of the large rooms downstairs. Pack your lunches in small containers; the box office cannot hold them for you. For over 14 years, the UnSkate has been hosted by Unschoolers & Others. U&O is an inclusive group of parents who welcome all styles of homeschooling/unschooling methods. All are invited to join in the monthly Unskate. You do not need to be a member of the group in order to skate. So feel free to come out, bring a friend or two and have fun. Dates for 2011/2012: Sept 16, 2011; October 21, 2011; November 18, 2011; December 16, 2011; January 20, 2012; February 17, 2012; March 16, 2012; April 20, 2012; May 18, 2012. 1-3 pm on the 3rd Friday of each month (date varies sometimes around Easter) at the Christiana Skating Center,
801 Christiana Road,
Newark, De 19713. Cost is $3.50 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. Directions: Christiana Skating Center, 302-366-0473, 801 Christiana Rd. (Route 273), Newark, DE 19713 The rink is very easy to find, since it’s just off I-95. From PA, take I-95 South to the Route 273 exit. Stay in the right lane of the exit ramp – you’ll curve to the right onto Rt. 273 West. Once you're on the actual road, you'll want to move into the left lane. Go West on Rt. 273 about 2 blocks and turn left into the Pizza Hut parking lot. (You probably won’t see the skating center before you turn – have faith!) The skating center is just beyond the Pizza Hut; drive through the parking lots to get there. Freeschool Lounge, Coffee House, Game Day, and Open Mic at The Garage Youth Center in Kennett. We had a terrific first year at the Freeschool Lounge and we hope to have an even better one in 2011-2012. For up-to-date details, check out the Freeschooler Lounge web page for details and contact info. We meet on the first Friday of every month from 11am until 3pm. The Freeschool Lounge is held at the Garage Community and Youth Center in Kennett Square, PA. It is free and open to all homeschooling families. Drop in for a short while or spend the whole afternoon with us. A space and time for all homeschoolers to come together to hang out, play pool, chess, visit, and perform for each other. The Garage is located at 115 S. Union St in the heart of Kennett Square, PA. The Garage boasts two pool tables, foosball and ping-pong tables, a stage and sound system, seating areas with couches and tables and chairs for board games, chess and other activities. What can you expect to find at the Freeschooler Lounge? It is a dynamic atmosphere created by all of us (including you!) and so the sky is the limit. Some of the things we can imagine include Community, New Friends, Old Friends, Teens, Toddlers, In betweens, Parents, Performances, Music, Poetry, Coffee, Tea, Treats, Something Good to Eat, Board Games, Card Games, Chess and Checkers, Playing Pool, Feeling Cool, Knitting, Reading, Hanging Out, Chilling, Chatting, Laughing, Lego Building, Exploring, Creating, Sharing, Connecting, ….what do YOU imagine? Renaissance Capture the Flag Club in Kennett (Nixon Park). Renaissance Capture the Flag is a bi-monthy Capture the Flag game for homeschoolers of all ages. We play a style of Capture the Flag that involves foam swords, shields, daggers, spears, foam arrows and bows. The game also includes a serious amount of improvisational acting (mostly around "dying"!). It is cooperative and fun spirited. It is much like Wayfinders or Epic Adventures as seen in Phila. In 2011-2012, we will meet at Anson B. Nixon Park in Kennett Square, PA on the second and fourth Friday of each month from 1pm-4pm. Come join us! For more details, directions, and contact information, see this website. Delco Park Days at Smedley Park in Springfield (Tuesdays). Most Tuesday afternoons at Smedley Park in Springfield. Close to the Springfield Mall. Contact Liz for more information. We meet from 1-4ish. It's an inclusive crowd. There are porta potties, play structures, hiking trails, and creeks. Some kids wear shoes that can get wet and bring a change of clothes, just in case they want to play in the creek. DIRECTIONS: These directions are long, but it's actually pretty easy to get there. The park is on Paper Mill Road, Springfield PA 19064, just off Baltimore Pike, near Rt. 476 and the Springfield Mall. See Google Maps here. The entrance to Paper Mill Road is hard to find. There are two large stone tablets next to the entrance. It is directly across Baltimore Pike from Victoria Baptist Church, 1459 Baltimore Pike, Springfield, PA, a stone church with big red doors. It is probably easiest to look for the church, then look across the street for Paper Mill Road. Once you're on Paper Mill, take it all the way to the end. You will pass a parking area with soccer fields, go over the trolley tracks, pass another parking area with a playground - keep going! After going under Rt. 476 you will get to the last parking area. Park here and walk over the bridge. Our group is usually near the playground and/or baseball field.
Finished for This Year - Join us Next Year!Hay Creek Valley Fall Festival. Usually the second weekend in September, Fri, Sat, and Sun. (rain or shine). 10 am to 5 pm. "The Hay Creek Festival prides itself on the recreating and interpreting the 18th and 19th century living and working lifestyles on the Joanna Furnace Iron Plantation. Throughout all three days of the event almost 1200 craftsmen, interpreters, and volunteers bring this significant iron producing community back to life." Definitely worth the trip. Bring a camera and fill that portfolio – you can knock off history, science, music, and have a great day out! See their web site for details. They offer significantly discounted admission to homeschool families on Friday (in 2011 teachers were $6, students were free), but you need to fill out this form from their website and bring it with you. We don't go as an organized group, but you're sure to see someone you know; there are always a lot of homeschoolers there on Friday. Activities include archaelogy, rubber stamp and rubbing stations, mechanical technology (vintage working equipment such as antique cars and tractors, engines, pumps, grain threshers, lathes, cord weavers, and washing machines), early American crafts (spinning, weaving, papermaking, blacksmithing, broom making, glassblowing, and many more), musical performances, a Civil War encampment, and a craft market. The festival features excellent food, including soups, Schnitz Un Knepp (apples & ham), farmhouse sandwiches, mac-and-cheese, chicken pot pie, ice cream, pie, fresh fruit, and apple cider. One of the fun parts for many young homeschoolers is riding a school bus from the parking area to the festival grounds. FREE! Pennsylvania Ballet Dress Rehearsals Contact: Pauline PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST TICKETS UNLESS YOU ARE REASONABLY SURE YOU WILL USE THEM. CHECK YOUR CALENDAR FIRST, and be realistic about your schedule! 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. DETAILS: The Kimmel Center offers 3 free classes per year to homeschool groups. I have been mostly pleased with these classes in the past. However, I will not be organizing any this year. If you are interested in organizing one, see their website for details. The Kimmel folks are easy to work with, and in the past they've only needed a minimum of 15 students.
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