Happendance To Go -- Outreach Education
For over 28 years, Happendance has been at the forefront of programming aimed at developing dance audiences for the future, in partnership with both private and public schools. In 1977, Ms. Newman created the Lecture-Demonstration Team, with state funding, to perform and teach in area secondary schools. In 1979, Impression 5 Science Museum sponsored Happendance in a series of 30 performances designed to inter-relate science and dance concepts for elementary school children visiting the "hands-on" museum, and later extended that sponsorship to 26 performances in all Eaton County elementary schools
Listed in the Michigan Directory of Touring Arts Attractions, Happendance reaches up to 8,000 students and educators a year with its unique outreach programs. The two components are: (1) Performance -- one-hour "lecture demonstrations" of narrative, performance and audience involvement, designed for school settings; (2) Teaching -- Happendance specialists working with classroom groups, from one session to year-long residencies, conducting movement experiences that enhance the learning process across the curriculum. This includes a proud history of programming for special-needs populations.
In 1999, another component of outreach was the addition of "A Dance Concert for Young People (and Their GrownUp Friends)". This show, reserved for group/school bookings at reduced prices, provides the same lecture-demonstration performance in a more professional, theatrical setting. It also offers a showtime for the general public, which families can attend together.
The outreach programs, now collectively known as Happendance To Go, have enjoyed the generous support of various foundations and businesses who subsidize the fees charged to schools for these professional artistic services. Some of our supporters have included the Thoman Foundation, the Dietrich Foundation, the Granger Foundation, the Capitol Region Community Foundation, Capital Area United Way, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Ingham County Hotel-Motel Tax Fund, the City of Lansing General Fund, and IBM Corporation.
Photos this page by David Grist