Strange Movements in the Sunshine State

Ali Rehm, Nikki Gambhir, Aysha Upcurch & Juliana Calderon

A week-long residency in Florida highlights our strange differences that make us all normal

From November 25-29, 2012, LRMP was on the move in West Palm Beach, Florida as invited guests of the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.  Aysha Upchurch, Juliana Calderon, and Nikki Gambhir entertained and engaged youth audiences with Strange(r), a show adapted from the company's evening-length work to advocate appreciation of diversity.  By using the many sides and universal appeal of Hip Hop dance, the dancers imparted the rich, ongoing overall history of the art form and how they individually adapt it to their own unique identity as a dancer.

The Rinker Playhouse

Ali Rehm and Tracy Butler in the Kravis Center's Education and Community Outreach Department made this amazing trip possible, featuring LRMP in three of its programs.  The S*T*A*R (Students and Teachers Arts Resource) Series allows for students and teachers to attend educational arts programming at the Kravis.  These shows have curriculum links that allow for continued learning in the classroom.  Strange(r) was featured in the Kravis' Rinker Playhouse, where 371 students and teachers got a chance to learn about the different sides of Hip Hop.  Students wrote letters detailing all they learned about diversity and the history of Hip Hop -- proof that LRMP's programming keeps arts education at its core.  Moreover, the show gave the students opportunities to try their hand at performing by joining the dancers on stage.

Demo of four principles at Conniston Middle School

Another program is the Kravis-on-the-Road Series, where artists take their show to schools.  A very energetic crowd of 247 students at Conniston Middle School got to experience Strange(r) on their turf.  Students learned the four principles of Hip Hop in their seats and definitely showed off their moves with the company on stage.

Lois Martin Community Center 

Lastly, the ladies conducted after-school workshops to drum up support for the Kravis' spring residency that LRMP members Upchurch and Calderon have participated in for four years.  The dancers led brief demos at the Academy for Positive Learning and Colman Park Community Center.  Also, Aysha led a conflict resolution workshop at the Lois Martin Community Center to get kids thinking about other ways to sort out their disputes. At Dreyfoos School for the Performing Arts, the ladies led three master classes.  In total, the in-school programming reached 182 students.  Juliana and Nikki conducted an additional master class at the Kravis.

After Kravis Master Class

The residency was a welcome reprieve from the cold north.  Also, it marks a new major mission for LRMP -- truly focusing on arts education.  All of the students and teachers were so pleased with the show and the company had a blast sharing their passion with a new audience.  In the era of increasing pressure on testing students, it is very important that artists everywhere remember their obligation to share this outlet with those coming behind them.  Every time a child eagerly raises their hand to come on stage and try something new and  is met with applause and validation, then a child's confidence goes up.  Perhaps there is no standardized test to measure that, but all educators know that this is the key to success.


So, if you want to try something new and "strange"...let us know!!