Legacies: Shri Krupa Dance Foundation
Dancer, teacher and choreographer Vishal Ramani discusses her 30 years in the Bay Area developing the Shri Krupa Dance Foundation, a non-profit center that offers daily classes on the complex tradition of Bharata Natyam. This Educator Guide is about the Indian dance form of Bharata Natyam and its traditions and practices.
Legacies: Julia Parker
Julia Parker is one of the few remaining traditional Native American basket weavers in California. This Educator Guide traces the history of basket weaving in the West Coast Indian populations.
Leaders: Brenda Way
Modern dance choreographer Brenda Way inspires her Oberlin Dance Company dancers to work harder and accomplish more than they ever dreamed possible. This Educator Guide addresses the history and uniqueness of ODC/San Francisco and dance in San Francisco.
Kids on Stage: Marsh Youth Theater
SPARK goes backstage as 40 5th-9th grade students in the Marsh Youth Theatre (MYT) Mainstage Performance Ensemble prepare for the premiere of Jip, His Story. This Educator Guide is about the history of children's theatre in the US.
In Respect of Nature: Roman Loranc
Spark visits photographer Roman Loranc as he captures arresting images of the Central Valley landscape. This Educator Guide is about photography, landscape photography and Romanticism as a creative approach in art making.
Home, Sweet Home: headRush
SPARK explores the work of theatrical performance group headRush. This Educator Guide is about the exploration and history of experimental, political theater and performance art.
Holding onto the GREEN Zone
This curriculum helps young people learn about riparian areas--those "GREEN Zones" found along the edges of rivers, streams, and lakes. Teachers and youth group leaders will find a variety of resources in the Leader Guide, including background information, a unit-by-unit guide, and safety tips, as well as a curriculum concept map and correlations to national education standards.
Fusion: Sha Sha Higby
Sha Sha Higby's artworks are moving sculptures worn in performances the artist choreographs. This Educator Guide explores traditions of pageantry and theatre, including the masquerade of the Venetian Carnevale, African tribal dancing, Japanese Noh theater and Kabuki, and Commedia dell'Arte.
Fusion: Calligraphy of Thought
Go inside the Bay Area's burgeoning Muslim spoken word, poetry, and Hip-Hop scene with Calligraphy of Thought women poets as they create and rehearse new works for a performance. This Educator Guide addresses the history of Muslim women in entertainment and the history of Hip-Hop.
Forbidden Territory: Traveling Jewish Theatre
SPARK visits the ensemble of the Traveling Jewish Theatre in a bold and moving play about the Middle East conflict called Blood Relative. This Educator Guide addresses collaborative theatre, political theatre, and the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
First Person Narratives: Tamalpais High School's Conservatory Theater Ensemble
SPARK visits students in the Conservatory Theatre Ensemble at Mt. Tamalpais High School and follows their production from first interview to finished performance, as they document the history of protest in the Mill Valley community. This Educator Guide explores the history of documentary theatre.
Exam Skills
The aim of this lesson is to help students acquire skills that help them prepare for examinations in a focused and organized way. Students devise strategies for reviewing material and developing a revision timeline, and learn to identify the areas of study on which they should concentrate to prepare for tests. They review helpful tips and learn to use past examinations as a guide for future ones. It is the seventh lesson in the study skills series and is intended to support adult learners who ar
Elevating the Everyday: Richard Shaw
SPARK visits ceramicist Richard Shaw in his Fairfax studio as he scrambles to finish work for an upcoming one-person gallery show. This Educator Guide traces the history of the trompe l'oeil technique in art up through the Bay Area movement of realism in ceramics.
Elevating the Everyday: Laurel True
SPARK checks in on mosaic artist Laurel True's latest mural, which decorates a building across the street from her Oakland studio. This Educator Guide addresses the history and traditions of mosaic art and mosaic murals.
Elevating the Everyday: Garry Knox Bennett
Spark visits vanguard furniture maker Garry Knox Bennett at work as he produces the last in a series of fifty chairs for an upcoming exhibition at the Oakland Museum of California. This Educator Guide addresses the history of art furniture.
Dance Masters: Margaret Jenkins
SPARK follows Artistic Director Margaret Jenkins as she rehearses her company dancers in preparation for "Danger Orange," an outdoor site-specific performance in downtown San Francisco. This Educator Guide is about the history of modern dance and the contributions of some its most innovative choreographers, including Jenkins.
By Hand: Gary Stevens
SPARK follows sculptor Gary Stevens through his creative process, from harvesting unusual pieces of wood from ancient redwood forests through the painstaking work that produces his uniquely beautiful wood vessels. This Educator Guide is about the history and tradition of wood carving.
Artist in Search of a Medium: Jonathon Keats
SPARK trails writer, critic, and Conceptual artist Jonathon Keats as he works on his project, Divine Taxonomy, which attempts to find God's place on the phylogenetic tree. This Educator Guide explores the history of Conceptual art and the role of science in contemporary art.
Artist as Inventor: Paul Dresher
SPARK explores the electro-acoustic world of Paul Dresher - musician, composer and inventor - as he prepares for a performance of a new work at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. This Educator Guide traces the legacy of new instrument development and experimentation and its impact on music.
Art Meets Pop Culture: Keith Knight
SPARK follows cartoon artist and rap musician Keith Knight as he peddles his strip the K Chronicles at a massive comic convention. This Educator Guide explores the history and form of the cartoon.
