Education
Treehouse Shakers offers a variety of exceptional public workshops, in-school residencies, and staff developments tailored to specific age ranges. From Pre-school to Graduate School, we specialize in Storytelling, Dance, Writing, Creative Drama and More. Our arts in education programs encourage young people to think, learn, and truly be engaged through the discipline, innovation, and creativity of the arts. We can offer a half-hour workshop to an entire year of learning!
Treehouse Shakers’ Staff Developments are for administrators, teachers (both general and special educators) and the paraprofessionals who assist them in the classroom. Designed to enhance learning through the arts, regardless of discipline, our staff developments focus on using creative drama, writing, dance or storytelling in the classroom. The facilitator leads teachers through a dynamic and unique learning experience, giving lessons and hands-on tools, which can be applied easily to the classroom setting. Comprehensive reference handouts included.
Education Programs
Creative
Drama
Dance
LGBTQIA
Programs
Storytelling
Writing
Story Dance
Staff
Development
Contact Us
For more information about booking any education programs, please contact us.
“The Treehouse Shakers workshops engage children perfectly. The children participate with joy in the interactive process. The teaching artists help to build, tell and understand the discipline using their own bodies, rhythms and imaginations. Amazing.”
— Dr. Julia Morris, Teacher and Educational Specialist
Creative Drama
Creative Drama for the Early Years
Using simple-story forms, poetry, picture books, folklore and rhymes, students learn how to use their own voicCe, bodconiy, and imagination, to create story-dramas. Participation in creative drama helps develop skills in sequencing, language, communication, problem-solving, and creativity; also helps to promote a positive self-concept, social awareness, empathy, and working as a group. Students will learn vocabulary words connecting them to the art form; stage, audience, director, company.
Drama for the Older Students
Students learn how to use their own voice, body, and imagination. Participation in creative drama helps develop skills in sequencing, language, communication, problem-solving, and creativity; also helps to promote a positive self-concept, social awareness, empathy, and working as a group. Students will have the option of creating a full play, or several min-plays over the course of a residency.
Creative Drama with Art Extension
Using simple-story forms, poetry, picture books, folklore and rhymes, students learn how to use their own voice, body, and imagination, to hear and learn stories. Participation develop skills in language, sequencing, communication, early literacy comprehension, problem-solving, and creativity; also helps to promote a positive self-concept, social awareness, empathy, and working as a group. Students will learn vocabulary words connecting them to the art form while also connecting to literacy connectors; beginning and ending words, character, setting, conflict and sequencing, to name a few. Students will also participate in an art extension following the stories, to further connect to the themes and concepts, primarily creating simple puppets, so that they may creatively play and explore the stories further both in our time together, and at home.
Dance
Ages: 2+
Treehouse Shakers’ dance residencies range from Modern to African Dance and offer the student an enjoyable whole body experience. The class explores elements of creative movement including locomotion, space, shape, and rhythm. Students are also encouraged to explore their own movement through improvisational activities. The workshops incorporate the learning standards from the Blueprint for Dance. Dance is an ideal art form for students to creatively express themselves, fine-tune motor skills, learn sequencing, practice spatial awareness, and develop kinesthetic skills. As they become older, dance is an opportunity for incorporating group choreography, gaining a sense of community, experiencing team building, and finding emotional expression.
“A positive introduction to the world of dance.”
- JoAnn Heimes, 1st Grade Teacher, Rock Springs, WY
LGBTQIA Programs
Treehouse Shakers’ Branching OUT In-School and After-School program is for ages 12-18. This awarded program is for young people who identify as LGBTQIA+, or are seeking to become better allies. Branching OUT centers on discovering and exploring one’s story and identity through an intentionally artist-led format. During our community-based program, young people will explore and reflect on their own story to create a larger, more meaningful experience, while gaining self-empowerment and gathering with like-minded peers. Through the guidance of our awarded teaching artists, young people will create narratives that will be turned into podcasts, dances, songs or poetry.
Young people have the opportunity to learn new art forms, work with professional artists, while building a meaningful community.
If interested in signing up, and finding out more about the program reach out to contactus@treehouseshakers.com.
Story Dance
In the Story-Dance Residency, focus is on levels, directions, pathways, and use of energy, spatial relationships, body shapes, and body actions. We will use storytelling as a way to invent our movement, strengthen sequencing skills, learn literacy elements, and enhance imaginative story making. Students will learn vocabulary words connecting them to the art form: dancer, choreographer, dance-teacher, composer, costume designer, audience. Students explore their individual range of movement by practicing a variety of locomotor and non-locomotor actions, enhancing gross motor skills of coordination, creativity, kinesthetic expression, and rhythms. Older students will have a chance to create longer pieces of choreography together, through creative suggestions from the teaching artist.
“They looked forward to your class and their listening, sequencing, and overall cooperation improved over your 6 week course. Thank you!”
- Kindergarten Teacher, P.S. 19, NYC
Staff Development
Incorporating Dance into the Classroom
Taught by Emily Bunning
Taught by choreographer, Emily Bunning, this workshop begins with a movement warm-up so that participants feel comfortable with their own bodies. These initial movements lead to an in-depth discussion about the elements of dance and how they can relate to the everyday classroom activities and goals. Bunning provides valuable ideas in approaching math, language, science, and social studies by incorporating dance. Teachers will leave with a greater sense of their own role as a movement facilitator, specific exercises to take into the classroom, and tools to create their own movements for classroom lessons. Bunning will also address how to overcome limitations within the classroom due to the energy generated with the movement and the space limitations.
Creative Drama, Writing & Storytelling
Staff Developments in Creative Drama, Writing & Storytelling for preschools, elementary schools, high schools and colleges can be tailored to your teachers’ or administration’s needs. Our awarded teaching artists, engage teachers, to lead them through a dynamic and unique learning experience. Bringing creativity and invigorating ideas to teaching, Treehouse Shakers’ lessons can easily be applied in the classroom. All Staff Developments come with a teacher’s reference package. We can provide an hour, to an entire weekend of workshop engagement.
“After taking this workshop, I look forward to using dance as a way to calm and ready my students for learning.”
- Danielle Roedig, St. Joseph’s College
“Thank YOU! The teachers all raved about your workshop. And I had a chance to look through the handout you put together for them — what a resource! Thank you so much. “
- Paula Heitman, Lutheran Medical Center
Worldly Storytelling
Taught By Mara McEwin
Age: 3 and Up!
Voted the “Best Storyteller in Manhattan” by the New York Press, storyteller and actor, Mara McEwin, engages students how to tell a story, using body, voice, and imagination. During the session, she tells folktales from around the world, incorporates activities where students focus on elements of literacy, kinesthetic movement, motor, and art-making skills. Students have the opportunity to create stories, share stories, and even act out stories. The workshop meets the national standards of performance, public speaking, and art. This workshop can be tailored to a specific school theme, or a curriculum focus. “Storytelling Notebooks” can also be included to have students write stories, and elements within storytelling.
“My class is an English Second Language class with very low leveled and quiet children. Mara was amazing with them. She brought out their confidence and built up their self-esteem. I had never seen my students so motivated and interested. I am extremely happy that my class had this opportunity to grow. Mara is an intelligent, creative, and hard working artist that was able to bring out the best in my students. Thank You!”
- 2nd grade teacher, P.S. 104, New York, NY
Writing
Writing for Young Audiences
Age: 18 +
Learn how to create a story, play, or a children’s book through this 15 week intensive. From the first idea, to the many revisions later, we will delve into the history of children’s writing and publishing; explore the many trends in children’s literacy, while developing your unique voice as a writer. Work on narrative, dialogue, and structure, while bringing your idea to life and onto the page.
Writing for the Teen Voice
Age: 11 +
Treehouse Shakers’ writing workshops expertly encourage young voices to be developed on the page. We have workshops that explore creative writing, personal narrative, and playwriting. From one-day writing workshops, to fifteen-week intensives, Treehouse Shakers’ professional writing artists value the storyteller within, while guiding students through the craft of writing. We also have writing workshops to partner with our performances and help writers intimately explore the performances’ themes.
“Treehouse Shakers creates children’s dance-theater of the highest caliber. The performers sense of wonder and pleasure in performing is infectious, and I’ve seen them establish rapport with children of all ages, from toddlers to teens.”
— Aviva Geismar, Artistic Director, Drastic Action