Passport to the Arts

Passport to the Arts is a six week experience for Long Beach third and fourth graders that teaches interdisciplinary arts education and cultural enrichment through dance, visual art, music, or theater.

Passport to the Arts showcases the cultural and artistic traditions of Africa, Cambodia and Latin America, all prominent ethnic and cultural groups in Long Beach. Learning about these groups fosters student tolerance and appreciation of cultural diversity. Teaching artists implement six standards-based lessons. Lessons build upon one another as students learn to evaluate similarities and differences among traditional arts and their respective cultures. The students’ six- week experience will culminate in a performance or art exhibition at their school. Students’ own works can relate specifically to one of the cultures studied, or be comprised of a unique fusion of cultural ideas.

For more information: info@artslb.org 562.435.ARTS (2787)

2018-2019 Schools

Smith Elementary, Signal Hill Elementary, Harte Elementary, Mann Elementary, Lafayette Elementary, Kettering Elementary, Cleveland Elementary

Arts LB - Passport to the Arts
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2018-2019 Artist Residents

Nannette Broadie Dance Theatre

Nannette Brodie – Artistic Director, and Distinguished Artist of the Year 2007 for Long Beach performed and choreographed for the nationally acclaimed Los Angeles modern dance company, The Moving Company. Since that time she has choreographed independently in musical theatre, dance companies, television, and film while starting her own company and a nonprofit corporation, South Coast Dance Arts Alliance.

After receiving her BFA in Art and her Master’s Degree in Dance from California State University Los Angeles, Nannette taught on the faculties of California State University Chico and Long Beach, Loyola-Marymount University, and Long Beach City College.

Nannette became the director of dance at Golden West College, and in 1986 she started her own modern dance company, the Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre. Her choreography has been performed in New York, California, Nevada, Illinois, Utah, Mexico, Finland, Czech Republic, and France.

Nannette’s principal training and theory of choreography stem from her work with Murray Louis, Janice Day and Alwin Nikolais. She is an alumnus of the Nikolais-Louis Dance Lab in New York. Nannette received the Else Loudon Solo Award for her choreography at the Palm Desert “Dancing Under the Stars” Festival in 2002, the “Daffy” Award from Dance in the Desert Festival in 2007, as well as recognition for Outstanding Woman in Arts and Culture for Long Beach and Distinguished Arts Educator for Huntington Beach, CA.

NannetteBrodieDance.org

Nathan Ari Ortiz is a So Cal native who has performed with Kenneth Walker Dance Project for the past 6 years. He received his BA in Theater Arts with a focus in Dance from CSU Dominguez Hills. After graduation, Nathan received a full scholarship to CSU Summer Arts, where he trained in Horton technique, rehearsed, and performed with faculty and dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Over the years, Nathan has been fortunate to become affiliated with dance companies in So Cal, which include Funderburk Dance Artists, Freshwater Dance Collective, Louise Reichlin & Dancers, Pasadena Civic Ballet and No Strings Attached. This is Nathan’s first season with Nanette Brodie Dance Theatre. He continues to focus on Dance education, particularly for high school students and has taken residencies at public schools throughout the LA County area.

Jana Taylor holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance with an emphasis in Ballet from Brigham Young University. She began dancing at Kravenko Dance Academy in Las Vegas, NV. While at BYU, she performed as a member of Ballet Showcase and Theatre Ballet, the university’s companies. They toured the western U.S. performing Coppelia and other classical and contemporary ballets.

After moving to California, Jana danced with Encore Dance Company under the direction of Marie Hoffman, and performed at the Disneyland Resort, dancing in such parades as Disney’s Electrical Parade, Celebrate! A Street Party, and A Christmas Fantasy Parade, among others. Jana taught at CF Dance Academy where she was co-creator and Assistant Director of Fullerton Youth Ballet. Jana’s choreography has been performed by The Academy for the Performing Arts at Huntington Beach High School (APA), Concordia University, Encore Dance Company, Fullerton Youth Ballet, and Irvine’s Musical Theatre Village. Jana also currently performs with AkomiDance under the direction of Marie Hoffman and Anthony Aceves. Jana is thrilled to have joined NBDT in 2017 and is honored to dance alongside such talented people whom she admires.

A.J. Dirickson is a recent grad from UCI with a B.A. in Dance and has been dancing since he was 18. His training began under the tutelage of Jose Costas and Linda Sole-Ellison at Orange Coast College, while simultaneously taking classes at Maple Conservatory of Dance in Irvine, CA with Charles Maple. While at OCC, he took part in both student and faculty choreography projects and was the recipient of both the Karen Shanley Dance Performance Scholarship and the Student Dance Award. Once at UCI, he studied under visionaries like Loretta Livingston and Lar Lubovitch in addition to Chad Michael Hall, Diane Diefenderfer, and Molly Lynch. During his time at UCI, Dirickson was featured as Alias in the restaging of Billy the Kid by Eugene Loring by Molly Lynch and Howard Sayette, the first time a college dance program had ever been given the opportunity to do so. Dirickson was also involved in both faculty and student works at UCI, and he was also a S.U.R.P. Scholar through which he received a grant to attend the American Dance Festival. While in attendance at the festival, Dirickson had the pleasure of working with contemporary artists and master teachers like Tatiana Baganova, Elizabeth Corbett, and Netta Yerushalmy; during this time, as well, he had the honor of being part of a restaging of Pond Way by choreographic icon and legend, Merce Cunningham. Formally with the Los Angeles based company, Contempo Ballet, Dirickson also began working at the Academy for the Performing Arts in Huntington Beach in the fall of 2017 before joining NBDT in August of 2018.

Martin Espino

Musician and Composer

Martin Espino is a Mexican-American musician and composer of indigenous Yaqui and Tepehuano ancestry from Whittier, California. He is best known for performing authentic prehispanic music with his band MEXIKA.

MartinEspino.com

Josie Neglia

Professional Latin Dance Master

Dance has always been the most exciting and fulfilling aspect of my life, and has allowed me to experience: positive energy, passion, great challenges, competitive experiences, sensuality, self-expression, ecstasy, memorable travels, and a healthy & fit lifestyle. I love to share this experience with others and offer others the opportunity to feel and be part of the amazing world of dance.
LatinDance.com

The Passport to the Arts Program provided many positive outcomes for the third grade students. First the students were able to experience a Latin American genre of music and dance. None of the students had ever received dance instruction prior to this program. They enjoyed the lessons so much that they wanted me to include “Salsa Dancing” practice for their nightly homework.

Mr. Pat Falcon

Third grade teacher, Long Beach Unified School District

Former Artist Residencies

David Lewis

Teaching Artist and Actor

David has spent most of his career in children’s theatre. At the Gifford Children’s theatre in Omaha, he served as a teaching artist-in-residence under grants from the NEA, Midwest Arts Alliance, and other agencies. A storyteller who specializes in African folktales told in the style of the Yoruba (Nigerian) griots. He often blend English language curriculum into performance lessons and emphasized the importance of nurturing children’s imaginations.

LBUSD third and fourth grade teachers are encouraged to apply for residencies. Some of our schools have included:

Alice Birney Elementary
Bixby Elementary
Harte Elementary
Holmes Elementary
Lee Elementary
Mann Elementary
McKinley Elementary
Roosevelt Elementary
Signal Hill Elementary
Willard Elementary