THE ARTS
Nine-year-old Henry Greene had never seen a professional dance performance before he came to a UC Davis Presents matinee. Neither had 10-year-old Selvi Rajagopar or 11-year-old Amutha Greene. The show by the daredevil Streb/Ringside dance troupe was hardly what the Sacramento grade school students had been expecting. "I thought it was going to be, like, boring," Henry said. "I was surprised. It was really good," Selvi said. "I thought it was awesome," Amutha agreed. The UC Davis Presents community outreach program had demonstrated once again its basic formula of arts education: Exciting things can happen when you bring youngsters face to face with high-caliber performing artists. At the Streb matinee, the young spectators oohed and aahed as the dancers literally climbed the walls, flew off a trampoline and slammed their bodies against mats on the floor. Scores of new fans swarmed the stage after the show, seeking the dancers' autographs. Such awe-struck reactions are common at the special performances that bring, at discount rates, tens of thousands of school kids into the theaters to watch shows by the likes of Streb/Ringside, the National Acrobats of China and the Boys Choir of Harlem. The program also brings world-class performers into classrooms, student residence halls, libraries and community centers to work side by side with students of all ages. Master classes this academic year have included workshops by the a cappella group Anonymous 4 at Woodland and Sacramento high schools, and by African folk musician Samite of Uganda at elementary and high schools in Vacaville and Sacramento. "Because support for the arts in public education has been in decline, the arts community has felt the need to provide more in an educational forum, beyond just stage performance," said Dave Webb, director of marketing and communications for UC Davis Presents. "To this end, our program is bringing these talented people here and sharing them with school children," Webb said. The outreach program has grown dramatically in recent years. Last academic year, outreach events drew more than 13,600 people. Already this year, more than 10,000 have attended, with several events yet to come. Volunteers from the Friends of UC Davis Presents have made more than 15 visits to K-12 schools to promote the program and scout out campuses likely to participate. For the past two years, docents from the support group have been going into the schools before matinees to give presentations on the artists students were about to see. In introducing the arts to school children in Yolo, Sacramento, Solano, El Dorado and Placer counties, and beyond, UC Davis hopes to build an arts audience for tomorrow. John Abigana, an instrumental music teacher at Woodland High School, said bringing world-class artists onto his campus has raised the level of expectations for his students. A visit by The King's Singers "just blew our choir away," Abigana said, adding that the school choir members were so inspired their own performance improved dramatically, and it helped young music students realize that a career in the arts is achievable. Supporters of the outreach program said for many students, such activities are among the few exposures to the arts they receive. Rosalie Vanderhoef, wife of Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef and president of Friends of UC Davis Presents, said arts education in the public schools has declined dramatically since her days as an elementary school teacher. "When I began teaching in the 1960s, my kids went to music twice a week," Vanderhoef said. "They went to art twice a week. I believe kids today are missing out." Teresa Kaneko, another active volunteer, said bringing students on campus for performances serves as another form of outreach for the university. "They see UC Davis not as another planet but as a real live place to go to. It might sink in some day that it might be a good place to apply." |
