Character Education and Conflict Resolution through Movement: Residencies for school children in grades K-5
Especially recommended for high needs school districts.

These programs use dance, yoga and other forms of movement to encourage self-esteem and tolerance, as well as provide support for children dealing with bullying and teasing. Children will learn movement techniques that help them understand personal and shared space, develop an awareness of how to detect and harness "hyper" energy, and identify and express feelings through movement. Students will create a short performance based on personal stories and stories included in the program as well as observe an Avodah Dance Ensemble performance piece about conflict resolution.

Since 1990, The Avodah Dance Ensemble has innovated in arts residencies in the New York City Area. All of our residencies include experiential workshops culminating with the students performing with the company. We have worked with kindergarten through college-age students.

Here is a sample of Avodah residencies that have been developed to coordinate with repertory:

Let My People Go - our residencies inspired by this work, created in 1989 by guest choreographer Louis Johnson and JoAnne Tucker, explore the journey from slavery to freedom, models of leadership and celebrate the contributions of Jewish and African American leaders.

Make A Change - created in 1999 by guest choreographer Louis Johnson and JoAnne Tucker, encourages students to express their ideas, through movement, for social issues that they care about and ways to make their community a better place.

Balancing Act - created in 2002 as a response to September 11th. Students are guided to explore ways that they can keep their balance when things donât go as expected.

The Duel of the Cat and the Mouse; Conflict Resolution Through Movement -- Created for a residency at Oliver Street School, Newark, NJ

Avodah led a two day residency in character education and conflict resolution for 5th graders. Using movement and storytelling, Avodah dancers Christin Carlow, Amy Osgood, Connie Procopio, and Artistic Director, Julie Gayer, create vignettes in movement with the children. Children were asked to create short movement phrases to illustrate stories that express conflicts and alternative solutions. Avodah performed a new work, "The Duel of the Cat and the Mouse", in addition to existing repertory.

Holocaust Related Repertory:

I Never Saw Another Butterfly (poems written by children and young adults at Terezin)

Shema (to the poetry of Primo Levi)

Heroic Deeds (stories of Righteous Gentiles)

All of our Holocaust residencies use written accounts to support movement expression.