ALTO: Workshops

In addition to longer-term (5-session) Residencies that feature connections between an art form and another subject area, ALTO Teaching Artists also offer several stand-alone Workshops for classrooms. ALTO Workshops focus on teaching one arts-based learning strategy that can then be applied to multiple curriculum connections in later experiences. Some teachers think of Workshops as foundational sessions that later Residencies may build on, or as chances to learn a new teaching strategy they can apply on their own. Most Workshops are single-session experiences, usually 60-90 minutes, depending on grade level and art form. Several of our Teaching Artists are developing new Workshops, so check back on this page for expanded offerings in the next few weeks. As always, reach out to us with any questions.

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Workshop Descriptions

Tableau

Grades 1-6 (60 mins)
The art of making frozen pictures that are physically dynamic, emotionally expressive, and compositionally interesting. In this workshop we will work with a well-known fairy tale to create these frozen pictures. These tableaus can be used to explore social studies, history, literature and vocabulary in a deeper way. This workshop will also introduce how to elicit dialogue from individual student actors in the tableau. This kind of embodied interpretation of written text deepens student understanding of the experience they are representing in the frozen picture, as well as the subject they are studying.
Teaching Artist: Wendy Chapin

Actor’s Toolbox and Concentration Challenge

Grades 1-6 (60 min)
The Actor’s Toolbox is an agreement between the teacher and students done daily as a reminder of the key behaviors that a student can take responsibility for. These key behaviors are a student controlling their body, voice and mind as well as learned skills of concentration and cooperation all things that can maximize learning in the classroom. The Concentration Challenge is a game requiring students to hold a single point of focus with a totally still body for a certain amount of time. The game has 7 levels with each level becoming more challenging. This game done over time helps to deepen students’ ability to concentrate. One session for one hour.
Teaching Artist: Wendy Chapin

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Teaching Artists

Wendy Chapin is a theater artist who began teaching in the Santa Fe public schools in 2001 independently as a theater teacher, working with integrated arts for the Alto Program, and working for Artworks a Lincoln Center Program sponsored by Partners in Education. She also teaches for Southwestern College where she got her MA in Art Therapy.