Curriculum Classes
Classes are offered Tuesday through Friday, twice a day at 10am and 12pm, and are intended for school groups (not individual instruction).
Classes and Programs incorporate the National Standards in the Arts: (Music, Dance, and Theater), American History, Geography, Social Studies and Language Arts
New for PIFA!
Sharon Katz and the Peace Train
A Panorama Journey of South African Jazz
South African musician and music therapist Sharon Katz shares the rich musical heritage of her homeland with students and teachers, tracing the roots, rhythms and melodies of popular South African music from Marabi and Kwela (South African jazz), Mbaqanga, (township jive and rhythm and blues), to the tenacious and powerful Freedom Songs that inspired protest which eventually brought down the Apartheid regime. Students will sing, listen and dance to the music of Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, and Abigail Kubeka, whose music inspired and shaped a nation.
(This class is available to grades 5-12 and also choral and instrumental groups in grades 9-12)
New for PIFA!
The Sixties’ Revolution
The Music of Protest and Peace
A social revolution and demand for equality and peace sparked a musical decade of songs heard around the world. Folk singers and historians from Philadelphia tell stories of conflict and resolution through music giving an exciting and informative look into one of the most explosive times in American history and the music that was at the center of it all.
Jazz Singing
An exciting and fun approach to the art of jazz singing. Taught by a
Philadelphia jazz artist, students will be engaged in the art of scat singing and jazz standards and introduced to vocalists from Louis Armstrong to Bobby McFerrin.
American Musical Theater
Come and join us on the "Great White Way" known as Broadway American Musical Theater. Here students will experience this genre through all the key components of a musical, replete with singing, dancing and acting an excerpt of an established musical. They will also extend their creative talents by creating and performing an original scene.
Harlem Renaissance
Explore the music, dance, visual art and literary works created during this time of cultural rebirth in Harlem, New York City. Come travel to a place where African-American artistic expression flourished, leaving its impact on society and the world. Sing and dance the Lindy Hop and experience one of America’s most celebrated artistic treasures.
The Jazz Age and Picasso
Come and explore the fusion of American jazz, European art and African culture through the eyes of one of the world’s most prolific artists. Students will discover the influence that daring and bold expressions of music, dance and literature can have on visual art from the period that inspired imagination and a new path to the avante garde. Students will create contemporary works of visual art that reflect their interpretation of an African artifact and a well-known French melody.
For further information or assistance, please send us a message online or call 215-790-5896.
Education programs at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts are generously supported by
