WHAT: Northampton High School Bachata
WHEN: Friday February 28, 2020. 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
WHERE: Northampton High School 380 Elm St, Northampton, MA
The Northampton High School Bachata event is a program meant to expose high school students to Bachata, a genre of folk music and dance from the Dominican Republic. Bachata is an evolving genre of folk art and is quickly gaining international popularity as an alternative to salsa.
For this program, Northampton High School (NHS) will be hosting students and faculty from the Bachata Academy- the first and only Bachata program in the world. NHS students will watch performances from the Bachata Academy students, participate in a workshop for a hands-on experience of this art form, and bring together the school’s Latin American community with the Bachata Academy students in a cultural fair-type meal.
The Northampton High School Bachata event will provide a hands-on experience that taps into learning about Dominican history, culture, and techniques of an art form directly from master practitioners. The workshop will allow students to use this art form to express themselves, deepen their connection with each other, and connect with people from outside of their culture.
Our program will work with the DREAM Project’s Bachata Academy program, which will enhance Northampton High School’s connections with global organizations. The DREAM Project, a Dominican Republic-based educational organization, aims not only to improve public schooling in the Dominican Republic but to enable all students to be empowered and educated equally. By participating in the Bachata Academy’s program, Northampton High School students will build their vocabulary for artistic expression as well as build new connections with Dominican students. February 27th is also Dominican Independence Day, and we hope to celebrate this important cultural event with a program that celebrates the unique history of the Dominican Republic. We look to provide Latin American students with an opportunity to celebrate their own culture and to involve all students in the learning and appreciation of other cultures.
Funded in part by NEF's Time Sensitive Grant program and in part by the Daniel S. Goldstein Fund for Arts in Northampton High School https://northamptoneducation.org/goldstein-fund-for-arts/
