MY HEROES, Part II: NIÑOS DE OTROS PAISES DESEAN APRENDER RITMOS AFRO-ANTILLANOS


Springfield, MA: No salgo de uno para meterme en otra. Esta vez "Exploration the Puerto Rican Culture" me ha enviado a "Indian Orchard Elementary school", una escuela de Kindergarden hasta sexto grado. Allá me encontré con este "Display" de Puerto Rico donde me daban la Bienvenida. Al entrar a la escuela me encontré con niños y profesores que me decían, "Welcome Ms. Perez", "we are waiting for you". De ahí me trasladaron a la Oficina y conocí a la Principal. Ella muy gentil me dio la Bienvenida. Julie Minns-Piepho, La "Couch" como le llaman los jóvenes, es la encargada de todo este 'revolu' de Puerto Rico en la escuela, ubicada en una comunidad muy diversa. Por supuesto los latinos tienen que estar ahí, aun mas los caribeños. Llegue al gimnasio, donde se llevaría a cabo todas las clases con grupos de quinto, cuarto, primer grado y un hermoso grupo de niños con educación especial. Para mi sorpresa esto fue lo que me encontré, instrumentos para cada unos de nuestros niños.
De ahí en adelante fue un mambo, perdón fue: Bomba, plena, rumba hasta Hip-hop y áfrica entera. Dentro de la diversidad del grupo se pudo cantar en diferentes ritmos afroantillanos, traer poema y dramatización. Los niños gozaron y aprendieron a la vez de nuestros paisajes antillanos. Aprendieron de nuestro periódico cantado,LA PLENA, y del llamado y respuesta de la BOMBA. Por cierto la bailadora de Bomba fue una hermosa niña polaca que cuando escuchó los ritmos quedo enamorada.

Para que usted vea que se encuentra de todo en la botica. Vean mas fotos en la galería.

Que en el pensamiento del aprendiz quede la fe y pasión del intento y en la de los incrédulos el no atreverse a intentarlo. "Palabras con luz de Lydia". Queda que en esta vida todo es posible si se lo propone. Que lo disfrute.

The Puerto Rican Institute for Arts and Advocacy, Inc. (PRIAA),sponsored in kind with Exploration the Puerto Rican Culture, Springfield, MA

Explorations the Puerto Rican Culture is an educational program, for grade 3-8 teachers in Springfield, MA, that aims to incorporate aspects of Puerto Rican culture into the classroom. Explorations means: engaging students with their community. It's a great collaborative project of Springfield Public Schools and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

The program is funded by an Arts Model Development and Dissemination Grant from U.S. Department of Education.

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