Professional actor, mime and film artist Leland Faulkner worked with two separate groups of detained youth every day for one week in January creating Life Masks and challenging youth to explore their own body language and inner selves.

The youth were paired up on the first day of the residency and built plaster masks for one another. The lessons dealt directly with issues of trust, as each participant had to lie completely still for 30 minutes while their partner smoothed plaster bandages over their face. The pairs, highly supervised, then took a trust walk together, one relying on the other for sight.

Once the masks were complete, the youth worked with Leland to develop a presentational piece for court and detention staff incorporating the handmade masks, creative writing, movement and music. The presentation on January 18 was attended by approximately 40 people.

On Wednesday January 23, Project Jericho provided an outreach performance by a professional Russian youth dance troupe, in collaboration with the Springfield Arts Council’s Arts in the Classroom program. Families got to enjoy the group singing and playing traditional Russian music. The group also performed customary Russian dances. Group leader, Vitaliy Bezrodnov told Russian folk stories as well. The families who attended got to play a part in the program by learning some of the dances. The group also had audience members learn to play traditional Russian instruments. Participants also had the exclusive chance to reserve Project Jericho Complimentary Tickets to the Moiseyev Dance Company’s performance in the Kuss Auditorium on January 25th.

Project Jericho held its second annual Winter Arts Camp for Families from January 14 to January 18, 2008. Artists Leland Faulkner, Kristi Limes, and Amy Korpieski assisted eight families in using their imaginations and creative thinking skills to create artwork using watercolors, to write stories involving their shadows, and to create scenes using mime, movement and acting.

Professional performing artist Leland Faulkner led families through various activities which involved acting, improvisation, building self-confidence and a sense of teamwork. The families built self-confidence by participating in the “I am somebody” circle. In a favorite activity called simply “Plungers,” using only plungers and their imaginations as props, the families acted out short scenes. The youth participants demonstrated teamwork through the “human pretzel”: four volunteers would sit on chairs with their heads resting in each other’s laps, and then, one by one, the chairs were removed until only the four participants were left supporting each other.

Artist Kristi Limes led families in creating winter wonderland scenes using watercolors. The parents painted beautiful backgrounds, and then each family member contributed to the “family portrait” by creating a snowman or pine tree to represent themselves. These pictures were then framed and presented to the families at the conclusion of the week.

Children’s librarian and artist Amy Korpieski read stories about shadows to the families and then had everyone write down or dictate a conversation with their shadow. The families participated in a shadow sewing project by outlining a part of their body, and then outlining the same part using a flashlight to create a shadow effect. These two body parts were cut out and were then sewn together and their shadow writings were copied inside.
What a week! Everyone who participated left with a scrapbook of their time spent together as well as mementos of a “World of Wonder.”

Like to Dance? Sign up now for Hip Hop/Jazz class beginning Feburary 16th. The program meets on Saturday at Gary Geis Dance Studios, located at 14 E. Main Street. Ages 8 - 12 attend classes from 1:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. and ages 13 - 17 attend classes from 2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. For more information, or to reserve a space, call 328-3869 or 328-8044.

Come make beautiful music out of household items! Bucket Band rehearsals are on Tuesdays from 5:00-6:00 PM for beginners and 6:00-7:00 PM for advanced participants. New members are always welcome. Call 328-8044 to sign up.