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Elizabeth Bromley
is a native North American who has spent almost half of her lifetime
outside of the United States. During her 12 years in Costa Rica, she
co-founded the Language Institute, COMUNICARE, was elected director
of The Costa Rican Association for Adults with Depression and
co-founded a center for Group Psychology called Mundo Interno. She
has a Masters in Group Clinical Psychology and is trained in Parent
Effectiveness Training. She has led workshops, therapy groups,
classes and support groups to both children and adults, in English
and in Spanish since 1994 both abroad and in Philadelphia. At the
same time, she has written and arranged music, and sung since she
was a child. In 2005, Elizabeth rekindled her love of music and
began writing songs in Spanish for children together with her
family. Now with over 100 original songs composed, Elizabeth offers
concerts and classes known as Cantemos Juntos
(Let’s Sing Together) and is excited to have the opportunity to
braid these different interests together with The
Creative Living Room ™. She has three children all of whom she is
raising to be bilingual. For more information visit
www.cantemosjuntos.com.
Allison DeSalvo is a professional
actress/singer/songwriter/teaching artist and children’s
entertainer. Immersed in the arts since childhood, Allison received
her BA in drama from NYU, studied music at Mannis School of Music
Extension Division and performed and toured professionally in
numerous music-theater productions, operas and recitals on off and
off-off B’way, regionally and in Europe. In 1992 she founded
World of Song Productions (WOS)
to unite her love of the performing arts with her love of children
and to provide music concerts and classes that inspire creative
learning, growth and expression. Allison has shared her 30+ years of
training and experience in music, dance, art and theater at
recreational centers, arts in education programs and private and
public schools since 1991 during which she created and taught the
Music, Art & Me Program (MAM)
until 1998 when she was invited to be the head teacher of the ‘Twos’
Program’ at Grace Church School in Brooklyn. In 2004 she relocated
to PA from NY with her husband and began introducing her programs
locally while working at the Swarthmore Public Library.
Happiness Is All Around You, Allison’s debut CD
of children’s music, was the recipient of the 2002 Children's Music
Web award. Her two great teachers and mentors, continue to be
instrumental in her artistic development, Cheryl Stoll Thygeson, an
artist/healer she met in 1987 in London, with whom she has studied
sacred dance, the healing arts and their connection to creativity
and life, and Jim Carson, from whom she received her strong
classical vocal training when she joined his studio in 1994.
Allison’s programs encourage children to discover their own
creativity, while nurturing their appreciation of the arts in a
loving spirit of learning and joy. For more information visit
www.worldofsong.com.
Heather Dyas-Fried, RYT, PCD(DONA)
is
a certified Kripalu Yoga teacher, a birth and postpartum doula
(DONA). She first visited Kripalu, Center for Yoga and Health, in
1993. Heather is also certified in Prenatal Yoga (Janice Clarfield,
Vancouver), Mom/Baby Yoga (Baby Om Yoga, NYC) and Kids Yoga (Yogawood,
NJ). She has a BA in Theatre Arts from Bloomsburg University and
years ago discovered a deep connection between yoga and acting. She
has been working as an actor/activist since 1990 and is a founding
member of Equalogy, Inc., which incorporated in 1997. Equalogy is a
theatre for social change based out of NYC that tours to colleges in
14 states performing plays about dating violence and acquaintance
rape.
www.equalogyinc.org
Perky
Edgerton has been
working as a painter for over twenty-five years. She studied at the
Accademia delle Belle Arti in Florence, Italy. She received her
Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1978 from Boston University and a Masters
of Fine Arts in 1980 from Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia and
Rome. Her work has been exhibited in numerous one-person and group
exhibitions nationally and internationally. Perky has been the
recipient of several grants and fellowships, notably a National
Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and two Pennsylvania Council for
the Arts Fellowships. She is the painter/illustrator of
Pipiolo and the Roof Dogs and Bravo, Tavo!
She is currently working on several new book projects. Perky lives
in Swarthmore with her husband Brain Meunier and two daughters. For
more information and to visit her gallery of Contemporary Italian
Renaissance Portraiture and Children’s Books go to her website at
www.PerkyEdgerton.com.
Lynn Falk
is a modern
dancer/choreographer with a passion for teaching movers of all ages
and abilities. Lynn
grew up studying ballet, jazz and tap dance and was introduced to
her true love, modern dance while attending the Governor's School of
the Arts in NJ. During college, intensive study with
third-generation Duncan
dancer, Lori Belilove and African American dance artist Dianne
McIntyre at the Bates Dance Festival inspired
Lynn
to pursue dance academically and professionally. Lynn
received a master's degree in dance from the
University of Oregon and certification in Laban Movement Analysis
through the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies. She
danced professionally as a member of Washington D.C. based Deborah
Riley Dance Projects and Baltimore-based Doug Hamby Dance, and she
has also performed as a solo artist in Philadelphia. Her
choreography has been presented at Dance Place and the Jack Guidone
Theater in Washington D.C., at the Meeting House Theater in
Philadelphia and at F&M College. While dancing professionally, Lynn
worked in arts administration for Dance Place in Washington, D.C.
and Group Motion/Kumquat Dance Center in Philadelphia. Lynn has
taught on the faculty of her alma matter, Franklin & Marshall
College and at the University of Oregon. Lynn completed one year of
doctoral studies in dance at Temple University with a prestigious
University Fellowship before becoming a mother. In 2007 Lynn
returned to teaching with her children in mind. She started a
creative movement program, Busy Bodies and an introductory modern
and ballet program called Little Dancers at the Swarthmore Community
Center. Lynn also taught grade-school children modern dance in the
after school program at The School in Rose Valley.
Gina Ferrera
Gina
Ferrera began drumming at the age of ten. While performing, teaching
and pursuing a degree in video/audio production, she began focusing
on ancient African music, studying gyil (an ancient mallet keyboard
from northwest Ghana) & it's traditional music with master musician,
Valerie Naranjo (Saturday Night Live Band & Broadway's "The Lion
King"). Over the past eight years, Gina has made two independent
research trips to Ghana to study gyil with master Kakraba Lobi and
studies in the U.S. with Master Bernard Woma and Valerie Naranjo. Ferrera
studies music from Cuba, Nigeria, Brazil, Ghana and Zimbabwe with
Dan Gorlin, Jennifer Kyker, Chuckie Joseph, Elizabeth Sayre and
Orlando Fiol. As a percussionist she plays bata drums, shekere,
conga, Shona Dzavadzimu mbira, caixa snare drum and Ewe drums. Gina
has recorded five albums that celebrate cultural diversity. Gina has
recorded and toured internationally playing drum-set, percussion and
singing with Leana Song (Afro-Cuban Drum Ensemble), Alokli West
African Drum & Dance Ensemble, The Voices of Africa, Kokolo Afrobeat,
and Sunkwa. Ferrera presents "The Philadelphia Gyil Fusion Project"
which explores ancient African music as a source for peace and
cultural unity. It is a creative live-music collective and a
recording/production team that features thirty of Philadelphia's
most talented and innovative musicians blending various styles of
world fusion music. Gina currently instructs for the gyil ensemble
through the Department of Music and Dance, at Swarthmore College.
"Gina's Gyil and World Music Magic" is a program, she founded in
2003 that offers children exposure to cultural and indigenous music
in schools throughout Philadelphia and at private/charter
pre-schools. As an educator Gina specializes in creative dramatics,
movement, music, storytelling, cultural awareness and community
building. Gina also teaches workshops and performs at school
assemblies, hospitals, colleges & universities, festivals, summer
camps, after-school programs and cultural events. www.myspace.com/ginaferrera
or
www.ginaferrera.com
Rosemary Fox
is a professional actress, director and producer with over 25 years
of theatre experience. Born and raised in Springfield Delaware
County, Rosemary began her career at Hedgerow Theatre and then
earned a BA degree in Acting/Directing from DeSales University.
After College she continued her career in NYC where she studied with
Betty Buckley. In NY she helped to establish the Hidden Signal
Theatre Company. After three years in the big apple Rosemary
returned to Hedgerow Theatre for another two year residency. From
there it was on to Philadelphia where she performed
at InterAct Theatre Company and People’s Light and
Theatre Company. Rosemary also started The
Fictitious Theatre Company where she directed and produced many
shows two of which were nominated for Barrymore Awards. She also
began a career in the commercial world and appeared in numerous
local television, industrial and radio commercials.
Rosemary created the Creative
Dramatics program in Swarthmore where she resides with her
husband and three children.
Gail Freedman
is an artist and mother. Ever since she was a
little girl she wanted to be an artist but she didn’t go to college
until after having five of her six children. Living in Philadelphia
at the time, she studied art at Community College of Philadelphia
and then Moore College of Art and Design, majoring in painting and
textile design. After college, son number six was born. Since moving
to Media, she’s attended the Community Art Center in Wallingford and
is a member of the Media Arts Council.
Ahalya Hemadi Patnaik,
PhD, began dancing ballet and tap when she was 5 years old and then
at 9 years began her training in the classical Indian dance form
Odissi. With 25 years of professional performance experience in
eight countries around the world, she is an A class certified
artiste of the Government of India’s department of Culture and has
won several medals and scholarships in the dance field nationally.
She has learned composition technique with the Merce Cunningham
Dance Company and has choreographed several dance pieces for
children. Ahalya has enjoyed teaching Indian dance to children in
India and the USA, and composing classically based pieces that are
age appropriate and fun. Her doctoral dissertation was an
exploration of teaching basic preschool concepts through dance and
movement. She gives performances and lecture demonstrations in
schools and Universities demonstrating how the dances she performs
celebrate the circle of life and the connection of people to each
other, and to nature. Ahalya has a PhD in Psychology specializing in
developmental psychology, is an Asst. Professor of Psychology at the
University of Maryland and a visiting professor at U-Penn. Most of
her work is on growing children exploring emotional expression
through nonverbal channels, including dance. She resides in Media
with her husband and two children.
Heather Koelle,
MT-BC is a music therapist and has worked in the field for 24 years
with a variety of populations, early childhood, special needs with
autistic, brain injured and blind students, as well as seniors in
nursing homes. She has a Bachelor of Music degree from Immaculata
University (1984) and became board certified in music therapy in
1985. As a music therapist she is experienced in assessment,
formulating treatment goals and objectives, and is familiar with IEP.
Heather uses many strategies to work with students including a multi
sensory approach to music utilizing each child’s strengths,
encouraging spontaneity, creativity and self expression that builds
self esteem, teaches musical skills and concepts, promotes social
awareness, improves fine and gross motor function, attention span
and communication in a fun and safe environment. She currently
teaches special needs classes at Settlement Music School in
Philadelphia and has taught piano for over 20 years. Heather is the
mother of three grown children and two grandchildren and is excited
to share her enthusiasm for music with the families at
The Creative Living Room ™.
Ruth Kramer
has
been teaching crafts for 40 years. She was the Arts and Crafts
counselor at several summer camps, starting at age 18 and was a Cub
scout den mother for 4 years, starting in 1994. More recently, she
taught beading at A Queen Bead in Media, Blue Santa bead store in
Lima, PA and JoAnn Fabrics in Springfield. Her other areas of
expertise are knitting, crochet, basketry and weaving. Ruth
graduated from Cornell with a BA in psychology in 1972 and received
her MSW from U. of Michigan in 1974 and then worked at the Crozer
Chester Community Mental Health center (outpatient adult unit) for
10 years. Since 1982, she had a private practice of clinical social
work in Media, PA. "I used to joke that there aren't any crafts that
I haven't tried but there are at least two--spinning and tatting.
I'm sure there are others." Ruth lives with her husband of 22 years
in Pine Ridge. Their son attended SRS for elementary school and thus
they have many ties to the Swarthmore community.
Joanie Landino
has been practicing yoga for 8 years, is a certified yoga teacher as
well as a Thai yoga Massage Therapist and Belly Dancer. Her
studies include lyenger, classical Hatha with extensive professional
training, experience and practice in Hatha Yoga and Vinyasa flow.
She has studied at the nationally recognized White Lotus Foundation
in Santa Barbara, CA under Yogi Ganga White, at the Vedic
Conservatory under Michael Buck and Yoga Lifestyle Institute of
Paoli while teaching regularly at the World Class Martial Arts
Studio and also privately. Joanie focuses on making it easy
for participants to go at their own pace offering modifications as
well as incorporating her knowledge of traditional Thai Yoga
Bodywork into her teaching. Her intuitive and easygoing nature
will guide you through a flowing dance-like practice.
Meg MacCurtin
was born in
Washington, D.C. and her love of art was fueled by her countless
trips to the National Gallery. As an adult, Meg chose a career in
art therapy because it allowed her to combine her love of art with
her desire to work with the more marginalized members of society.
Meg earned her Masters in Art Therapy from Marylhurst University in
Portland, Oregon. She has worked in such settings as a shelter for
homeless women, a residential treatment center for adolescent girls
and an alternative high school. As an art therapist, Meg believes
in the healing nature of the creative process and the power of
nonverbal communication. When it was discovered that the second of
Meg's three children iwas developmentally delayed, Meg turned to
another form of nonverbal communication that had moved her as a
child: sign language (Meg's paternal grandparents were deaf). Meg
and her husband use basic signs to communicate with all three of
their children, but sign language has been especially helpful in
bridging gaps in communication with her son who is speech delayed.
Meg is certified to teach Baby Sign Language through the
Seattle-based Sign2Me company.
Tim Martin
has a
degree in Writing and Literature from the Jack Kerouac School at
Naropa University in Boulder, CO. A local theatre artist, poet and
playwright, Tim's work has appeared in many journals and webprojects,
including Big Bridge, Altered Books Project, Concelebratory Shoehorn
Review, iOutlaw, One Less Magazine,Fugacity 05,Hamilton Stone
Review, The Attic Which is Desire and many others. Tim wrote Philly
Fringe Festival Hits: Echo, The Ballad of Joe Hill, as well as
popular adaptations of The Nutcracker, Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland (both with Drew Petersen), and children's shows Once Upon
A River (cowrote- Heritage Award 2003), Anansi and His Stories, and
Tales from Turtle Island. His three-man adaptation of Dox Quixote
can be seen as part of Curio Theatre's Curiosites Festival this
February. He is currently working on a movement piece with students
of the Droznin Technique scheduled for New York in 2010.
Brian McCann
has been studying and
performing professional improvisation for the last 16 years. His
work with Comedy Sportz has enabled him to study with many of the
masters of this genre. From the Upright Citizens Brigade to Second
City. He has taught impov with Comedy Sportz ,The Wilma and
Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival.
Jeanne Murtha
received her certificate in child care from
Temple University and has been working in early childhood since
1971. She trained and earned her Yoga Kids Facilitator Certification
from Dancing Feet Yoga Center. Over the years Jeanne has attended
numerous yoga training programs, including Yoga Ed Teacher Training
at Omega Institute and has enjoyed introducing and teaching yoga to
kids, 3 months to 18 years, for the past thirteen years in a variety
of settings such as Girl Scout camps, Montessori schools, the
Community Arts Center, soccer camps, day care centers etc. Jeanne
previously was site coordinator at Trinity Day Nursery
Infant/Toddler program in Swarthmore and currently is a co-teacher
in the program She integrates yoga into her weekly curriculum with
toddlers. Her goal in teaching yoga to children and
caregivers is to playfully facilitate growth through creative and
fun self expression.
Jeannine Osayande
is committed to exploring art through all aspects of life. She is a
performer, educator and choreographer of West African (Old Mali
Empire) and Brazilian (Samba & Bahian) dance. She is founder and
director of Dunya Performing Arts Company, specializing in
Artist-In-Residence programs throughout the Tri-state area. From
1999 – 2006 Osayande was a principle dancer with Alo’ Brasil, a
highly acclaimed Philadelphia-based Brazilian dance band. She has
performed throughout the U.S. and internationally for over 23 years
including; Lincoln Center OOD Festival, Dance Africa / Brooklyn
Academy of Music, WXPN World Cafe Live, International Exchange
Program; Dakar, Senegal, and as a touring/teaching artist with
Darpana Academy of Performing Arts in Ahmedabad, India. Osayande's
major dance education is based on a traditional mentorship model;
she apprenticed with the Art of Black Dance and Music, Boston, MA.
Her teachers include De Ama Battle, Bamidele Osumarea, Ibrahima
Camara, Marie Basse- Wiles, Edir Passos and Eno Washington. Her
Current mentorships are with Ibrahima Camara (24 years) and F. Nii
Yartey (2 years). She has received numerous awards including: 2006
Independence Foundation Fellowship in the Arts, 2006 Picasso Grant,
A 2005-2007 Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance Artist in
Residence Grant, 2004 Asian Arts Initive; Artist for Social Change
Fellow and a 2003 University of the Arts Faculty Grant to study in
Mali. She has served as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the
University of the Arts for 10 years, and Bryn Mawr College for 15
years. In addition to directing Dunya Performing Arts Company,
Osayande is an Adjunct Associate in Performance at Swarthmore
College, and a Dale Carnegie Trainer. ..Osayande adheres to the
African Proverb, “Good dancing restores the community to wholeness.”
Dunya offers lecture-demonstrations, workshops, residencies,
concerts and performances. For more information visit
dunyapac@earthlink.net
Satya Renay
has loved dancing since she was a little girl. She started taking
ballet when she was six years old, but she found her passion when
she took her first hip-hop dance class in New York at the age of
eight. The bulk of what Satya has learned has come from more
experienced member in the dance troupes she has been a part of. She
has danced with a number of hip-hop dance troupes from high school
through college, such as: Precision Step Team, Wesstep, Isis:
Women’s Dance Collective, and Xtacy Dance Collective. She took some
time off from dance to teach high school English for a year at
Nanakuli High and Intermediate School on the island of Oahu in
Hawaii and has recently been enjoying her role as Mommy to two
daughters.
Alex Shaw
is a percussionist, vocalist, and composer specializing in Brazilian
music traditions. In addition to his background in orchestral
percussion, he has studied Brazilian, Latin, and West African
percussion for over a decade. Upon receiving his B.A. from
Swarthmore College in 2000, Alex began working in the Philadelphia
region as a professional musician, performing and touring with
established local ensembles such as the award-winning Spoken Hand
Percussion Orchestra and Alô Brasil, of which he is an Artistic
Director. In addition to performing, Alex is also a dance
accompanist at University of the Arts and Swarthmore College, and
has worked with Dunya Performing Arts Company and Kariamu & Company
for several years. As a professional arts educator he regularly
teaches and facilitates residencies and workshops in numerous
universities, schools, and organizations throughout the tri-state
region. In 2004, Alex was awarded grantee of Arts International’s
Artist Exploration Fund for travel to Rio de Janeiro and Salvador,
BA, Brazil to further studies with master percussionists and
community-based arts organizations. Most recently, Alex was awarded
a prestigious 2007 Independence Foundation Fellowship in the Arts to
support a research trip to Recife, PE, Brazil where he studied
several of the regional drumming traditions.
Claudia Smaletz
From the time I was
young, I was delighted by color, stone and texture. I can remember
in the height of summer, the way mica and little particles of quartz
would sparkle in the cement; I wanted to take a piece of that and
make it into something beautiful.. Summers in Pittsburgh were very
hot and the tar on the streets would get just soft enough so you
could carve into it with a twig (without my knowing it, my early
introduction to printmaking). Imagination is a wonderful thing to
have and patterns play a major role in my creations. When I would go
to the beach, I thought the shells were perfectly beautiful, but so
were the little sandpipers and seagull footprints left behind in the
sand, along with the swirls from the receding tide. My education
started at Delaware County Community College as a Graphic Design
major but I eventually changed majors to 2-Dimensional Fine Arts and
never looked back. My jewelry is in private collections along with
my treasure boxes. I was invited to show my work in two printmaking
shows at the Aichi Museum in Nagoya Prefecture, Japan in 2001 and
2002. My work was presented in the Alumni Show in 2003 at DCCC an
exhibit of mixed media pieces. I have taught Adult Evening School
classes in mosaics, drawing and painting at Upper Darby Adult
Evening School and Haverford Evening School. I enjoy teaching,
because I invariably learn many things from my students.
Josephine Tsai grew
up in Taiwan where she was exposed to the richness of Chinese
culture. She received private instruction from several well-known
masters of Chinese art. After immigrating to the United States in
1980, she has been an active participant in the Delaware Valley
community. As one of the founders of the Chinese Brush Painters and
Calligraphers Society, Josephine devotes much of her time to
studying, teaching, sharing and practicing Chinese art. Besides
bringing Chinese culture and art to many schools, she also teaches
Chinese watercolor at her Dancing Brush Studio, the Darlington Fine
Arts Center and the Community Arts Center. In 2006, she held a solo
exhibit at the Waterfall Gallery near Media PA. She gave
demonstrations at the Longwood Garden Chrysanthemum Festival, and
won a first place award at the Rose Tree Art Show in both 2002 and
2004, honorable mention in 2006 and third place award in 2007. She
also won a first place award at Media Art Show in 2008. For more
information visit
www.taoofbrush.com.
Laura
Westmoreland
is a visual
artist working in multiple fields. She graduated from Union
University in Jackson, TN with a B.A. in Studio Art and a minor in
Business Administration. Although entering as an Illustration
major, it was at Union that she was fully introduced to ceramics,
which became her primary passion. Upon graduating, in addition to
creating functional pottery in her home studio, she has been
teaching pottery at the Darlington Arts Center and for local
homeschool and church groups. She also joined a non-profit group on
a trip to Morocco to bring art classes to orphans and to teach
handcrafts to needy women. For two years Laura has also been working
as a Scenic Artist, fabricating and painting exhibits including the
Philadelphia Flower Show, the Fred Rogers Museum, exhibits for the
Franklin Institute, and many others. Laura has also studied Art
History at Temple University.
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