/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/1_whale.jpg

Approximately 450 students from five New York City public schools gathered in the American Museum of Natural History's Hall of Ocean Life

7/13/2010 4:25:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/2_SRE.jpg

Members of the Silk Road Ensemble performed as each school entered the hall to a round of applause

7/13/2010 4:25:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/3_YWLS_learningdance.jpg

Students performing dances in school groups upon joining their peers from other schools

7/13/2010 4:26:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/4_mikeblock.jpg

With cellist and singer Mike Block at the mike, the Silk Road Ensemble was transformed into the house band

7/13/2010 4:26:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/5_EBA_Tracy_steps.jpg

Tracy Straus and fellow dancers leading students and teachers in learning a new dance

7/13/2010 4:26:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/6_Damian_remote.jpg

Damian Woetzel, Tracy Straus, Yo-Yo Ma, students and teachers dancing in time with a school group from India

7/13/2010 4:27:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/7_161_video.jpg

Excitement from PS/MS 161 students upon seeing their classmates in video of the school year projected on large screens surrounding the hall

7/13/2010 4:39:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/8_185_room.634146352408778672.jpg

The band and orchestra from JHS 185 were first to take the stage beneath the blue whale

7/13/2010 4:27:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/9_185_YYM.jpg

Yo-Yo joining the JHS 185 student orchestra

7/13/2010 4:28:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/10_185_chorus.jpg

The JHS 185 chorus accompanying a story about the spread of technology and religion along the historic Silk Road

7/13/2010 4:28:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/11_161_drama.jpg

PS 161 students performing "A Night at the Museum," a drama that brought modern-day students back in time to Xian, Turfan, and Baghdad during the height of the Silk Road

7/13/2010 4:28:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/12_EBA_introduction.jpg

Representatives from each school introduced their team's presentation before the entire group

7/13/2010 4:28:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/13_EBA_dance.jpg

East Bronx Academy students performing a Chinese ribbon dance, one of many styles of Chinese dance they studied during the year

7/13/2010 4:29:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/14_161_applause.jpg

Students show their enthusiasm for performances by other schools

7/13/2010 4:29:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/15_FDA_dance.jpg

Students from Frederick Douglass Academy III incorporated dance into their performance about indigo, an ancient dye still in use today

7/13/2010 4:29:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/16_FDA_drums.jpg

Student drummers depicting one stage of indigo production

7/13/2010 4:29:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/17_FDA_fashiongirls.jpg

The Frederick Douglass Academy III performance included a fashion show with some stunning costumes

7/13/2010 4:30:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/18_FDA_fashionjeans.jpg

Students proudly displaying hand-made indigo fashions to match their indigo-dyed blue jeans

7/13/2010 4:30:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/19_YYM_MC.jpg

Throughout the performance, Yo-Yo acted as master of ceremonies

7/13/2010 4:30:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/20_YWLS_dance1.jpg

Students from the Young Women's Leadership School of Brooklyn presenting a combination of culturally specific dances that trace their heritages

7/13/2010 4:30:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/21_YWLS_dance2.jpg

The girls from Brooklyn combining their passion for dance with their interest in their own family histories and the Genographic Project

7/13/2010 4:31:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/22_EmpireStateofMind.jpg

The Silk Road Ensemble rocking the house with Mike's own rendition of "Empire State of Mind"

7/13/2010 4:31:00 PM

23_FDA_reaction

Students reacting to hearing the familiar song on such unusual instruments

7/13/2010 4:31:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/24_185group.jpg

Students from JHS 185 posing for a snapshot with with Yo-Yo at the end of the event

7/13/2010 4:31:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/25_161group.jpg

Students from PS/MS 161 with Yo-Yo

7/13/2010 4:32:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/26_EBAgroup.jpg

East Bronx Academy for the Future students take their turn for a photograph

7/13/2010 4:32:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/27_FDAgroup.jpg

Students from Frederick Douglass Academy III with Yo-Yo

7/13/2010 4:32:00 PM

/Portals/0/UltraPhotoGallery/1757/45/thumbs/28_YWLSgroup.jpg

Young Women's Leadership School of Brooklyn students displaying their school spirit

7/13/2010 4:32:00 PM

New York, U.S. – Connect Live!
June 3, 2010

To celebrate a school year filled with exploration and creative learning, 450 sixth-graders and 45 teachers from five middle schools in New York City assembled with us at the American Museum of Natural History on June 3:

East Bronx Academy for the Future
Edward Bleeker JHS 185
Frederick Douglass Academy III
PS/MS 161 Pedro Albizu Campos School
The Young Women's Leadership School of Brooklyn

"Connect Live!" wrapped up the first year of our Silk Road Connect program, being piloted in the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years in New York City public schools.

As each school group entered one by one, led by musicians playing sheng and gaita down a grand staircase into the museum's Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, they were met with cheers from the other schools and from the artistic team headed by Yo-Yo Ma, ballet star Damian Woetzel, Silk Road Ensemble cellist Mike Block and dance instructor Tracy Straus.

With the Silk Road Ensemble performing between acts as house band, schools took turns at center stage beneath the hall's iconic blue whale, showcasing their creativity and knowledge of the Silk Road and indigo, a subject of thematic study in the Silk Road Connect program.

A highlight of the event was a short film made by the Long Bow Group, which documented the program in the schools. A wave of excitement filled the room as kids saw their classmates and got a new look at their year projected on multiple screens around the hall.

In high style, the Silk Road Ensemble ended the event with a special performance. At first the students couldn't quite make out the tune as Yo-Yo improvised on the cello, but soon they were on their feet, singing along to "Empire State of Mind" in a new arrangement created by Mike Block just for "Connect Live!"

JHS 185:

Performing first were the chorus, band and orchestra from JHS 185, presenting a musical narrative of the history of the Eastern Hemisphere, with Yo-Yo joining in on his cello.

"I used to think that you don't really need to know about other cultures and that it's boring. Now I think that it is very fascinating and cool to learn about them. The more I know, the more I want to learn."

– JHS 185 STUDENT

"Learning about their own genetic history was impressive enough, but the realization that they were biologically linked to each other through this process was exponentially more valuable. Understanding how interconnected they are with their classmates and the world was a remarkable outcome."

– JHS 185 TEACHER

PS 161:

Students from PS 161 displayed their dramatic talents with a clever sketch, "A Night at the Museum," which brought them back in time and across the world to trading centers along the historical Silk Road in order to better understand a fellow classmate.

"My favorite part was seeing all the different schools unite and perform their music and dances."

– PS 161 STUDENT

"The live performances of the Silk Road Ensemble and the kids were awesome! Our students loved seeing the students from other schools."

– PS 161 TEACHER

EAST BRONX ACADEMY FOR THE FUTURE:

East Bronx Academy students artfully demonstrated what they had learned throughout the year about various forms of Chinese dance, including the Chinese ribbon dance, Mongolian chopstick dance, sword dance and fan dance.

FREDERICK DOUGLASS ACADEMY III:

Students from Frederick Douglass Academy were captivated by the journey of indigo from plant to pigment to fabric and clothing. They performed dances and a fashion show to display an impressive array of handmade costumes.

"Each school was different in their approach, yet each school captured the Silk Road Project's concepts. The excitement was incredible!"

– FREDERICK DOUGLASS ACADEMY III TEACHER

THE YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP SCHOOL OF BROOKLYN:

The girls from Young Women's Leadership traced the migratory journeys of their ancestors, presenting "Connected: Our Paths to New York City," combining dances from several cultures to depict the history of human migration and their own family histories.

"I used to think that we were not going to do any BIG performances. Now I think WOW. We did that."
"I used to think we couldn't do it. Now I think you can do anything if you try."

– YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP SCHOOL STUDENTS

"The most important things our students gained were confidence, pride, feeling "special" – our students don't have many opportunities...to feel like a part of something bigger than themselves."

– YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP SCHOOL TEACHER

IN THE MEDIA:

“We celebrated with all 450 students in the whale room at the Museum of Natural History, incredible. The schools each performed demonstrations, inspired by elements from the school year. There were dances and music and theater and more. Yo-Yo emceed and he and the Silk Road Ensemble accompanied the kids in their presentations and performed special pieces arranged for the occasion.”

– DAMIAN WOETZEL
June 24, 2010 – Vail Daily

Participating Artists

Mike Block, cello
Nicholas Cords, viola
Hadi Eldebek, oud
Jonathan Gandelsman, violin
Joseph Gramley, percussion
John Hadfield, percussion
Colin Jacobsen, violin
Hu Jianbing, sheng and bawu
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Kevork Mourad, visual artist
Cristina Pato, bagpipe

Event Direction

Yo-Yo Ma, artistic director
Damian Woetzel, creative director
Mike Block, music director
Tracy Straus, movement director
Andy Russ, producer

New York, U.S. – Connect Live!June 3, 2010

JHS 185:

"I used to think that you don't really need to know about other cultures and that it's boring. Now I think that it is very fascinating and cool to learn about them. The more I know, the more I want to learn."

– JHS 185 STUDENT

"Learning about their own genetic history was impressive enough, but the realization that they were biologically linked to each other through this process was exponentially more valuable. Understanding how interconnected they are with their classmates and the world was a remarkable outcome."

– JHS 185 TEACHER

PS 161:

"My favorite part was seeing all the different schools unite and perform their music and dances."

– PS 161 STUDENT

"The live performances of the Silk Road Ensemble and the kids were awesome! Our students loved seeing the students from other schools."

– PS 161 TEACHER

EAST BRONX ACADEMY FOR THE FUTURE:

FREDERICK DOUGLASS ACADEMY III:

"Each school was different in their approach, yet each school captured the Silk Road Project's concepts. The excitement was incredible!"

– FREDERICK DOUGLASS ACADEMY III TEACHER

THE YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP SCHOOL OF BROOKLYN:

"I used to think that we were not going to do any BIG performances. Now I think WOW. We did that.""I used to think we couldn't do it. Now I think you can do anything if you try."

– YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP SCHOOL STUDENTS

"The most important things our students gained were confidence, pride, feeling "special" – our students don't have many opportunities...to feel like a part of something bigger than themselves."

– YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP SCHOOL TEACHER

IN THE MEDIA:

– DAMIAN WOETZELJune 24, 2010 – Vail Daily

Participating Artists

Event Direction

New York, U.S. – Connect Live!
June 3, 2010

"I used to think that we were not going to do any BIG performances. Now I think WOW. We did that."
"I used to think we couldn't do it. Now I think you can do anything if you try."

– DAMIAN WOETZEL
June 24, 2010 – Vail Daily