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Theatre in Motion is an award-winning, participatory, educational, non-profit theatre company. It features intergenerational, multi-ethnic, creative and performing artists with and without disabilities. Programs include original online Professional Development, as well as live theatre workshops, residences, and performances. Theatre in Motion offers many hands-on programs that are joyful, imaginative, and creative.

We serve New York, New Jersey, and Beyond!

Please take a few minutes to scroll down and get to know us.

Program One, Online: Professional Development for Special Needs Teachers, Parents, Administrators, and interested others

Online, Asynchronous, Self-Paced. "Add Drama and Music to your Special Needs Classroom." 5 Continuing Education Units, Google Classroom Platform (Shorter versions for 3 CEUs or non-credit courses)

Online participants will acquire skills in conducting creative drama and music activities for students who have a wide range of disabilities as well as abilities. When you employ these newly acquired skills, your students will gain much improved communication, self-esteem, cooperation, and a sense of fun. Highlights of this Professional Development course include:

Universal Design for Learning

Multiple Intelligences

National Core Arts Standards

Lesson Plans

Relevant Assignments

Ongoing Communication with your Online Instructor via Assignments

Program Two: Participatory, Creative Drama workshops for everyone

Program Three: Improvisational Theatre Performances with participation, ages 10 to adult

Program Four: Original Award-Winning, Orchestral Music Videos that showcase performers with and without disabilities, as well as captivating original paintings and photos intersperced in the music videos.

Two of these videos have been honored by VSA, a Program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and selected to be part of their International Digital Arts Festival, "40 Days Around the World," celebrating the 40th anniversary of VSA, founded by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith. This festival also celebrates the anniversary of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act.

In addition, we have a live, educational component that we can bring to your site. The imaginative music videos and informative, live presentation are about The Father of American Landscape Architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted, the fascinating story behind his success, and America's parks over the centuries. For ages 12+

The honored Theatre in Motion music videos are:

"Song of the Land" with American Sign Language

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXUGU3EpGwc

"Back in 1873" with American Sign Language

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKjtPzH2Ni4

Other Theatre in Motion music videos, with captions, can be found at:

YouTube Leslie Fanelli

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The paintings below depict young Frederick Law Olmsted in 1859, then much older in 1894. These and other original photos are juxtaposed into the filmed footage of the prize-winning, music videos. Enjoy all of this enchanting visual art, which is featured on The Gallery page.

Program Five: Interactive Multiple Intelligences Workshops with a lively, instructive hands-on approach for educators, paraprofessionals, aides, therapists, administrators, parents, caregivers, student teachers, teaching artists, advocates, and all other interested organizations, inclusive of empowered people with disabilities. The Theory of Multiple Intelligences permeates everything we do.

“I certainly believe that theater involves a multiplicity of intelligences ....” Dr. Howard Gardner, Author of Frames of Mind:
The Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Program Six: Published Music and Books: Theatre in Motion has recorded the musical soundtracks to two of its original shows, The Promise of Central Park (from which the aforementioned music videos originate), plus a completely different soundtrack, Disability Pride, which features original anthems of the Disability Rights Movement. Respectively, these soundtracks can be found at:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-promise-of-central-park/281883833

https://www.amazon.com/Disability-Pride-Theatre-Motion/dp/B001CISGXM

We have also written a "How To" book about generating dynamic Arts-in-Education programs.

It is a multi-volume book, Playhouse Verse: Creative Drama, Poetry, and Universal Design for Learning. Part I, which is the text overview that describes the pioneering theatre residencies, can be accessed by contacting Leslie Fanelli at tshirl@aol.com, or call 908-723-0564 (USA). Below are Parts II and III. They are WORD files of student poetry engendered from the drama activities. This project was funded by a grant from the J.M. McDonald Foundation.

In addition, please be sure to enjoy another book Disability Theatre from the InsideOut by Ruth Bieber with contributing author Leslie Fanelli. Original scripts included!

https://www.amazon.com/Disability-Theatre-Insideout-Ruth-Bieber/dp/184991947X/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=ruth+bieber&qid=1563410921&s=gateway&sr=8-3

http://chipmunkapublishing.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2155

In all we do, we celebrate The Arts and Disability.

Nothing about us without us!

Serving New York, New Jersey, and Beyond!