Patricia Brown

Patricia Brown has been active as a dancer, instructor, choreographer and performer in the Twin Cities for the past 18 years. She is an African-based movement instructor, whose style is primarily rooted in and influenced by dance of West Africa and other regions, as well as the Caribbean and the Americas. Incorporating various forms of artistic expression, her classes are a dynamic representation of the connection of mind, creative energy and body in motion. In addition to being a teaching artist with the VocalEssence WITNESS School Program, Patricia teaches and choreographs throughout the community and with various school systems, organizations, and theaters including Stepping Stone Theatre, Pillsbury House Theatre including their Chicago Ave Project, Penumbra Theatre Company, Penumbra Summer Institute, Children’s Theatre Company and In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre. She also teaches at Macalester College and the University of Minnesota where she received the 2004 College of Continuing Education Distinguished Teaching Award and the 2007 Century Council Diverse Community Award.

Workshop Description

Utilizing dance, text, and other artistic expressions, students will have an interdisciplinary experience while exploring the ideas in Hannibal Lokumbe’s composition In The Spirit of Being.

To Prepare Students

  • Share age-appropriate information from Hannibal Lokumbe’s Artist Statement on In The Spirit of Being on p. 34 and his biography and/or profile on p. 32 & p. 66

  • Familiarize students with Hannibal Lokumbe’s jazz influences, which are described in “Understanding Genre: Hannibal Lokumbe’s Jazz Influences” on p. 42

  • Do the activity “Connecting Cultures: International Symbols of Peace” on p. 48

  • Listen to as many selections from the WITNESS Companion CD as possible

  • Feel free to explore other activities in the curriculum

  • Other specifics will be discussed at the planning meeting

Please Note:

Although Patricia works with a live drummer, schools should plan to provide a CD player or sound system if possible. Also if available, a wooden floor is preferred.