The joyous sound of children’s laughter, stomping feet, and enthusiastic cheering lit up the Santa Barbara Bowl this week. While the concert season may have ended in October, the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation’s Outreach program, in partnership with the Children’s Creative Project (CCP), a nonprofit program of the Santa Barbara County Education Office, welcomed more than 2,000 elementary students to Kids at the Bowl on Wednesday, November 4.
The Bowl Foundation’s Lyndsay Thomas and CCP Executive Director Kai Tepper welcomed elementary school students from across Santa Barbara County — including schools throughout North County, and as far away as Kern County — to the outdoor venue for a high-energy cultural performance from Step Afrika! With a performance full of songs and storytelling and history, this presentation — a blend of the percussive traditions of historically African American fraternities and sororities with traditional African dance and contemporary movement — was high energy and very entertaining experience for both the students and lucky adults such as myself, who got to tag along.
Better yet, after the performance and lunch, 41 4th- and 5th-grade students from Santa Ynez Elementary got to come on stage and take part in the Step Afrika! Stepping Into Schools Workshop, where they learned basic step movements, practiced moving together, and explored the rhythm and teamwork at the heart of stepping.
“Kids at the Bowl reflects what Outreach is all about: bringing our community together and making extraordinary arts experiences accessible to young people across the county,” said Rick Boller, CEO of the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation. “Step Afrika! brings excitement, rhythm, and a powerful spirit of community that will connect with students and remind us how the arts can inspire, unite, and create a lasting sense of belonging.”
Since the early 1990s, Children’s Creative Project and the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation have partnered to connect thousands of local students with engaging, culturally relevant arts experiences such as these.
