Modern Dance with a Twist! Designed for teachers, dancers, actors, and musicians but all were welcome! This class is inspired by the educational philosophy of Orff Schulwerk which has been used internationally for over three decades in Music and Movement education for children. Orff Shulwerk is a teaching and learning approach, not a method. Its uniqueness resides in the incorporation of the spoken word with singing, movement, and instrument playing as learning tools. Working collaboratively, we explored techniques and vocabulary of the performing arts to present diverse narratives integrating elements of dance, music, and theater! As in Orff Shulwerk, we used poems, rhymes, songs, dances, percussion, and body percussion as basic materials. Orff melody instruments include wooden xylophones drums, sticks and bells. Instructor Samantha Miller is a full time children’s educator and a member of AOSA and LACOSA, the national and local chapters of Orff Schulwerk. She is also a director in Circo de Poesia, Bilingual Performing Arts Production Company in L.A for more than ten years. Remaining faithful to the imagination and the spirit of play, we used our bodies as “paintbrushes in space.” Classes were held on Mondays 7:30- to 9:00 p.m. Le Studio, Stage “A,” in Santa Monica Studios. 3025 Olympic Blvd. Santa Monica, 90404 (Between Centinela and Stewart). We danced barefooted. Students received class notes by e-mail after each class Photo: Claudio Vazquez