Miss Spider's tea party - Essay Example

Miss Spider’s Tea Party Table of Contents Miss Spider’s Tea Party 3 Works Cited 5 Miss Spider’s Tea Party Miss Spider’s Tea Party is the of theproduction by the Cuyahoga Youth Ballet that I attended at the Akron Civic Theatre. It was choreographed by James Sewell, with Mia Klinger as the artistic director, and Katie Sole as the program administrator for the organization’s outreach program for the community known as ROAD, or reach out and dance. The ROAD program is noteworthy for offering free classes in musical theater to community fourth and fifth graders, having reached more than 16,000 students over the span of a decade and a half.

The story is an original by David Kirk. The ballet group itself is a non-profit entity, and its laudable programs are funded completely by donations and powered by volunteers in the main. This makes the event doubly meaningful and worthwhile, first because of the goodwill and the eminently good intentions of the group, and second because of the excellent production and the merits of the artistic show itself (Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet; Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet (b)).The story itself is straightforward, and a delight to watch on stage.

Miss Spider is preceded by a reputation for eating bugs, and so has a difficult time making friends and being able to invite neighbors for tea. This is a recipe for loneliness, and the story in a way is about this loneliness and the walls that people and bugs erect among themselves, motivated by fear and impressions that may not correspond with reality. All sorts of bugs in the neighborhood resisted the charms of Miss Spider and chose to stay away, and even the ants could only stay for a short while.

It took a helpless wet moth, who couldn’t escape if it wanted to, for the rest of the neighborhood to know how harmless and contrary to stereotypes Ms. Spider was. Her act of kindness towards the moth convinced them to finally stop by Miss Spider’s house and stay. There is much to the production that can be recommended for all children. The story itself is instructive with regard to how to deal with people in the outside world, to see without blinders and to give people a chance, and more importantly, to not be deceived by appearances.

People are good and bad, and with caution and the guidance of elders, the outside world can be engaged in. On another level, the production also emphasizes the importance of friendship. This production has many hooks to the course. It is a worthwhile addition, for instance, to the library of children’s literature that can be recommended to students. That it has been staged by an organization with a long history of active engagement with the local community, and having worthwhile and noble aims, makes this all the more important as an addition to the list of readings.

The novel presentation of the material also demonstrates flexibility and creativity in the ways in which the piece can be presented, and opens many avenues for future explorations with regard to including the material in the curriculum (Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet; Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet (b)).Having had knowledge of the excellent intentions and program that underscores this production, I could not divorce it from the production itself totally. My high regard for the youth ballet no doubt colored my impression of the merits of the play.

To me it was excellent and totally gratuitous. They did not have to do this, but they did, and very well indeed. It was part labor of love and part good intentions that made for a total package that to me was excellent. This struck me most about the whole event, that it is possible to come up with something that is good for children, and which also involves them in constructive and very positive ways. The choice of material is excellent, and so is the overall production. As a professional, it gives me inspiration to do better in my work as well, and to believe that I can make a big difference in the lives of my students through my chosen work (Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet; Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet (b)).

Works CitedCuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet. “Miss Spider’s Tea Party”. The Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet. 2013. Web. 5 April 2013. Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet (b). “Reach Out and Dance (ROAD”. The Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet. 2013. Web. 5 April 2013.