Alchemy Tap Project, first of Icicle Creek’s Visiting Artists Series, performs at local schools

Thanks to Icicle Creek Center for the Arts (ICCA), a nonprofit dedicated to performing arts and arts education, schools throughout North Central Washington will get a boost of inspirational arts brought directly to the classroom. Over the next seven months, ICCA is hosting six exciting and diverse artist groups to visit schools in addition to performing in Snowy Owl Theater.

The visits will occur at no cost to the schools, and ICCA is able to partner with an even wider range of schools than when this Visiting Artist Series occurred pre-pandemic. ICCA expects to collaborate with as many schools as possible in Chelan, Douglas, and parts of Okanogan Counties, reaching about 5000 students.

Alchemy Tap Project, based in Seattle, is the first group in the lineup, and is a returning favorite. They will showcase their mix of experimentation, entertainment and excellence that blends tap traditions with elements borrowed from hip hop, ballet, percussion and more. They will visit schools this week with their show at Snowy Owl on Saturday, October 22, at 7:30 p.m.

Other visiting artists also hail from the Pacific Northwest, while Indigenous Enterprise and TaikoProject, with their unique and potentially profound impact on students, are being brought in from Arizona and California, respectively. Indigenous Enterprise has toured the world sharing diverse Native and First Nation dance styles, stories, and traditions, performing individually and together. TaikoProject will share the ancient art form of Japanese drumming and dance. They weave complex multi-instrumental rhythms with energetic movement.

Schools do what they can to squeeze arts education into the school day, relying a lot on the skills and creative juices of art, band, choir, and drama teachers, but it’s not always easy with the requirements and standards in the core subjects. However, it’s shown that the arts not only fuel students’ creativity, empathy and self-confidence but can also make learning other subjects easier. Examples include drawing a picture to understand climate change or geometry or learning about history and culture as a necessary component to putting on a play like “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

Participating schools are thrilled to work with ICCA again to connect their eager students with professional artists. Kristin Umbarger-Keene, the elementary music teacher at Vale Elementary in Cashmere, said, “No video or my explanation or passion takes the place of seeing and hearing [the arts] live. As a musician and music teacher, I know how important it is to bring music into the school, since bussing 600 kids to a performance isn’t feasible.

“We have 43% free/reduced lunch here at Vale Elementary, which tells me that same percent would probably never get to go to a performance like this at a live venue such as Icicle Creek. Also, for the other students, parents are busy and not likely to make time/money for this.”

Umbarger-Keene works hard to provide as many eye-opening arts experiences as possible for her students. “We never know which one child will be inspired by any one performance. And that can make all the difference for the world.” She goes on to speak in broader terms, saying, “Experiencing the arts live gives every audience member a new way to see, imagine, experience, think about, and connect to life.”

ICCA welcomes all community members to experience the joy and awe of the stellar Visiting Artist performances. For more information about Alchemy Tap Project’s show on October 22, as well as the other future Visiting Artist events, please visit: www.icicle.org