Press Release

MEDIA CONTACT:
Samantha Reichstein or Karen Watassek
713-632-8105 or karen@spahouston.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Society for the Performing Arts Announces

Opportunities for Educators for the 2015-2016 Season
HOUSTON (8/17/2015) Society for the Performing Arts (SPA), Houstons leading performing
arts presenter, offers an impressive list educational programs structured to benefit teachers and
students in the greater Houston area. From hands-on lessons structured for teachers to preperformance activities for students of any age, SPAs education and community engagements
programs offer something for everyone!
Teacher Workshops are professional development opportunities for K through 12th grade
educators. Whether a dance teacher is looking for new techniques or a science teacher wants to
integrate the arts into their core curriculum, SPA provides workshops with teaching tools and
strategies that work. Society for the Performing Arts is dedicated to supporting creativity in the
classroom and offers affordable professional development for all who attend. Teacher workshops
provide direct access to professional performers and artists from across the globe, allowing
educators from any field to learn new material on a personal level.
Student Matinees expose thousands of students to the performing arts through discounted
daytime performances. Geared specifically for students in grades 3-8, each matinee is provided
with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) study guides that focus on arts integration.
This year, SPAs student matinee is ArcAttack, a comprehensive, curriculum-based 60-minute
show for students that meets TEKS and National Science Education Standards. Part rock concert,
part science experiment, the creators of the Austin-based group ArcAttack unveil the science
behind the spectacle. Combining their love of music with science, the group invites students to
explore concepts such as the scientific inquiry process, electricity, voltage and current,
magnetism, robotics and lightning through a show that is entertaining and interactive. Tickets for
ArcAttack are still available for the 10 a.m. performance on Friday, Sept. 25, 2015, in the
Wortham Centers Cullen Theater. Both student and chaperone tickets are $10 each.

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SPA EDUCATOR PROGRAMS/ADD 2

Each year, the Wells Fargo Student Art Contest aligns with one of SPAs main stage
presentations, which serves as inspiration for the contest. Inspired by the rhythms of the Cuban
dance company Malpaso, the 18th Annual Wells Fargo Student Art Contest encourages students

to explore the beat of their own hearts, through this years theme Art of the Heart. Open to
students in grades K-12, deadline for entry is March 11, 2016. For more information regarding
the art contest, including detailed rules and requirements, visit spahouston.com/artcontest.
Talk about work perks! In addition to our student and educator programs, SPA believes that
attending live, main stage performances is essential for teachers; it is an opportunity to develop
an appreciation of the performing arts and transfer that experience into the classroom. Through
the SPA Teacher Club, full time K-12 teachers, principals and school staff can obtain special
discounts of up to 50% to select evening performances with a valid school ID. Enjoy SPAs
incredible 2015-2016 season with a deal you cannot refuse!
Students as well can receive reduced ticket prices through SPAs Student Series program which
aims to provide K-12 and college students access to the world's best performing artists from all
corners of the globe, for only $10! For the 2015-2016 season, SPA has reserved a limited number
of Student Series tickets to the following performances:
BALLET HISPANICO
October 24, 2015 | 8:00 PM | Jones Hall
For its return to Houston, the company will perform its first full-length narrative work - Gustavo Ramirez Sansano's
CARMEN.maquia. This work is a bold and electrifying reimagining of Georges Bizet's iconic opera about a
passionate gypsy.

THE BAND OF THE ROYAL MARINES AND THE PIPES AND DRUMS OF THE SCOTS
GUARDS
February 19, 2016 | 8:00 PM | Jones Hall
Houston audiences will be awe-inspired as The Band of the Royal Marines and the Pipes and Drums of the Scots
Guards take over the Jones Hall stage in a grand display of pageantry and ancient military traditions highlighted by
precision marches, haunting bagpipes and energetic Highland dancing.

BLAZE: THE INTERNATIONAL DANCE SPECTACULAR

February 20, 2016 | 7:30 PM | Jones Hall
Following critically acclaimed tours in Europe, Russia, Australia and Asia, BLAZE finally comes to the United
States with a cast of the 16 best dancers in the world ready to pop, lock and break dance their way into Houston to
entertain dance and music fans.

CHARLIE ALBRIGHT
May 7, 2016 | 8:00 PM | Cullen Theater, Wortham Center
Hailed as "among the most gifted musicians of his generation" by the Washington Post and praised for his "jawdropping technique and virtuosity meshed with a distinctive musicality" by The New York Times, pianist Charlie
Albright will be making his Houston debut.

Students can also benefit through SPAs Student Rush process. All students with a valid ID may
purchase half-price tickets to any show, when available, one hour prior to each performance.
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For more information regarding SPAs opportunities for educators, visit

spahouston.org/education or contact Jordan Drum at jdrum@spahouston.org.

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