Click to hear from Arianna in this Podcast led by Jamie Truman of Truman Charities
Artist Statement
I believe in the power of story to change community. My mantra has always been, “It is through the laughter and tears of our tales that the lessons of life are learned.” For nearly three years I studied and performed with Bansi Kaul and his troupe Rang Vidushak in India. Bansi Kaul’s plays wove together music, dance, acrobatics, and laughter. He used traditional tales and historical facts merged with political issues to highlight who and what needed to change for people to work together and rise above their circumstances. I witnessed how to craft powerful stories that create the space for people to listen, laugh and cry – all at the same time. Through that experience that I learned about inequities and discovered the power of the arts, and humor, to act as a catalyst for change. I developed my personal vision of humans as threads in a fabric, that when we weave together and deepen our understanding of one another and our different roles, we become stronger and better at working together. This image inspired the name of Story Tapestries.
Bio
Arianna Ross creates entertaining, educational programs that weave the power of storytelling, dance, theatre, creative writing, visual art and music together. A master educator and performer who offers a wide variety of arts integration residencies, performances and professional development workshops, Ross uses the tools of her art forms to help students foster a deeper connection to the subjects they’re learning, be it language arts, math, science, geography, or social studies, and guide the teachers to incorporate the arts into their lesson plans. She is trained to create an inclusive atmosphere in her classroom focusing on the abilities of her students and not the disabilities. For nearly two decades, she has performed and taught youth and adults in the US, India, Brazil and Canada in schools, colleges, concert halls, and hospitals. She has executed programs for organizations such as the Smithsonian, East TN State University, United Arts Council of Raleigh, Young Audiences of MD, Washington Performing Arts, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the American Alliance for Theatre & Education.
Testimonials
I can honestly say the students surprised themselves with the amount of writing they were able to accomplish. I had a student bring himself, me, and several classmates to tears during his presentation about the passing of his grandfather. His cousin is the one who had broken down with you while you were in my class. Many of my typically lower-performing students wrote as much as the advanced class requirements. I think this was a great investment in these students. I know they will never forget this experience, and I look forward to seeing it repeated next year.
– MAT SPED/Elementary Education Teacher
I loved having Mrs. Ross in my class these past four days. Through her methods my students were able to see, connect to, and comprehend complex story elements that I think would have been extremely difficult otherwise. It was surprising to see my students participating and enjoying the lessons. I can’t wait to try some of the strategies on my own once she leaves. Thank you for allowing this to happen, and hopefully I will be able to participate again.
– 7th Grade Language Arts Teacher
This helps me write because I can see myself as the character.
– 2nd Grade Student
In the last several years, thanks to assistance from funding sources, we’ve been able to offer single programs that use the talents of Story Tapestries teaching artists to use arts integration techniques to help our students and teachers grow. We’ve seen that with the specific linguistic and social struggles our children face, these methods are incredibly effective in helping students learn.
– Middle School Principal
Seeing the student engagement was amazing. We have a lot of compliant students but I was able to see engagement not just compliance.
– Elementary School Literacy Coach
Videos
https://www.youtube.com/live/yLHGLHFJkW0?si=5wdjB2PJJlVGw7sX