Custom Designed Workshops

Thanks to its large network of musician, artists, dancers and storytellers, El Taller offers a variety of workshops for adults and children, both at our facility and at schools, museums and other organizations. Most of the artists in our network are bilingual so workshops can be offered in English, Spanish or a combination of the two languages. Workshops can also be customized to the school's curriculum or issues in the community.

• Afro Peruvian Music and Dance: This workshop covers the history of the arrival of African culture to Peru, musical samples of three traditional Afro-Peruvian instruments, sample popular dances, and full-class participation in a percussion jam session and dance routine. The goal is to actively involve the participants in learning Afro-Peruvian instruments, rhythms, and dances.
• Print Making: Making prints using a variety of materials. Workshops can be for children, adults or families of a variety of ages.
• Painting and Drawing: We have a number of artists who can create painting and drawing workshops for all ages. These workshops can be built around a theme or complement the existing educational curriculum of a particular school.
• Dominican Music and Dance: The goal is to actively involve the participants in learning the instruments, rhythms, and dances from the Dominican Republic. This workshop can be adjusted to all group sizes and all ages from small children to adults.
• Afro-Caribbean Rhythms: This workshop explores rhythms from Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. The objective is to engage participants in learning unique musical rhythms and their function through hands-on participation in a percussion ensemble. Participants will become acquainted and experiment with a variety of traditional instruments including congas, bongos, bells and other minor percussion. This workshop can be tailored in duration and content depending on the age and number of participants.
• Puppet Making: Create puppets, which can be used to play, tell stories or make theater productions using a wide variety of both found and purchased materials. This workshop is meant for children, but can be a fun activity for adults as well.
• Recycled Art Projects: Participants bring something from home they are ready to throw out (an egg carton, a milk bottle, a shoe, etc.) and using paints, and other materials, turn their "garbage" into a piece of art. This is a great workshop for large groups of children, families and for community building.
• Sing-a-longs: Participants sing Latin American songs and children are encouraged to ask their parents for the names of their favorite songs from which El Taller creates a songbook. This is an excellent workshop for school-aged children.

Some of the Organizations We've Worked With

• American Museum of Natural History
• Emily Dickinson School
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Children's Museum of Manhattan
• Family Life Academy Charter School
• Spence Chapin Adoption Agency
• WestPark Presbyterian Church
• West Prep Academy
• PS 89, Elmhurst