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Professional Teacher Training

Secrets of the Heart – Teacher Training

This one hour workshop not only expands the skills of teachers but is lots of fun. The training involves both dance and music and is conducted to the live rhythm of African drumming. Teachers learn a Liberian folk song and dance called Fanga and then how they can use that rhythm to create an original song. Each teacher leaves with a CD of rhythms to use in their classrooms.

View Classroom Resources for Teachers

Biographies of Instructors

Bunny Hull
Founder Vocalist/Musician/Songwriter/Dancer - Music

Bunny Hull comes from a background in music and dance. She founded her multi-award children's company Dream A World^® in 1994 to create positive teaching materials and develop programming for children Pre-K and up.

As a songwriter she is perhaps best known for hit songs like 2008 Dove Award Winning song READY FOR A MIRACLE and NEW ATTITUDE, which catapulted Patti LaBelle to the top of the charts in 1986. Hull has earned more than 20 gold and platinum albums with songs and/or as a vocalist appearing on soundtracks and in films such as EVAN ALMIGHTY, BRUCE ALMIGHTY, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, LOSING ISAIAH, A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT, LEAP OF FAITH, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS and K9. Her television soundtrack credits include NBC's THE TODAY SHOW, OPRAH, SESAME STREET, ANY DAY NOW, CHARMED and THE SIMPSONS, to name a few. Dream A World^® is a children’s educational entertainment company founded by Bunny Hull in 1994.

Elayn J. Taylor
Actress/Vocalist - Theatre Arts

As an actress, living and working in Los Angeles, Elayn has starred or co-starred in over 80 stage, film, television and commercial presentations. On stage she starred as Lena Younger in A RAISIN IN THE SUN at the Ensemble Theatre, for which she won an award for Best Actress for their 2006-2007 season. For 17 weeks she played “Rose” in August Wilson’s FENCES at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles, and received a Best Actress “Ovations” award nomination for her work. Recently she appeared in the CBS episodic, JOURNEYMAN, and will guest star on an episode of HBO’s new series, TRUE BLOOD, created by Alan Ball. Elayn is looking forward to the 2008 release of three independent films in which she is featured: YOU OWN ME, DEFILED, and HUMBOLDT COUNTY. Elayn has previously worked with Inside Our Community Arts.

Diane Hsu
Actress/Flutist - Music, Dance, Theatre Arts, Visual Arts

Diane lives in Los Angeles and performed as a concerto soloist from the age of 11 with the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra, The Northwest Chamber Orchestra and the University of Washington Symphony.

Diane’s voice has been heard as Doris Rathbone in the family show, ADVENTURES IN ODYSSEY, THE MUMMY TRAILER, AND IN “MY ONE WOMAN SHOW PERFORMED BY CHINESE GIRL 5' 7-1/2”. As an actress she has appeared in film and television on BOSTON LEGAL, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK, SNAPDRAGON, TOTALLY BLONDE, JAMES BOND: LICENSE TO KILL, THE WEST WING, FAMILY MATTERS, SUNSET BEACH, BLOODLINES and more. Diane has Orff training certification and a BFA in modern dance performance from the University of Utah

Anindo Marshall
Vocalist/Percussion/Dance - Music, Dance - East, South, Central & West African Dance, Dunham

Anindo began her musical and dance career in her homeland of Kenya as a vocalist, dancer and percussionist. She enjoyed a successful solo career in Europe as a vocalist, signing a recording contract with EMI Spain, and becoming known as Kenya's singing sensation. Anindo has performed with Babatunde Olatunji, Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, among others.

Today Anindo is a certified Dunham Technique instructor teaching all over the world, at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Dance Dimensions, Lula Washington Dance Theater, Occidental College, LMU and conducts Dunham Technique residencies in LAUSD schools as part of the Arts Community Partnership Network.

View testimonials from School Principals

Professional Development
"Heroes Project" Dance and Music Components

(This program is no longer available.)

"Heroes Project" is a professional development workshop for teachers with separate "Dance" and "Music" components and a unique framework suitable for teachers and arts coordinators at all grade levels. Teachers are offered specific tools and instructional tasks to fuse the value and impact of academic rigor in curriculum in arts learning with Language Arts, Literature, History and Social Studies, that are aligned with Visual and Performing Arts Framework standards. Each component training session includes a 20-page booklet and a Dance Component video and Music Component CD. Each "Dance" and"Music" workshop session is 2-hours in length, and can be conducted sequentially or over a period of time. Together we can make a difference in the lives of our young people ­ our future arts innovators and leaders!

Dance Component
The dance component helps teachers connect themes presented through dance as a springboard to standards-based learning in core subjects. This dance component provides arts integration to "Language Arts" and"Listening/Speaking" with possible links to "History" and "Social Studies."

Music Component
The music component helps teachers connect universal feelings or ideas through music by using original songs that explore the theme of heroes. It provides arts integration to "Language Arts" and "Listening/Speaking" with the potential for links to 'History and "Social Studies."

Dance workshops are conducted by Bonnie Oda Homsey.
Music workshops are conducted by Bunny Hull.