Jennifer Muller / The Works

Educational Outreach

Faces of Wonder

Faces of Wonder offers lecture-demonstrations and student/artist discussions on-site in participating schools, at no cost to the schools or the students. Each of the company's in-school activities addresses a spectrum of themes:

  • the value and excitement of dance as a form of expression,
  • the discipline and vision of the life of an artist, and
  • the importance of creativity and imagination in daily life.

Suffused with The Works' philosophy of respect for people of all cultural backgrounds, the company's visits to the schools offer inspiring, multi-level experiences and provide views of positive, creative ways of living and thinking.

Faces of Wonder is conducted by the dancers of The Works who are renowned both for their technical virtuosity and expressive capability. Ms. Muller draws from her company members' energy, athleticism, passion and grace – a process that reveals each performer as a distinct individual without compromising the integrity of a coherent ensemble.

The company's objectives are to awaken students' interests in the performing arts and contemporary dance, not just as artists of the future but as the next generation of enthusiastic audiences and to communicate to an ethnically-varied youth population a respect for all peoples, reinforced by The Works' cross-cultural membership.

Imagine That!

Imagine That!, an in-depth, classroom training program in movement, non-verbal communication and the expessive use of the imagination, utilizes Jennifer Muller's unique Creative Mind Workshops, which train participants in the use of imaginative thinking in daily life.

Program Benefits:

  • Offers multiple exposures to dance artists
  • Teaches the power of the imagination and self-worth through creativity
  • Provides a forum for personal expression
  • Increases communication skills
  • Presents opportunities to perform
  • Enhances self-confidence
  • Creates enthusiasm for dance
  • Inspires future artists and audience members
  • Provides an in-school forum for arts discussion

The program consists of a three-week residency (twice weekly) totaling 12 in-school classes, and each session lasts approximately 55 minutes. The classes are tailormade for the grade-level and are taught at a gradual pace to ensure that each student benefits from the exercises. Each exercise is a logical progression leading to the final construction of "non-verbal movies." Most exercises are developed for small groups, giving students the opportunity to present work in front of their classmates.

Once the presentations are complete, discussion is opened, allowing the students to verbalize their observations therby increasing their ability to perceive and communicate.

Quartet of Dancers

Gen Hashimoto, Mariana Cardenas, Abdul Latif & Susanna Bozzetti. Photo by Carol Rosegg.