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Current Work
My "Percussion with Passion" class consists of teaching blind/vision-impaired adults to express their creative musical ability through the use of percussion instruments. To introduce the instrument, I move around the room playing it, explaining it and allowing students to use it and to listen to its unique sound and rhythm. I discuss with the students their prior knowledge and I emphasize the disciplines of listening and thinking.
I use assigned seating positions that allow these students to learn who is sitting beside them. With my assistance, students initiate the musical session by turns, each having a chance to express his or her creativity, while the rest of the class listens to the tempo and gets ready to add their creative musical piece to it. The creative ability of each student is emphasized as we work toward arrangements to share in future performances. |
Short Bio
Dalys Esther Torres B. “Panama” was born and raised in Panama. She came to the U.S. in the early 1970s. She holds a B.S. in Business Admin. from Boricua College and a Postgraduate in Bilingual Education/TESOL from Long Island University.
She studied percussion theory and basic techniques at Johnny Colon’s School of Music (East Harlem, NYC) and African drum rhythm and techniques with Edwina Tyler (Brooklyn, NY). She studied Flamenco, Ballet, and her country’s cultural dance in Bellas Artes (Panama). In 1995 she completed teacher training in Laban Movement analysis from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies.
In 1999 she completed the Creative Arts Laboratory Professional Development Program at Teachers College/Columbia University. She has developed an after-school percussion program for the Manhattan and Bronx NY public libraries and has helped children develop and improve their self-esteem, self-creation, and discipline skills through various cultural dances in the public schools.
Currently, Ms. Torres works as Percussionist Specialist Instructor/Consultant at Visions/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired and for the Harlem women's community at Sister Uptown Bookstore. Along with her Percussion Musical Projects, she performs in recitals featuring castanets with Tango and Cuban music.
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Honors
Bravo's 200-National Arts Education Awards; Marquis Who's Who in America 58th Ed., Nov. 2004; Who's Who of American Women 25th Silver Anniversary Ed., Nov. 2005; Who's Who in American Education 7th Ed., Dec. 2005 |
Union Affiliations/Professional Organizations
United Federation of Teachers - NYC
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Artist Location
New York, NY
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Art forms
Music, Dance, Performance Art, Multidisciplinary, Other
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Type of artist
Arts Educator, Choreographer, Composer, Director, Performer
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General Themes
Education, Feminism/Gender Issues, Children/Youth, Art Forms/Art Criticism, Families/Parenting |
Keywords
Learning assessment, communication, communications,
drummer,
musician, Panamanian indigenous culture, folklore, Latina, disability, disabled |
| Last updated on September 16th, 2005 |
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