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Teaching and Learning with Online Educational Videos: A Subject List of Web Resources for Educators (August 2013): Performing Arts

By Susan Ariew

Performing Arts

Alan Lomax Archive
(YouTube One Channel)

The film work of Alan Lomax is a resource for students, researchers, filmmakers, and fans of America’s traditional music and folkways.  Shot throughout the American South and Southwest over the course of seven years (1978-85) in preparation for the PBS series American Patchwork, which aired in 1991, these videos consist of performances, interviews, and folkloric scenes culled from 400 hours of footage.

More Than Dance …
(YouTube One Channel)

This YouTube channel from the Anaheim Ballet is updated weekly with clips based on the artists and activities of the City of Anaheim ballet company.  The channel includes ballet dancer profiles, instructional videos, and some wonderful videos of dances.

Dance Channel TV
(YouTube One Channel)

An online video network devoted entirely to dance, the channel includes original video programming that illustrates a variety of styles of dance through newscasts, human interest stories, and entertainment.

New York City Ballet
(YouTube One Channel)

Featured playlists include clips from the New York City Ballet’s various ballet seasons, along with videos about the ballet dancers and choreographers.

Royal Opera House
(YouTube One Channel)

This YouTube channel promotes London’s Royal Opera House and shows opera and ballet clips from behind the scenes, interviews with opera and ballet artists, highlights from the Royal Ballet, and clips from famous operas such as Swan Lake and La Boheme.

Stratford Festival
(YouTube One Channel)

The site includes short clips of festival plays, education/outreach videos, highlights of season plays, and behind-the-scenes interviews related to Stratford, Ontario’s Stratford Festival, which emphasizes Shakespeare plays.

Smithsonian Folkways
(YouTube One Channel)

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is a nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian, the national museum of the United States.  Videos on this channel feature Smithsonian Folkways artists performing live and talking about their work.  Playlists include interviews, live performances, new videos, most viewed videos, children’s music, and the music of Mexico, Central and South America, Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and American Indians.