Virtual & Live
Freestylin' Dunbar!
*!* Calling all artists and educators *!*
Join in the adventure of discovering the timeless spoken word prose of Paul Laurence Dunbar for performances or to teach your students for performances.
Based on the Brother Dunbar Poetry & Performance Workshop as published in Literacy Development in the Storytelling Classroom.
Workshop Brother Dunbar Spoken Word & Performance
The Quaker School at Horsham, Pennsylvania - 2017
After the students performed, a few of the talented 7th & 8th graders hung out for a photo op with Ms. Oni and Ms. Kate.
~ PAST PRESENTERS ~
Philadelphia, PA
Paul Laurence Dunbar Elementary
Duckrey Elementary School
Central East Middle School
DODD Schools in Germany
~ Your school here ~
More information on workshop below
You Can Do Dunbar! Teaching Artists & Storytellers
A captivating experience for educators to creatively teach and storytellers to dramatically perform Dunbar's prose.
Oni presents how and why Dunbar's northern and southern dialect poetry can be taught and performed in today's curriculum and added to your repertoire.
Bring your favorite Dunbar poem to share and discuss or enjoy Oni Lasana Doin' Dunbar as "The voice of Dunbar!"
Join in with Story Crossroads on February 12, 2022
-Saturday 11am EST - 12:30
For more info;
www.StoryCrossroads.org/AllThingsStory
Reciting & Rapping Dunbar!
Brother Dunbar was facilitated twice, for Professor Nikki Giovanni's English Class @ Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, Virginia
Furious Flower Poetry Camp
Brother Dunbar Poetry & Performance Workshop
James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Brother Dunbar Spoken Word & Performance Workshop
A POETIC APPROACH TO STORYTELLING
by Oni Lasana p. 288
Public Speaking, Reading, Listening, Writing, Visual Literacy, Theater, Language Arts, Visual Arts, American History.
National Standards: NCTE 1-6, 8, 9, 11, 12
This performance workshop for students and adults, offers a unique opportunity to learn about the life and times of poet and writer Paul Laurence Dunbar(1872-1906), a major forerunner to the Harlem Renaissance literary era in America.
Highly inter-active and enriching, it offers a diverse learning experience in the following areas of study; Language Arts - History - Theater - Performing and Visual Arts.
Participants review, comprehend and perform the poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar for its historical, educational, entertainment and literary value.
Students are coached in reciting casually and formally, allowing a complete overview of his poetry as it related to Dunbar’s life, his struggles as a writer and poet, and also the African American experience before and after the Civil War.
Knowledge of Dunbar’s duel mastery of dialect and standard English aides students to express themselves poetically. They will give voice to his humorous and dramatic work in self-styled interpretations.
Participants perform and recite two of Dunbar’s poems, in southern and northern dialect. Dramatically and over musical arrangements to Jazz, Reggae, Hip Hop, Classical, R&B & African Hi-Life.
Culminating in a school assembly or public performance by students. Sessions: 6 to 8 weeks.
Power To The Poet!
This highly creative workshop for anyone who desires to tap into the power of writing & reciting original poetry.
Release the power within .....creative exercises will allow you to participate, create & activate what you want to say and how you want to say it. Through the power of your spoken word.
Allow Oni to be your poetic conduit & MC for creative expression in a "Spoken Word Cafe" setting.
Learn to elevate your energy, expertise and stage delivery with all who desire to be SELF-Inspired! Empowered! Uplifted! Celebrated! & Creatively create with confidence and your unique style.
From the power within, from the flow of your pen.
PAST PRESENTERS
Heal A Sister, Heal A Nation
Morgan State University, Maryland
Natural Hair & Beauty Conference
Baltimore, Maryland
Locks & Natural Hair Beauty Conference & Festival Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The 13th Annual Woman Gather Conference
Temple University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7th Annual Colorado Woman of Color Conference University of Colorado, Denver Colorado
Storytelling Workshops
Once Upon A Time is Now!
Oni's exciting workshop explores basic storytelling tips for telling with pizazz and style! Modern inspirational stories are re-told by participants. Aspiring storytellers...do tell! "The story is the star...but you make it shine"....Oni Lasana
Librarians are storytellers!
January 25, 2018 : Tobago Library Services hosted Oni's workshop with over 20 talented staff librarians in the capital's main branch in Scarborough.
Educator's enrich storytelling!
February 22, 2018 : Oni with a few of the participants who showcased stories in Oni's STORYTELLING ANYONE? - "Once Upon A Time Is Now"
Educator's prepared to coach students for Tobago's Annual Youth Storytelling Competition 2018.
With these talented storytelling teachers coaching, everyone's a winner!
Wellness Play Shop
LOL 4 Real!
Wellness & joyful session with the 1 & Oni! A highly creative and fun filled breathing, respiratory and mindfulness practice for all ages!
You Got Talent!
Oni Lasana is the “host-est with the most-est” guiding the sharing of poetry, prose, song or whatever talent is bubbling beneath the surface of your clients.
Joyfully motivating and accompany anyone who enjoys “steppin’ to the mic” while playing back ground bass on her Ashbury Bass guitar or a variety of “old school” karaoke track for those who like to show off!
In between talents, Oni educates and entertains, delivering the classic poetry of Maya Angelo & Nikki Giovanni, along with Oni’s original poetry taken off her spoken word CD, Sister Wings!
We open with a brief workshop on poetry writing and how to develop your own style of performing OR what ever your talent is, we’ll have a great time, showin’ off and showin’ out!
Length of Program: 60-90 minutes
Maximum Number of Participants: 12 + up with audience.
Venue Requirements: Cafe' setting. Activity Room, Music Rooms, Electrical outlet, Microphone & stand. Bring pen, paper, your poetry and a fun loving, positive attitude!
See "Applause" page for review of this program from Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Oni's Diary : Muse : Considering something thoughtfully
1st Freestylin' Paul Laurence Dunbar Meetup
1st Free Stylin’ Dunbar Session 1 : January 16, 2025
Lifeline: Thursday : Love of Dunbar Collective familiar roots, Peader, from Ireland showed up at 7pm est time, 12:00 midnight in Carryduff...he relaxes in his bed.
Viveca, her beloved mother's caretaker in Texas gently smiled on. I was so pleased to see familiar faces from the monthly Love Of Dunbar, wanting more Dunbar.
A new energy popped in!
Melanie in Florida kept her registration commitment! Yeah!
10 registrants were missing, or forgot, or will pop in another Thursday. No worries, adventurous minds and happy faces were present...I kept a pluggin' away.
So what happened? What did YOU miss?
Melanie, a retired journalist loves Dunbar and is researching and developing a children’s theatrical production of her favorite poets' prose, Dunbar being one of them.
Freestylin' Dunbar is not about me, Oni...I've had the pleasure to perform and teach his poetry for 31 years and this is a way of giving back and keeping my brain cells active in memory. I take great pleasure to share with those who feel it too, and desire to understand the work.
Oh my, oh my...was I so happy to show off my favorite "Dunbarians!" Viveca sang Keep A Pluggin' Away and Peadar recited Circumstances Alter Cases to Melanie's delight of poems she hadn't heard before.
Melanie’s stationary smile continued as we gave a brief tour of our resource page; www.PaulLaurenceDunbar.org created by Adam Alonzo of Dayton, Ohio...Dunbar's hometown.
Things can get personal in Freestylin' - how else do we humans bond? I was intrigued as Melanie who appeared to be of Caucasian persuasion;-) made her love of Dunbar as interesting as her joyful presence. So in friendly curiosity I asked Melanie of her heritage which she proudly exclaimed “I’m Black!”
Right on sis! Shut up Oni!
Getting to know one another is important to reach hearts, minds and souls, beyond Dunbar. Diggin' deeper into Melanie's heritage it was revealed she indeed harbors Native & European roots as family members in her past have passed for Caucasians. With the terrible shadows of slavery always lingering in American our-stories, and in Dunbar's plantation prose, shoot, Melanie and I could be cousins.
On the surface, our love of literature and a shared history, race matters. It's no harm to accept the reality of the heart, where one must proceed with care with those who show interest in Dunbar. Is it only entertainment, without interest, knowledge or self-reflection on the history of the works? I hope not.
In Freestylin' Dunbar’s our connections to Dunbar's poetry is not only intellectual, but also a journey into our personal psyche, our creative flow, as we discover and uncover him, for the genius he was, who we are and where we all come from.
Dunbar is Sankofa time in a Octavia Butler vibe.
Getting to know one another in connection with Dunbar's work is rooted in respect, understanding, and appreciation of his/our heritage, then and now, and not merely for microscopic curiosity. Dunbar is a literary humanitarian in that all people can clearly understand where he was coming from. Everyone.
Freestylin’ conversations with Melanie strolled us into an imaginary chapter on Dunbar’s poetry. Melanie turned the page as she described her work in progress, Poems To Plays, how clever is that? When Dey ‘Listed Colored Soldier’s and The Rivals, are the seeds in the visionary garden of Melanie’s creative mind, soon to bloom into a children’s theater production. We can't wait to collaborate or be amazed as her audience one day!
January 16, 2025, Thursday was a small but mighty gathering for the debut of Freestylin’ Dunbar. I'm looking forward to meet, see, hear and muse with future brilliant surprises of folks who love Dunbar's works and will show up and show out in the Zoom square for the Love of Dunbar - in the weeks to come!
Hope it will be YOU!
Give thanks: Peader, Viveca & Melanie for showing up in the zoom village square because in the words of Nikki Giovanni,
"Dunbar is community!"
Welcome to the neighborhood, where its all good.
Oni *!*
© 2025 Oni Lasana Productions
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