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
I Dreamt, Martin Luther King Jr.
I had a dream too, Martin Luther King Jr.
your dream came true
& people looked inside of me
not at the shape or size of me
not at the color or style of me
they looked at my inner reality
not the outside fantasy
I dreamt your dream came true…Mr. King
Marcus Garvey wasn’t ridiculed & called a fool
Ruby Bridges walked to school alone
Malcolm wasn’t murdered by his own
Miss Rosa enjoyed her bus ride home
Emmitt Till was alive today
Medgar Evers wasn’t murdered in his driveway
Steve Biko lived to write another day
Tupac represented the best of us
Rodney King wasn’t beaten alive in front of us
&
Marvin was asking me “What’s goin’ on?”
I dreamt that your dream came true Rev. King
& young adults today were livin’ clean
not smokin’ tobacco, cronic, droppin’ pills, hittin’ crack
downin’ 40’s & gettin’ wacked
dreaming stupid dreams
nothing to do but get hi & lie…or so it seems
living nightmares shooting down tomorrow’s dreams
I dreamt your dream came true Minister King
& in concrete jungles everywhere
sons and daughters of criminals and righteous folks
were sitting at a table together
learning & teaching one another to read & to LOVE
I was dreaming and your dream came true Teacher King
& all children attended equally integrated schools
where students were not judged by the color of skin
or the color of Nike, Dickie’s, Akademik’s
but by the work they handed in on time
to teachers who really cared
I had a dream that your dream came true Brother King & in my dreams
I saw boys and girls of all races joining hands in agape love
little children holding hands of baby daddies
baby daddies married to & taking care of baby mommies
& they both had good jobs, careers, and businesses.
I dreamt your dream came true Mr. King &
I heard that same freedom bell ring
in every town from Africa to America,
Europe to Asia, South America to the Caribbean
starving children came running to dinner tables
filled with pesticide-free fruits & vegetables
BROWN rice, sugar, bread and molasses,
UN-contaminated water
& hormone free well-seasoned chicken
I dreamt that TV showed real people living true reality
& “FRIENDS”…didn’t all look the same
Disney wasn’t another name for distorted history & modern mythology
I dreamt that Eddie, Martin, Will* & the Wayan’s
produced black history biographies & multicultural realities
Black & whites & all “others” UNITED in mutual funds
not only for sex, drugs & guns
I had a dream too, that your dream came true Brother King
& two weeks after your vision in DC
four little girls in Birmingham, Alabama.
Addie Mae Collins, Denise Mc Nair, Cynthia Wesley & Carole Robertson
walked home from church to waiting mommies
& the next day they went to a shiny new school
with smiling & loving classmates
each one of those little girls graduated college
becoming a doctor to heal us
A teacher to teach us, a lawyer for justice
& President of Human Rights University
Your dream came true Martin Luther King, Jr.
Because in my dream, their you were…
home with Mrs. King & your children,
playin’ with grandchildren
inside the not so-white house
being the PRESIDENT of the United States of LOVE
So brave…so intelligent…so blessed
relaxing with your family & friends
& everybody knew…without a doubt
they were “FREE AT LAST!”
& truly somebody.
Just like I do, thanks to you
Martin Luther King Jr.,
I dreamt your dream, came true.
(C) 1999 I Dreamt, Martin Luther King, Jr. - Oni Lasana, Real Tales of Rhymes and Reasons
(SR) 2005 I Dreamt, MLK Jr. - Words by Oni Lasana - Music by Samori Coles
Available on CD Baby & on all digital music platforms.
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