A Clearing in the Forest

May 11 - September 21
Sundays at 1:00 pm
FREE

A Clearing in the Forest, the summer’s most thrilling line-up of FREE multicultural performances and family art workshops, is back, set in Central Park’s most intimate natural playground the Great Hill and The Peter Jay Sharp Children’s Glade, a fabulous "clearing in the forest" designed specifically for family programs.

A Clearing in the Forest programs feature a range of established and emerging performing artists and are produced by many of New York City's leading cultural institutions. Some of our instructors will travel here from far-away places like Bali and Brazil. These programs feature music and dance, puppets and theater, storytelling, and arts and crafts.

A Clearing in the Forest programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children’s Glade and on the Great Hill. These destinations are located inside Central Park from West 103rd Street to West 106th Street. Please enter the Park at West 106th Street.

All A Clearing in a Forest programs take place on Sundays and begin at 1:00 pm. Advance registration not required.

Pack a picnic lunch, bring a blanket, and please join us for an afternoon of fun!

A Clearing in the Forest 2008 Schedule

Sunday, May 11
Indigenous Body Painting
Amazonian ornamental craft demonstration and workshop
with Amazônia Brazil

Sunday, May 18
Olokun’s Coral Necklace
Yoruba myth-telling and West African beading workshop
with the Museum for African Art

Sunday, May 25
Environmental Education Fun
Comedy performance with Magnolio, the Brazilian Ecoclown
with Amazônia Brazil

Sunday, June 1
Temples in the Forest
Balinese fusion dance performance and workshop
with BALAM Dance Theatre

Sunday, June 29
Around the World with Freedom Tales
Multicultural storytelling and music performance
with Robin Bady

Sunday, July 6
The Dancing Bahlilla
Middle Eastern dance performance and workshop with Ramzi El-Edlibi
With Lotus Music & Dance Studios

Sunday, July 13
Turtle Island Medicine Show
Large-scale puppet show
with Arm-of-the-Sea Theater

Sunday, July 20
PercussionPlay
Global music jam and instrument-making workshop
with GlobalArts to Go

Sunday, July 27
In a Certain Kingdom - Stories from Russia
Russian storytelling performance
with Julie Della Torre

Sunday, August 3
Ailey Action!
Creative movement and jazz / hip hop workshops
with Alvin Ailey Arts in Education Teaching Artists

Sunday, August 10
How the Elephant Got Its Trunk Back
Puppet showand puppet-making workshop
with Talking Hands Theater

Sunday, August 17
Animal Wisdom Tales of Jaws, Paws, and Claws
Multicultural storytelling performance
with LuAnn Adams

Sunday, August 24
How the First Monkey Came to Jamaica and other Caribbean Creature Stories
Caribbean storytelling performance
with Bobby Gonzalez

Sunday, August 31
Capoeira in the Park
Brazilian dance performance and workshop
with The Capoeira Foundation, Inc.

Saturday, September 6
Great Jazz on the Great Hill
Family swing dance workshop with Clyde Wilder
Live jazz music with Jazzmobile, Inc.

Sunday, September 21
Little Mouse Deer Tricks Tiger and Other Indonesian Tales of Mischief
Multicultural storytelling and music performance
with Bill Gordh

And don't worry, the fun doesn't stop at the Great Hill and Children's Glade when the A Clearing in the Forest series ends...

Saturday, September 13, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Jazz On A Summer's Day: a free outdoor film screening with live jazz music presented in collaboration with African Film Festival and Jazzmobile, Inc. Click here to see the full schedule.

Sunday, October 19, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Autumn in the Glade: a free family program featuring storytelling and leaf printing to celebrate the change in season.

For more information, please call 212-860-1370, or click here to download the program brochure (will open in a new window.)

The Children's Glade landscape and its ongoing maintenance and care are made possible by the Directors of the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.