Camp Kissosso
Experience the magic of drum and dance at Camp Kissosso, a five day summer camp for ages 7-14. Students will play rhythms, sing songs, and dance exciting dances from Africa, Cuba, and beyond. Woven into the curriculum are lessons in history, geography, language, and customs from each culture. We will make our own costumes and the camp will culminate in a final student recital. Camp will be taught by Eco-School teacher/dancer Sunny Suit and percussionist/educator Noah Mosgofian.
Among the many positive benefits of drum and dance are physical and cognitive development, emotional and social maturity, increased hand-eye coordination, refined motor skills, improved memory, increased self-esteem, and…fun!
Daily Schedule (subject to change)
- 9:00-9:30 Opening Circle
- 9:30-10:00 Morning Movement (yoga, stretching, etc.)
- 10:00-11:00 Activity A (song, dance, geography, language etc.)
- 11:00-11:30 Snack
- 11:30-12:30 Activity B (drumming)
- 12:30-12:40 Gratitude Circle
- 12:40-1:40 Lunch and Free Time
- 1:40-2:10 Drum Jam
- 2:10-3:10 Activity C (crafts, costume making)
- 3:10-3:30 Clean Up
- 3:30-4:00 Closing Circle
The Teachers
Noah Mosgofian
Noah Mosgofian has been drumming for 20 years. He has apprenticed on Djembe, Dunun, Congas, Timbales and more with some of the world’s top artists.
His teaching experience includes 3 years as an instructor with The San Francisco Ballet’s Dance in Schools program, A 6-week world music and dance residency in the Edinburgh International Festival (Scotland), appearances in dozens of public and private schools throughout the country, and hundreds of drum classes for students of all ages around the world.
Noah’s performance credits include 6 years with the international percussion sensation STOMP, and performance with over 50 other regional and national touring bands and dance ensembles.
Sunny Suit
I am a native of San Francisco but consider myself a citizen of the world. I have studied and taught throughout the world including Italy, Mexico, Japan, and West Africa. I have recently moved to Austin and am settling in comfortably with the help of Texas hospitality, Barton Springs, live music, South Congress Street, barbecue, and my lovely partner, Noah. I graduated from San Francisco State University, magna cum laude with a B.A. in Spanish and a minor in Latin American Studies. I also received my teaching credential from SF State in secondary education.
I have worked as an educator for over 15 years from pre-school to adult education. This past year was life changing for me as I discovered my dream job teaching kindergarten. Everyday has been a privilege as I witness my students joyfully discovering themselves and the world around them. I became an educator because I believe that through a strong sense of self confidence and compassion for others we can achieve anything—education is the key to gaining that awareness of self. My goal is to empower my students to become self-directed, life long learners who will possess the skills and desire to succeed in academics and beyond.
I incorporate music, foreign language, dance, song, yoga, artistry, cooking, gardening, and role-play into the curriculum to engage students, connect them to their own cultural backgrounds and to introduce them to other world cultures. I set high expectations for my students and provide them with opportunities to experience continuous success. I feel a deep sense of joy and pride when I see the spark of accomplishment in my student’s eyes. I know my students can accomplish anything they want and I make sure they know that everyday!