Puppet Making and Hula Hooping with Leslie Stark

Leslie Stark is a high school teacher, hula hoop maker (Serenity Hoops), dancer (Polymer Dance), singer (The Appetizers), poet, storyteller, director, and playwright. She loves to nurture creative minds and believes play is essential to learning and being happier, healthier humans.

Puppet Making Workshop: Puppets! Puppets! Puppets! Puppets allow us to discover what our voices can do, give us a chance to speak outside of ourselves, evoke empathy, and remind us of the power of play! Join us for a maritime-themed puppet making workshop where we will transform old socks into creatures of the ocean and shoreline — clams, crabs, octopi, fish, birds, pirates, and mythical mermaids! There will be a play space where you can create your own puppet show, or play (gently) with Leslie’s own puppet collection. All ages welcome.

Hoop Play: The circle is both silly and sacred. In a multitude of cultures, circles are symbols of life, of completion, unity. And yet we find ourselves “moving around in circles” all the time. The hula hoop is similarly both a “silly kid’s toy” or a “fad” but also for some, a sacred space of movement, flow, and connection.
Come and play with a myriad of circles and find your flow. Leslie will help you figure out what hoop works best for you, and show you a few easy ways to impress your friends the next time you pick up a “silly plastic circle.” Who knows? Maybe you will find a bit of the sacred in the silly! All ages welcome.