The April 8 event featured The Alley Cats and UCSB Dance Company in two high-energy performances.

Santa Barbara Bowl in collaboration with the Children’s Creative Project presented The Alley Cats, a cappella group from Los Angeles, performing with the UCSB Dance Company in two free shows for Santa Barbara area public school children.

Students from Cold Springs Elementary take a moment to get silly with the Alley Cats and the UCSB Dance Company  - Photo courtesy of Ashly Othic

As part of the Santa Barbara Bowl's Outreach initiative focused on performing arts, and coordinated by the Children’s Creative Project, the Kids at the Bowl event hosted nearly 3,000 students for two free 45-minute educational and high-energy performances held at the Santa Barbara Bowl on Monday, April 8 at 9:30 AM and 10:45 AM.

The Alley Cats realize the music of the fifties and sixties is still a popular genre. They also know, however, that they are reaching a new and younger audience. During the performance, the four members of The Alley Cats offered their unparalleled doo-wop, America's most known and loved music, blended with comedy, showmanship, and dance to help students learn about harmony, pitch, tempo…and experience a live performance in a renowned setting.

The UCSB Dance Company, a 14-member student dance company under the direction of Delila Moseley, joined The Alley Cats on stage for six dances choreographed by Moseley. The show incorporated swing, lindy hop, salsa, (set by student Yuna Choi), twist, smooth ballroom, and modern dance into high-energy, entertaining dance numbers.

The Alley Cats work to always engage student audiences with familiar ideas to ensure the music is both appealing and accessible to all ages. At the same time, the group works to keep the songs and performances as true to their original form. The amazing fact about this music is that it is timeless and enjoyed by people of all ages.

The Alley Cats and UCSB Dance Company take to the stage!

“These special performances are the result of wonderful collaborations between organizations dedicated to providing diverse art and cultural opportunities for children and families,” said Susan Salcido, Santa Barbara County superintendent of schools. “We are grateful for the commitment of the Bowl Foundation, The Towbes Foundation, the City of Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture to increase access to art and culture and make this extraordinary opportunity available to so many of our students.”

A program of the Santa Barbara County Education Office, Children’s Creative Project presents visual arts and performing arts instruction by resident artists and touring artist performances in 92 schools serving more than 50,000 students in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties each year. The Children’s Creative Project also presents the annual I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival to support, in part, their arts education programs.

Kids at the Bowl is an essential program of Santa Barbara Bowl Outreach that hosts large-scale, cultural performances for Santa Barbara County students. Benefits extend far beyond the performance—they educate students on how to be a part of an audience; provide a cultural experience at a historic, community landmark; and create an opportunity to imagine careers in the arts.