Move and Groove! Flushing Town Hall Presents Treehouse Shakers with High-Energy Family Theater

On Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19, Flushing Town Hall (FTH) will bring back the popular Treehouse Shakers, the New York City-based children’s theater company, for two mornings of fun and engaging family performances designed for children aged 4-8 and their caregivers.

On Saturday, July 18, at 10:30 am, Treehouse Shakers Presents: Let’s Get Moving! will deliver a lively, immersive performance for young audiences and their caregivers, combining world folklore, live music, and the magic of soccer. Storyteller Mara McEwin and percussionist Roderick Jackson weave together tales from around the globe that celebrate teamwork, collaboration, and resilience. Drawing on the spirit of the beautiful game, the performance brings life to the lessons of the field—strategy, perseverance, and the joy of working together. As Queens welcomes soccer fans to the World's Borough for the World Cup, young participants will be invited to move like Messi and dance, and play alongside the performers, turning passive listening into an active, joyful experience.

On Sunday, July 19, at 10:30 am, Treehouse Shakers Presents: Let’s Work Together! which will provide an immersive, movement-filled performance that invites young audiences and their caregivers to explore the power of collaboration and resilience. Storyteller Mara McEwin and percussionist Roderick Jackson will combine world folklore and live percussion music, bringing to life stories of team spirit, shared goals, and the life lessons found in the games we play. Young participants will learn movement and dance inspired by soccer and team play, transforming a performance into a joyful, full-body experience.

“Even the youngest audiences benefit from attending and participating in creative performances, and Treehouse Shakers is one of the few theater companies that builds that foundation early, developing theatre experiences for the very young,” says Ellen Kodadek, Executive & Artistic Director of Flushing Town Hall. “We’re delighted to welcome back Mara and Roderick for a fun weekend of movement and imagination. With the World Cup sparking excitement across the diverse communities in the World’s Borough, these performances beautifully capture the same global passion, scoring big with fun, interactive activities that will get our youngest neighbors moving.”

For more information about the weekend activities and to purchase tickets, visit the event pages for Treehouse Shakers: Let’s Get Moving! (July 18, 10:30 AM) and Treehouse Shakers: Let’s Work Together! (July 19, 10:30 AM). Families are invited to join one or both of these programs. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for member adults, and $8 for children.

About the Performers

Mara McEwin (she/her) — Storyteller

Artistic Director, Co-Founder, writer, and director of Treehouse Shakers. Named “Best Storyteller of New York” by NY Press, Mara has produced, written, directed, and performed in all 21 of Treehouse Shakers’ original dance-plays, including Hatched, recognized as the first dance-play for babies to tour the U.S. by an American artist. She has created arts-in-education programming from preschools to colleges and has led teaching artist training nationwide for over 30 years. Performance highlights include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Tribeca Film Festival, and Baby Gap.

Roderick Jackson (he/him) — Musician & Percussionist

Roderick has been creating percussion and composition for Treehouse Shakers for over 25 years. A Teaching Artist and Percussionist for Ailey Arts in Education & Community Programs, he has studied rhythms, dances, and instruments from Afro-Brazilian, West African, South African, Angolan, Korean, and Haitian traditions. He has recorded commercial works for Sesame Street, Nickelodeon, the Smithsonian Institution, and the motion picture Beloved, and has served as a faculty member at Jacob’s Pillow and NYU.

About Flushing Town Hall

Flushing Town Hall (FTH) is a nonprofit cultural institution that presents and celebrates global arts in the heart of one of the world’s most diverse communities. As a Smithsonian Affiliate and a member of the New York City Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), FTH is dedicated to fostering mutual appreciation through multi-disciplinary programming, arts education, and hands-on learning. Housed in the historic 1862 landmark, FTH honors its legacy as the “home of Jazz” while championing immigrant, local, and international artists. We serve all New Yorkers by upholding a tradition of inclusiveness that dates back to the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657.

Location: 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing, NY 11354
(718) 463-7700 x222
Website: www.flushingtownhall.org
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