Section: CAPITAL REGION
Page: F3

Thursday, November 12, 1998

PUPPET SHOW HAS RUSSIAN TOUCH

Saratoga Springs Students to see play that showcases Tula traditions

 

KATHLEEN DOOLEY Staff writer

 

The Albany-Tula Alliance is wending its way into this community.

Visiting college professors from Tula, Russia, Albany's sister city, are presenting a puppet show and explaining about the traditions of the Tula Puppets to kindergartners and first-graders at Lake Avenue Elementary School at 2 p.m. today in the elementary school auditorium.

Professors Anna Chusova and Ludmilla Ivanova from the Tolstoy State Pedagogical University of Tula will present the program, working with Lake Avenue students on ``Russian Fairy Tales and Puppets.'' The Russian visitors are staying at Alliance House in Albany for the duration of their visit, which is designed for them to gather ideas from the American educational system.

``They are welcome visitors. It's a wonderful opportunity for cultural diversity in our school and it's fun to have Russian visitors,'' said Principal Marcia Henze.

Children in Grade 5 may work on pursuing puppetry later on in the year following the presentation, Henze said. She expects to follow-up with puppets in several classes. Eventually, the puppets will be used as a teaching tool to develop communication skills with the students.

``Puppets are a wonderful way to foster communication. They give children an opportunity to develop an easier flow of language and have for a long time been used as teaching tools,'' said Henze.

The puppets used to illustrate the story of ``The Frog Princess'' were created by the professional artists at the Tula Puppet Theatre in Tula. Olga Alayasov, a Russian student who attended the College of Saint Rose in Albany and had attended performances of Russian fairy tales at the Tula Puppet Theatre in Russia, was able to translate the story for class use several years ago.

By using the puppets, students increase reading and writing skills, build self-esteem, acquire performing skills and eventually raise reading and writing test scores, said Laura Chodos of Saratoga Springs, who is a member of the Albany-Tula Alliance and is coordinating the Lake Avenue Elementary visit. Chodos said this is the fifth visit to the U.S. sponsored by the Albany-Tula Alliance.

The alliance was formed as an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization to develop humanitarian, cultural, educational, economic and health-related partnerships between Tula and the Capital Region. Its mission is to work together building living links between communities. ``It is a working partnership of people who share a common passion for a prosperous and peaceful world,'' said Chodos.

The professors visited Saratoga Springs High School on Monday and attended classes with the students. Other sites remaining on their tour agenda include visiting classes at the State University at Albany, Siena College, Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., and Albany High School. They have already visited Russell Sage College, the College of Saint Rose, Guilderland Elementary School and the State Museum in Albany.

The visitors depart for home at 4 a.m. Sunday.