Karen Aqua

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Karen Aqua (1954-2011) was a New England-based filmmaker and animator who graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1976. She began producing animated shorts for Sesame Street in 1990 and had produced, directed, and animated 22 segments for the show since then. She passed away in May of 2011 after a decade of fighting ovarian cancer.
She wrote the lyrics and melody for the majority of her segments. Her husband, Ken Field, collaborated on the melody for some pieces, as well as providing chords and arrangements for most of them. Any exceptions to this are noted below.
==Standalone Segments==
Picture	Description
 	Animals on Parade 
(alternate title: "Tempo & Rhythm: Animals on Parade") 
An elephant, a zebra, an ostrich, a hedgehog, a frog, and a ladybug each walk to their own rhythm. They all jump on the elephant, who walks away.
Music: Ken Field
Percussion: Ken Winokur and Ken Field
 	Dance to the Rhythm 
A dog watches a girl and an alligator dance and then joins them.
Music: Ken Field
Percussion: Ken Winokur
 	Imagination: Jungle Fantasy 
(alternate title: "Imagination") 
A boy reads a book while his room transforms into a jungle.
Music: Ken Field
 	Tempo Fast/Slow 
 (alternate title: Fast/Slow)
Two birds dance fast and slow, while an alligator drums.
Lyrics: Karen Aqua 
Vocals: Alicia Bell
Percussion: Ken Winokur
 	Number Dance 
Masked figures dance around numbers from one to ten. Both English and Spanish language versions were created.
Music: Ken Winokur
English Vocals: Alicia Bell
Spanish Vocals: Rosa Vasquez
Drums: Ken Winokur
 	Samba Line: Forward/Backward 
(alternate title: Forward/Backward)
Ladies, birds, and fish march forward and backward. 
Music: Ken Field 
Vocals: Alicia Bell
 	Outdoor Letter "N" 
A woman dances around a stone structure which looks like a lowercase "n". This live-action film is shown backwards, and the "n" was found near Roswell, NM.
Music: Ken Field
Dancer: Nancy Johns Fleming
Instruments: Dan Kellar (fiddle), Dinty Child (mandolin), Mickey Bones (spoons/washboard), Jesse Williams (bass).
 	Move to the Beat 
A girl dances with an animated tiger.
Music: Ken Field
Vocals: Marlene Aqua
Instruments: Jesse Williams (bass) and Ken Winokur (drums) 
Dancing Child: Zoe Aqua
 	Family Dance 
A cut-out family dances together.
Music: Ken Field
Vocals: Alicia Bell
Instruments: Ethan Meyer (drums), Jesse Williams (bass), Dana Colley (baritone sax), Alec Haavik (tenor sax), Ken Field (alto sax), Rick Barry (percussion)
 	Dancing with Elmo 
A dog (referred to as Dash by composer Ken FieldKen Field - Sesame Street Soundtracks) dances with cut-out photographs of Elmo.
Music: Ken Field
Vocals: Randy Black
Instruments: Ethan Meyer (drums), Jesse Williams (bass), Dana Colley (baritone sax), Alec Haavik (tenor sax), Ken Field (alto sax), Rick Barry (percussion)
 	Building a Rhythm 
Animals dance in unison and then in contrasting rhythms, accompanied by bottles, percussion instruments, and a clay drum.
Music: Ken Field
 	Pass-Along Alphabet 
Cut-outs of kids and animals pass letters around to do the alphabet.
Music: Ken Field
Vocals: Rebeccah Lijek, Nick Gage, and Eva Eichen
Instruments: Ethan Meyer (drums), Mike Rivard (acoustic bass), and Ken Field (alto saxophones & percussion). Clapping by Ken Field and Karen Aqua. 
Kids: Mimi Rondeau, Suryani Dewa Ayu, Ryan Prothro, Haile Kahassai, Matt Yalouris, Jack Curci, Emma Hart, Peter Neusner, Isabel Cummings, Emma Child, Kine Camara, Tyrone Stewart, Trevor Tibbrine, Taylor Tibbrine, and Zoe Aqua.
 	Ten Dancing Kids 
Animated cutouts of ten kids dance and "freeze". 
Music: Ken Field
Counting Kids' Voices: Zoe & Annie Aqua, Taylor Tibbrine, and Emma Hart
Dancing Kids: Mimi Rondeau, Ryan Prothro, Haile Kahassai, Matt Yalouris, Isabel Cummings, Emma Child, Kine Camara, Tyrone Stewart, Trevor Tibbrine, and Taylor Tibbrine.
Instruments: John Styklunas (electric bass), Eric Paul (drums), Ken Field (layered alto saxophones and percussion).
Engineered and mixed by: Andy Pinkham at Mortal Music, Charlestown, MA.
 	Animal Dance Duet (elephant) (octopus)
A girl, Lisa, dances with an elephant or octopus.
Music: Ken Field
Girl: Rebecca Robinson
Vocals: Wanetta Jackson, Jesse Williams (elephant), Dinty Child (octopus)
Instruments: Steve Langone (drums and percussion), Jesse Williams (electric bass), Dinty Child (accordion), Ken Field (saxophones, samba whistle, and shaker), all plus Karen Aqua (clapping)
Engineered and mixed by: Andy Pinkham at Mortal Music, Charlestown, MA.
 	Rhyme Time 
A frog and his friend hog go for a jog. A quail with a purple tail meets a snail on the trail. 
Music: Ken Field
Vocals: Franc Graham
Instruments: Phil Neighbors (drums), Jesse Williams (bass), Mike Duke (guitar)
Engineered and mixed by: Andy Pinkham at Mortal Music, Charlestown, MA.
 	Jumping J 
A jaguar, a jackrabbit, a jaybird, and a jackal jump with a jumping J. 
Music: Ken Field
Vocals: Marjie Alonso
Instruments: Phil Neighbors (drums), Jesse Williams (bass), Mike Duke (guitar) Engineered and mixed by: Andy Pinkham at Mortal Music, Charlestown, MA.
 	Dancing with the Flowers 
A girl dances with flowers, trees and the sun.
Music: Ken Field
Girl: Ella Williams
Vocals: Franc Graham
Instruments: Steve Langone (drums), Jesse Williams (acoustic bass), Dinty Child (mandolin and accordion), Karen Aqua (spoons), Ken Field (percussion) 
Engineered and mixed by: Andy Pinkham at Mortal Music, Charlestown, MA.
==Animated Series==
File:S-quilt.jpg|Dancing Petroglyphs
Masked March 20.jpg|Parade of Numbers
Dancingwith4.jpg|Wall of Numbers
==Sources==
==External links==
*Official site (archived)
*Ken Field Official Site
*BMI Repertoire
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Category:Animators