BBT/SCHOOL OF RUSSIAN AMERICAN BALLET
ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAM:
FAIRY TALES IN MOTION
About BBT’s Arts in Education Program
BBT/School of Russian American Ballet’s Arts in Education Program has
been providing workshops, lecture-demonstrations, residencies and other
dance and arts programs in over 100 schools for the past 15 years. BBT’s
Arts in Education Program serves all fives boroughs in New York City and
our target audience is Kindergarten through grade 12.
We can offer schools with a wide variety of programs including “Fairy
Tales in Motion”, “Understand the World through Dance”; “Music in
Action”; Jump for Joy” and “Why Dance” and “Ballroom and Latin American
Dance.”
An Overview of BBT’s Arts in Education
Workshops
“Fairy Tales In Motion” is
an arts education program especially designed to benefit elementary
school students in the art of dance while developing their skills in
literacy. During the first few classes, time is spent reading the fairy
tale that has been provided as well as learning basic dance instruction.
After the class has become familiar with the fairy tale, the instructor
guides the students in choreographing their own original ballet based on
the short story they have just read.
Throughout the entire class, students are given many participatory roles
in the creation of the ballet, which allows them to be directly engaged
in making art rather than just being instructed. In this capacity, the
children serve as judges; choosing which peer plays which character.
They serve as composers; choosing the music that best fits each role and
they serve as choreographers; creating their own dances. They even
design their own costumes. The BBT’s dance instructor’s role is to
provide a framework and a vocabulary for the students to work with, but
the goal of the program is to allow the students to operate as a team
and take ownership of the ballet. In this way, the students are engaged
in understanding dance and literature more thoroughly and learn how to
empathize with different characters, thus making their learning
experience a more fulfilling one. This program is best designed for
Grades 2 through 5.
“Understand the World through Dance”
Understand the World through Dance, is dedicated to all the young people
in the world. We strongly believe that diverse cultures that make up
this exciting place we live in will be brought together with a better
understanding of each other through dance, increasing peace and harmony.
“Understanding The World through Dance” allow students to learn a
variety of concepts such as the basic dance movements, dancing to music,
exploring space, time, learning discipline and creating opportunities
for friendship and cultural-oriented learning.
Students learn what dance represents, such as the history, traditions
and value of culture. Dance as physical education helps them to
recognize similarities and differences among people. The dance moves
they learn are fundamental in develop their strength, flexibility and
balance. Their motor learning skills improve through repetition and
practice of dance movements. In addition, students get the opportunity
to work with the teacher learning geography, words in a new language,
trying on traditional costumes, hearing music and learning about history
and traditions of the country. This program is designed for middle
school grades 5-8 and high school students 9-12.
Folk/Ethnic Dance
The forms, patterns, and functions of folk
dance vary as much as the cultures. The dances can be done with or
without partners; in circles, squares, or long lines; in threesomes,
foursomes or in solo performances. As a means of expression, folk dances
include wedding dances, war dances, contest dances, courtship dances,
work dances, religious dances, and special holiday dances have been
created and danced through the ages.
Folk dancing is very social and recreational in nature. Each dancer is a
member of a larger group or experience, and dancers partner frequently
during many of the dances, promoting communication and connections
between people who might otherwise be too timid. Folk dancing helps to
develop rhythmic movements, neuromuscular coordination, balance and
poise. It is a challenge to learn new skills, and dance allows
participants, regardless of their ages, the satisfaction of both
achievement and acceptance.
This program is designed for middle school grades 5-8 and high school
students 9-12.
“Music In Action”
Students will work with instructors from the BBT/School of Russian
Ballet American dance to learn many aspects of Russian method classical
ballet. Dance education is more than teaching "steps" as dance is the
symbolic language of movement in addition to the fact that many students
learn best through movement and activity. With the focus in education
being on literacy and academics; dance education integrates dance with
core academic subjects via assignments in (i.e., dance history, music
history, nutrition, body conditioning, anatomy, improvisation, language
arts, etc.) that prompt students to write about various subject areas as
well as their own experiences to choreograph representative dances. In
taking this class students will become aware of dance actions and
performing them to gain a sense of movement, timing, rhythm, musicality
and the understanding of how to use space. Using partner work, students
will perform directed movement accurately and be able to contribute to a
final large group piece of their own composition.
This program is designed for all grades K-12.
