School Programs

The joy of movement and imagination are inspired through a playful and guided approach to improvisation, shape, rhythm, balance, flow, and locomotor skills. Lively music, stories, and imagery are key elements of this class. Connections to real-world experiences are made to meet children where they are and build self-esteem in an inclusive group environment.

This program, for third graders studying multiplication, integrates music instruction into STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. Drumming creates a direct connection between rhythm and math; through drumming, children literally feel the concept of math. Rhythms begin simply and grow more complex, demonstrating a connection to numbers. The program helps youth with memory, understanding, and repetition.

Students will experience stories through dance and percussion, and through the use of multicultural folkloric resources.  As students dance and drum traditional stories, they take part in a rich cultural experience that promotes knowledge and understanding of cultures different from their own.

This introduction to breaking offers students the basic foundational steps and techniques for breakdancing. Classes include exercises and fun games that help develop strength, stamina, musicality, and group spirit. The history and current cultural significance of this art form are embedded throughout the learning experience.

Students are introduced to elementary dance techniques while learning to loosen, strengthen, and explore their body’s movement vocabulary. With joyful and dynamic exercises and improvisational techniques, basic principles of rhythm, movement coordination, musicality, and alignment are acquired, laying an inspiring foundation for further study in all dance forms, sports, and life. Improvisation and dance-making exercises will offer students basic building blocks for expressing their own movement vocabulary and building collaborative skills through the crafting of dances into solo and group movement phrases.

With deep respect for the journey of the child whose perceptions and abilities are undeveloped and getting in their way, we offer group classes that develop skills in communication, behavioral skills management, and social/emotional interactions. This work supports the development of muscle strength, trunk stability, balance, breath, and impulse control. Classes will explore body parts, spatial relationships, and basic dance elements relating to time, rhythm, flow, and breath.

In partnership with NYC-based step company, Soul Steps Inc., we plan to bring them to the Berkshires for a residency once a year. Students will learn about the history and significance of steps, learn the fundamentals of stepping, and be empowered to use their voices and make loud and strong rhythms together.

Moving Life Stories (MLS) is a creative-based workshop where students are offered an opportunity to share their ancestry, family stories, personal journeys, and life experiences through movement and words in a safe space. When memories, ideas, and experiences are investigated through movement and turned into art, transformation occurs, creating an increased understanding of self, community, and respect for others and their differences.