School Programs

The intentions of Berkshire Pulse’s School programming are to reach a broad audience of students and to enhance and enrich the school experience during the school day and after. Local grants, as well as grants from the school districts, continue to fund these programs, as they continue to prioritize the arts as an indispensable experience for students of all ages. The arts are essential because humans are inherently creative and must be given opportunities to develop self-expression. The arts provide opportunities for teamwork, individual and community learning, confidence building, multicultural awareness, social and emotional growth, as well as support for all areas of academic development. By exploring the arts, students begin to walk a path of self-reflection and self-awareness, which equips them to become contributing members of an ever-changing society.   

Programs

Creative Dance for pre-K for 3rd grade

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.

Math and Drumming for 3rd and 4th grade

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.

Storytelling through Rhythm and Dance for 3rd – 5th grade

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.

Funk Box Breaking for 3rd – 5th grade

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.

Intro to Dance and Dance Making for 4th and 5th grade

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.

Dance for the Special Child for Elementary Students

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.

Soul Steps Residency for High Schoolers

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 for High Schoolers

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.

School Partners

*2023-24 School Year Partners

Pittsfield Public Schools:

*Adult Learning Center

*Capeless Elementary School

Crosby Elementary School

*Eagle Academy

Egremont Elementary School

*Morningside Elementary School

*Pittsfield High School

Reid Middle School

*Stearns Elementary School

*Taconic High School

Williams Elementary School

Southern Berkshire Regional School District:

*Mount Everett High School

*New Marlborough Elementary School

*Undermountain Elementary School

Other Berkshire County Schools by Town:

*Bard College at Simon’s Rock (Great Barrington)

Berkshire County Head Start (North Adams)

Child Care of the Berkshires (North Adams)

*Drury High School (North Adams)

*Farmington River Elementary School (Otis)

*Morris Elementary School (Lenox)

*Muddy Brook Elementary(Great Barrington)

*Nessacus Regional Middle School (Dalton)

*Richmond Consolidated School (Richmond)

To learn more and set up a program for your school, contact us.


Our In-School Programs have received generous funding from:

  • Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation: Eagle Fund, Janet’s Fund, Central Berkshire Fund, Arts Build Rapid Response, Community Innovation, and Arts Build Community Grants
  • Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Arts Build Rapid Response, Community Innovation, and Arts Build Community Grants
  • Coolidge Hill Foundation
  • The Cultural Investment Portfolio of the Massachusetts Cultural Council
  • Educational Enrichment Funds from Lee, Lenox, Pittsfield, Williamstown, and Seven Towns
  • Drury High School
  • Pittsfield Public Schools
  • Universal Participation Designation

as well as from the following Local Cultural Councils, which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency (www.massculturalcouncil.org): 

Alford-Egremont, Becket, Dalton, Great Barrington, Hillsdale-Peru, Lenox, Monterey, Mount Washington, New Marlborough, Northern Berkshire, Sheffield, West Stockbridge, and Windsor Local Cultural Councils.

Berkshire Pulse