Institute for Arts Education : Dance Program at Schools Keeps Youngsters on Toes

When New York-based Glenn Lund Dance Company was performing in various venues around San Diego County last week, you couldn’t buy a ticket if you tried. That’s because all the concerts were closed to the public.

These unusual dance events were actually command performances for a very select group of fans--local schoolchildren. And more than 3,000 of them caught one of the eight special concerts crammed into five days at the Carlsbad Cultural Arts Center or in their own neighborhood schools.

One of the performances at the Carlsbad Cultural Arts Center played to students from Skyline and La Paloma elementary schools and Torrey Pines High. The concert ran the stylistic gamut--from pure mercurial movement to complex metaphor--and left its young audience with plenty to ponder.

The dances were preceded by brief explanatory remarks by Elizabeth Bergmann, executive director of the sponsoring San Diego Institute for Arts Education. Bergmann piqued the children’s interest by tuning them in to the thematic content of the pieces, and challenging them to “give 100% of your attention. The dancers are going to give you 100% of their energy.”

Judging from the tumultuous response to each of the five diverse pieces on the program, the demonstration of modern dance technique got high marks from the junior critics.

Cliff McFerran, a fourth-grader at La Paloma, thought the dancing was “real neat.” Nydia Mojica, a year ahead at the same school, was impressed with the theatrics: “I like how they acted,” she said after a pair of emotion-charged solos. Annie Weisman, a ninth-grader at Torrey Pines, praised the musicality: “It was like watching music.”

The quirky modern designs were a true awakening for Nicole Selmo, also a student at Torrey Pines, who had seen other dance concerts.

“This was more original,” Nicole said. “I’ve only seen traditional ballet.”

Beverly Grant, a speech teacher at Torrey Pines, was impressed with the way the program dove-tailed with her own teaching objectives.

“It fits in beautifully,” she said. “I try to teach all the arts, and the art of newspaper writing was (threaded through) two of the five pieces. Part of the dancing was literal, and others (featured) abstract movement.”

Still, the question remains: Why import a company all the way from New York just to dance for a group of schoolchildren?

“Why not?” Bergmann asked. “Kids never get to see professional concerts. I’m tired of kids being second-class citizens. There are plenty of major dance companies performing (in San Diego) for adult audiences.”

Exposing children to dance concerts and other types of cultural events is only part of the institute’s plan for nurturing an understanding and appreciation of the arts among schoolchildren. The project, founded and heavily funded by the Junior League of San Diego, represents a cooperative effort between artists and teachers to “turn on” children to the arts--both as participants and spectators.

“Junior League wanted to do something about arts in the schools, so they followed Lincoln Center’s model in New York,” Bergmann said. “This project requires a dedicated commitment from two or three teachers (from each school) who come and train in the arts during summer workshops. The teachers are involved on a very informed level, and they develop a partnership with the artists.

“We found out that what’s missing in arts education was the key player--the teacher. Artists come and go, and that alone doesn’t work, but it’s the teacher (students) trust.”

Dancers Laura Glenn and Gary Lund laid the groundwork for the children’s hands-on experience months ago, when the educational process began for the participating teachers. To prepare for these performances, the students were introduced to the basic choreographic concepts and encouraged to create dances of their own, dealing with the same issues of shape or space that inspired the visiting artists.

Still, the first order of business is working with the teachers. Each summer, the company spends two weeks with teachers, giving them them the tools with which to determine how dance will be integrated into their curricula.

“The teachers do know their kids,” Bergmann said. “We went into an honors geometry class at Torrey Pines High School, so they (made dances) with intercepting lines. It was fantastic.”

“The response is generally terrific,” said Taya Nelson of Fallbrook, one of the institute’s 13 teaching artists this year. “When the teachers do their job and prepare the children well, it’s beautiful.”

Bergmann said the effect of the program on kids was evident when they were taken to see Dance Theater of Harlem earlier this season. They were an informed audience, she said, appreciating the performance and knowing when to show their appreciation.

Bringing in big-league dance is only part of the institute’s formula. Bergmann has invited local troupes, including Three’s Company and San Diego Dance Theatre, and other plans are being made.