BBT/SCHOOL OF RUSSIAN AMERICAN BALLET ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAM:
FAIRY TALES IN MOTION

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.”

“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.

Download a printable version of the Arts in Education brochure.

Presentation

Program

Peter and the Wolf Project

Peter and the Wolf Listening Map

For the Kids

BBT Summer Program

Ballet Glossary

Casa Report

Parental Consent Form

Audition Notice

Program

Performance Slide

Nutcracker Program

Nutcracker Press Release

Nutcracker Lighting Cues

Reference Letter

Chair Pilates

Dancing Together