Who: Charles Helmers Elementary of Saugus Union School District
What: Short-term Student Workshop Series
Staff: Darlene Munnings

There is a special treat in store at the Charles Helmers Elementary Open House on April 6, for the parents and families of students in Rooms 12, 22 and 41. This annual event is normally an opportunity for kids to display what they did in class during the year. But as a result of a series of dance workshops with Music Center teaching artist Robert Gilliam, and a suggestion by fifth grade teacher Charity Clyde, the evening promises to be more memorable than usual.

Charles Helmers Elementary, located in Valencia, is in the Saugus Union School District. With strong support from their administration and teaching staff, and remarkable financial and coordinating assistance from parents, almost 1,000 students in grades K-6 participate annually in an arts education partnership with the Music Center. Since the fall of 2002, students have participated in a series of workshops with Music Center teaching artists. While grades 4-6 have long-term residencies in music and students in grade 3 focus on dance, grades K-2 vary their workshop series each year. Students also experience examples of artistic excellence through assembly performances throughout the year.

In addition to these programs, Helmers applied for and was selected to participate in an unique opportunity with the Music Center, sponsored in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. As one of many elements in a year-long capacity-building project, 3 classrooms experienced a 7 week workshop series with dance artist Robert Gilliam. Linda Candib, 4th grade teacher, explained that she and fellow teachers Carolee Doing (grade 6) and Charity Clyde (grade 5) were impressed with their students' progress in workshops with Robert, who specializes in hip hop. After first learning basic elements of dance, the students worked in teams of 5 to create their own dances based on steps taught by Robert.

While it took a bit of time for the normally shy younger girls to overcome their self-consciousness, in the end, "working cooperatively, students created something meaningful from what they learned," said Linda Candib. For Open House, Charity Clyde's suggestion that the students perform an actual dance for their guests, was met with enthusiasm by the principal and the PTA. Artist Robert augmented the experience by having the students create life-size banners of themselves "performing" an established dance position. First lying on the floor on a large piece of fabric, a student struck a favorite pose while a classmate outlined their body, thus capturing the motion in silhouette.

The student embellished the portraits with their own thoughts about dance, with the 6th graders writing original poetry to attach to the banners, and grades 4-5 completing the phrase, "The important thing about dance is..." These colorful banners will greet family and friends as they hang outside the classrooms on the evening of Open House, creating a sea of "dancing bodies." And when the guests move to the multipurpose room, they will watch the youngsters perform their hip hop dances with a backdrop of these self-made, life-sized silhouettes.

When asked what she might like to share with others about this program, teacher Linda Candib offered that it was a "marvelous experience for students to learn and to express themselves. I use the arts in most all of my classes. It brings out a side of a kid you might never have seen before."

For more information about bringing student workshops to your campus, call (213) 250-ARTS or email us at schoolprograms@musiccenter.org. Read more about the NEA Arts Capacity Team Schools Project

Written by Marlene Leuenhagen, Associate Director, School Programs