Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana is no stranger to our Artists-in-Schools program. This season, we were thrilled to bring them into three Chatham County schools to teach the art and history of the Spanish flamenco dance. Bringing over 35 years of arts education experience, the Flamenco Vivo residency is a unique and immersive experience for Chatham County kids.
Fifth graders at Perry Harrison Elementary, Pittsboro Elementary, and Virginia Cross Elementary were all treated to a flamenco performance on the first day of their residencies, complete with all four elements of flamenco – casteñeulas (castanets), cante (singing), guitarra (guitar), and zapeteado (footwork). The performers from Flamenco Vivo wove a beautiful folk tale about the origin of flamenco into their movements and song, recognizing each of the many global cultures and histories that have informed the flamenco we know today.
After the performance, the kids got to try their hands at a few movements commonly used in flamenco.
On the second and third days of the residencies, it was time for the kids to really get into the art of flamenco. All four Flamenco Vivo performers returned to the classroom to lead students in a dance workshop that included history, Spanish language, and of course, dance.
If you’re fortunate enough to be in the room, there’s a moment in every residency when you can see a child’s life change right in front of you. We got to see a young girl whose energy is off the charts, whose teacher says she has a hard time sitting still in class, absolutely thrive while leading her classmates in her own flamenco choreography. We got to see two new friends grinning like crazy, after they interviewed the flamenco dancers in both Spanish and English for their Friday schoolwide news program. We got to see children in their first assemblies in two years, raising their hands with confidence and excitement.
And sometimes you don’t see the seeds planted, even if you’re in the room. Maybe you get to hear about them later, from a teacher, like the ESL teacher who told us about her student who moved here from Latin America just two weeks before the residency. After the flamenco performance, he told her that his mom took him to flamenco every week in his old home. This very young child, in such a tender time in a new country, was so excited. It turns out, he didn’t know people would dance and be so happy in his new home, too.
How do we make it happen?
The Chatham Arts Council could not bring professional artists like Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana into Chatham County schools without the dollars to make it possible. The Perry Harrison residency was powered by The Harrison Family Trust. The Pittsboro Elementary residency was powered by the Lily McCoy Voller Stargazer Fund. The Virginia Cross residency was powered by Dorrie Casey and Archie Purcell. Our partners at Chatham County Schools, Chatham County, and the North Carolina Arts Council also help make this important work happen.
Individual gifts are absolutely critical, too. We’re working to expand the Chatham Artists-in-Schools Initiative with a goal of being in every single school in Chatham County, every single year, by 2025. Click here to be part of this artistic endeavor–and all our Arts for Resilient Kids efforts.
If you need more inspiration, here’s Siler City Elementary Principal Tania Poston speaking with WRAL about the importance of our Artists-in-Schools Initiative. Enjoy!
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