Our 2022-23 Artists-in-Schools season kicked off at North Chatham Elementary with Durham-based dance company Gaspard&Dancers in an arts residency sponsored by Lily’s Golden Birthday. Founded by former Pilobolus dancer, Gaspard Louis, the G&D ensemble includes dancers from all over the country. They gathered for their fall tour this year, with big stops in Durham and Wilmington NC, the Dominican Republic, and Croatia. In the midst of all that, they paused to spend three days in the gym and multipurpose room of North Chatham with some very excited fourth- and fifth-graders.
For two days, the kids were thrilled to learn new dance choreography and play “Windows,” a dance exercise that encourages decision-making, spatial awareness, understanding of shape and dimension. Little did they know they’d see bits of that choreography again when the dancers shared their professional performance on the last day of the residency. Many of the kids ooo’d and ahhh’d when they recognized what they’d learned showing up onstage.
The kids were so enamored of dancer Garrett Parker that they chanted his name when he came onstage. During the performance, one student was overheard asking her teacher if she could stand in the back so she could see everything “because this is really awesome!” There was such a connection made between the dancers and the kids, some of them even asked for hugs from their favorite dancers after the performance.
Given the rigorous tour schedule and the lack of a dance floor, Gaspard&Dancers had been planning to do their performance as an open rehearsal, a bit of a mark-through, but the dancers felt the energy and excitement from the kids, and they turned it all the way on for them.
The dancers were laughing and smiling–and having as much fun as the kids! Principal Giles, hosting her first AIS residency with us, shared that she was thrilled with the excitement and engagement of the kids. Ms. Exley, a fifth-grade teacher who has attended every year’s Artists-in-Schools residency at North Chatham since our first one in 2015, told us she wished they could have two every year!
This residency was powered by
Arts for Resilient Kids programming is made possible by partnerships with Chatham County Schools, Chatham County, the North Carolina Arts Council, and many individual, foundation, business donors.
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