Black Box Dance Theatre Brings Science to Life at Siler City Elementary
What happens when force and motion leave the science book and land—quite literally—on the dance floor? For three colorful, high-energy days, September 21–23, the fifth graders at Siler City Elementary found out.
Black Box Dance Theatre brought its signature mix of movement, storytelling, creativity, and curriculum to Siler City Elementary for an Artists-in-Schools residency that had students stretching their bodies, their brains—and maybe even their ideas about what learning science can look like.
The week kicked off with students in grades 3–5 gathered for a performance by the professional dance company. It was colorful. It was active. It was science. It was art. And it didn’t take long for the students to pick their favorites.
Alfredo was an instant hit. But Austin, one of the company’s newest dancers, was right on his heels. By Day Two, students were asking for autographs. Yes. Autographs.
But this residency wasn’t about sitting back and watching the professionals. On Days Two and Three, fifth graders became the dancers, choreographers, collaborators—and scientists.
Warm-ups started with student names and student-created movements. From there, students worked together to create choreography using their bodies to make shapes. Push. Pull. Balance. Force. Motion. Suddenly, vocabulary from science class had arms, legs, rhythm, and a beat.
Students also learned the BrainDance, a movement sequence grounded in developmental movement patterns and designed to get both bodies and brains ready for learning. One teacher was already making plans: she said she wanted to use it with her students before tests. “They are just so focused. I have never seen them this locked in!”
And then came the flying. As students explored force, motion, and the laws of physics through dance, one student was lifted into the air. His review? “I felt like I was flying!”
By the end of Day Three, we asked students to tell us what the experience meant to them—but there was a catch. They could use just one word and one movement.
They jumped for joy. They clapped. They stretched their arms wide. They made giant hugging motions. And the words came tumbling out:
Joy. Creative. Exciting. Active. Alive. Favorite. One student couldn’t help himself and said, “I just want you to come back everyday!” The rest of the students agreed in cheer.
And that’s the magic of an Artists-in-Schools residency.
Sometimes force and motion are words on a page, and sometimes, for three days in September, they look a whole lot like fifth graders dancing, creating, laughing—and discovering that learning can make you feel like you’re flying.
Big Thank You to Our Sponsor!
Without the financial support of our sponsor, Amador Foundation, we wouldn’t be able to bring professional artists to schools in Chatham County. We are incredibly thankful for their gift!
If you or your company would like to support Artists-in-Schools with a financial contribution, please reach out to David O’Dell, our Director of Community Giving. We would love to partner with you!
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