Arts & Entertainment
"Arts Are Education" Program At Grant Elementary
Dance Theater Northwest's annual performance and edcuation event at returns next week, free and open to the public.
The worlds of art and education will come together next Friday when University Place's perennial dance studio brings its magic to the classroom.
And Melanie Kirk-Stauffer, Dance Theater Northwest's artistic director, says the experience leaves others, well, "awestruck."
She invites the public to join Grant Elementary School students at 2 p.m., April 15, for a free annual program called "Arts Are Education."
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The show takes place at the school, located at 1018 N. Prospect St., in Tacoma, and features pieces choreographed and staged by Kirk-Stauffer and performed by Dance Theater Northwest's resident artists, Katie Neumann and Chhay Mam, as well as some of DTN's student performers.
"The dancers and staff at Dance Theater Northwest love these 'Arts Are Education' programs," Kirk-Stauffer said. "We are committed to serving our community through the important art form of dance."
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Kirk-Stauffer, who is known internationally for her choreography and lectures, wants to make sure young people continue to have opportunities to experience the world of dance, in spite of cutbacks in arts education budgets that suffer in the current economy.
Along with dancers from Dance Theater Northwest, Kirk-Stauffer will give the children at Grant Elementary the chance to try some professional moves, guiding them through a master class/warm-up prior to the show. It will be a first for many of them.
Kirk-Stauffer's program combines education with inspiration and holds the power to change lives. A DTN press release estimated that approximately 450-500 members of the audience will "be impacted" by this event.
They will learn all kinds of things about dance, such as the history, terminology, benefits, disciplines, and even the potential dance holds as a career choice. Kirk-Stauffer believes the arts influence every aspect of life, and the "Arts Are Education" program rewards her on a personal level.
"It is a privilege to be back at Grant Elementary," she said. "Being able to use our special talents to enhance the lives of others just feels good."