On March 3rd I had the opportunity to experience a wonderful performance in one of our Lower Elementary classrooms. The children, aged 6-9, spent time every week for the entire month of February to prepare for this performance. Their teachers, Jeny Brill and Karen Meier, provided them opportunities to practice their various roles in class while they took weekly field trips to Open Arts to design the choreography cooperatively with their dance instructor there, Mia Wirth.

Because the class had been studying Iceland, the children chose to “tell” an Icelandic folk tale through dance. The end result was a beautifully moving performance that brought pride, confidence and a new perspective to the students who brought it to life.