Dance Curriculum Specialist from Juilliard visits BSG

As part of the ongoing Nord Anglia – Juilliard collaboration, Donna Costello, the Dance Curriculum Specialist from Juilliard visited BSG last week to support teaching and learning. These annual visits by Curriculum Specialists in each discipline of Dance, Music and Drama are part of the partnership and support a vibrant teaching and learning community at BSG.  

On Wednesday, Donna and our dance teacher Ms.Yuki shared together by each leading, a lesson from the Juilliard Creative Classroom. Ms.Yuki led  “Expanding a Single Move” to 4A students as they began their performing arts enrichment unit. Students learned about Hip Hop and the technique of “locking" with finding ways to change and expand a set skill to find other creative possibilities. Donna led the same lesson to 4D students, again focusing on Hip Hop moves like “the lock” and “wrist rolls” and encouraging students to make the actions original by finding variations and change. Both classes ended with viewing the Street to Stage corework Unlocked choreographed by NYC choreographer Rennie Harris. 

Thursday began with Juilliard’s Dance Curriculum Specialist Donna Costello offering “Getting to Know Juilliard” a workshop for parents. During the workshop participants learned about Juilliard’s K-12 Global Performing Arts Education program and what that looks like at BSG for dance, music and drama. Parents then actively took part in a short dance lesson from the Juilliard Creative Classroom resources titled, “Possible Pathways” experiencing the program’s Key Values:  

• Success for all 
• Active and exploratory learning
• Igniting creativity
• Inquiry and reflection
• Meaningful encounters with high quality works of art

Alongside Head of Primary Cam Maunder, Donna engaged in a vibrant discussion on the Juilliard Approach to classroom teaching and the value of arts education for students at BSG. 

Later in the day Donna and Ms.Yuki had a second exchange with an observation and demonstration lesson, this time with Year 5 students.  Ms.Yuki began with 5B, introducing percussive rhythms using the lesson from Juilliard Creative Classroom “The Dancer as a Percussion Instrument.” Donna’s demonstration was the same lesson with 5D, allowing both Ms.Yuki and Donna to discuss ideas of facilitation and content when thinking about student engagement. The students created rhythm patterns using body percussion with their peers and shared their group patterns with their class.  Each class ended with viewing a solo Flamenco performance called “Farruca.”

Donna Costello’s visit also included a professional development workshop for Primary performing arts staff and meeting with primary leadership team. The visit ended with Donna attending the production rehearsal for the musical Aladdin working collaboratively with the creative team and students to add choreography ideas.