Juilliard is one of the world-renowned leading institutions for performing arts, based in New York.
Here at Compass, we are lucky to have a collaboration/partnership with Juilliard that involves access to planning and high-quality resources, in-person visits from Juilliard curriculum specialists Brian Drye (Music), Raphael Peacock (Drama) and Salla Saarikangas-Kramer (Dance), online training and support with the curriculum specialists, opportunities for PD for teachers. Ms. Kathleen Riley also attended a Juilliard PD in Prague in October 2023. I, along with Mr Jake Starkie, went to the Juilliard school in New York in June 2023 to develop our knowledge and skills using the Juilliard approach and resources. The trip and training were both invaluable for our experience and expertise using Juilliard. Secondary students who are talented in performing arts are invited to attend a Juilliard Summer School each year.
Juilliard Creative Classroom fosters creativity and risk taking. Students learn about aspects of music using core works. They learn creative thinking habits such as how to reflect, develop inquiry and engage with a range of music styles in different ways including movement, drawing graphic scores, creating their own music, among many others.
Drama gives the opportunity to look into words, how they are pronounced, intonation, meaning behind phrases and how they are said. Engaging and collaborating with others – eye contact, body language, conversations verbally and non-verbally.
Dance develops self-awareness in students of others in the room, of yourself, spatial awareness, emotional awareness – life skills and artistic skills. Students are introduced to all kinds of dances from all over the world through various core works. Students create their own dances based on key ideas from core works.
What can you do at home to support your child’s creative interests and talents?
Listen to music at home, move to music and sounds, go to concerts, theatres, ballets, plays. Discuss all of these experiences and how they make the student feel/imagine. Write stories based on music they hear, create sounds and music to represent different pictures, scenarios or stories.
Sara Connolly
