ArtsConnect gives students the opportunity to experience how literary storytelling is connected to the performing arts through an integrated unit developed and co-taught by teachers and artists from the Dayton Ballet, Dayton Opera, and Dayton Philharmonic.
The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance is uniquely situated to develop and implement an arts education model integrating ballet, opera, and orchestral music into Grade 4 classrooms, addressing content standards, increased accessibility, and appreciation for the performing arts.
In this six-lesson arts-integrated residence program, three teaching artists, representative of the Alliance’s three art forms, visit fourth-grade English classrooms and connect the arts to Ohio Learning Standards. Students explore concepts including plot, setting, and characters’ points of view. Watch the video below to see ArtsConnect in action and hear from the students impacted by the program.
ArtsConnect is a partnership with three area schools. This pilot program was developed through grants from The Hearst Foundations and The Dayton Foundation. Generous support is also provided by Winsupply Inc.
I liked watching them perform – it really helped me understand what was going on in the story. I also liked learning things like how the orchestra plays in a pit and that ballet dancers don’t talk when performing.
– 4th Grader, Beverly Gardens Elementary