TEACHING ARTIST SESSION CATEGORIES
If your classroom scientists need a new way to approach a project or review content, consider adding the magic of music and movement. Scientific investigations take on new form in this imaginative and interactive session. Storytelling, rhythm games, and dance meet the scientific method in an experience that makes the lesson stick. Available in English & Spanish.
Step off the map and into motion! In this high-energy, immersive arts session, students take a kinetic journey around the globe—exploring diverse cultures, languages, and traditions through the universal power of dance, music, rhythm, and storytelling. Rather than just studying a map or memorizing vocabulary, in this session students embody the concepts. They will move through global dance forms, practice world language phrases through rhythmic call-and-response, analyze how geography shapes cultural expression, and collaborate on original movement pieces that honor global traditions. With a dash of folklore, history, and prop work added to the mix, this session is rich in options and opportunities. Prepare for a lesson with cross-curricular connections between Social Studies, World Languages, Geography, and Global Studies standards that also fosters empathy, cultural awareness, and creative collaboration. This session can be tailored to align with specific world regions, language immersion units, or school-wide multicultural celebrations, so please check in with the artist if you would like to customize.
Ours can be an anxious world, and taking tests has never been fun. Knowing calming techniques can make that all better! Support students through high-stakes seasons with movement-based tools to release tension and reset the nervous system. Activities in this creative movement session promote regulation, focus, and emotional awareness during testing time.
Across the globe, dance is not only an art form, but a way to communicate. In this session, classes celebrate global cultures through music and movement inspired by Lafayette’s Festival International. Students can explore rhythms and dances from around the world by learning simple choreography based on current artists featured at the festival. Keep calm and dance on!
Movement practices meet educational foundations in this workshop. Students practice body awareness while learning letters and numbers through a kinesthetic lens. Students will form and recognize letters and numbers using full-body movement. What a way to learn!
Time for a Mardi Gras parade in your classroom! Students in this session explore the history and traditions of Louisiana’s Mardi Gras through creative movement. Using rhythm, locomotor movement, and group choreography, they will discover how parades bring communities together. All the while, students are also building coordination, collaboration, and confidence. Connect movement with Louisiana culture in an engaging, hands-on way! (Note: Activities in this session are adapted for each grade level.)
Get to your desk and sit still? Not in this session! Students will use movement strategies to build focus, manage transitions, and support classroom routines. By practicing structured movement tools, students will improve attention and self-regulation. It’s a social and physical win-win!
In this session, the ocean is both an inspiration and a metaphor. Add creative movement to the mix, and students will have a powerful tool for emotional regulation! Your students will be guided in a dive deep to find their sense of calm.
And the trees were WHAT? Yes, they were TALKING! Trees communicate their needs and send reinforcements to loved ones through a special web of communication. Students explore and learn more about the “mycelium network” and the relationships trees have. After learning, classes will use a story and movement to explore their ideas. Finally, students will express their findings through teamwork and performance.
In this innovative session, the elements of Hip-Hop culture are used to address the different types of bullying present in the lives of today’s youth. The overall theme is “Bullying Ends After Talking,” which allows students to express their personal experiences, concerns, and maybe even share some advice for their fellow peers while they are guided and entertained along the way. The entertainment elements of DJing, MCing, and Breakdancing are performed live for the audience throughout the show. This is a social and emotional journey, and a musical one as well!