TEACHING ARTIST SESSION CATEGORIES
Need to support phonics-based classroom goals? Want to engage students through movement, music, storytelling, and interactive arts?
In this session specially tailored for grades PK-3, students will practice early CKLA sounds, letter names, and phonemic recognition through creative movement. Rhythm activities, collaboration games, and storytelling exercises are all a part of this immersive and interactive experience for young language learners. Available in English & Spanish.
Learning English as a second language and body movement come together in this session where participants go beyond everyday language acquisition. Students will increase vocabulary, strengthen English speaking and listening skills, and practice following directions through rhythm exercises, musical activities, games, and more. Bilingual reinforcement will be provided as needed, but movement and creative interactions will power the learning in a welcoming, supportive environment. Available in English & Spanish.
What if a lesson ended with a standing ovation? This Broadway musicals-inspired session blends choreography, interpretation, and drama with academic content. Students step into the spotlight by adapting lessons, concepts, songs, or movies into powerful scenes full of character, movement, and imagination. It’s a perfect entry point into physical expression, storytelling, design, and the joy of performing arts. If you need a new way of getting the point – or the facts – across, this session can do it for you. Available in English & Spanish.
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.
Zydeco is just one ingredient in our local cultural cookbook, but where did it come from? In this session, students explore how Zydeco grew out of Creole traditions, learn dance steps, and uncover how music and movement reflect Louisiana’s history, identity, and community spirit.
Just like gumbo mixes lots of flavors, Zydeco mixes lots of traditions! Students will dance while learning how music, food, and celebrations are part of everyday Louisiana life.
Louisiana culture doesn’t stop at state lines – it travels the world! Through Zydeco dance and stories of international festivals, students will see how Creole traditions are shared across borders, building connections with cultures around the globe while keeping Louisiana’s spirit front and center.
Bring the excitement of a Louisiana festival straight into the classroom! Students will experience the sights and sounds of celebrations like Festival International and Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, where dance, music, and tradition fill the streets. They’ll join the fun through Zydeco dance while discovering how festivals keep culture alive.
Jeremy Benoit “JB Saax ” takes students through a crash course of how Jazz began and the integral role the saxophone plays in its inception. This course involves a live saxophone performance demonstrating many different types of jazz techniques and also sheds light on how America’s original music genre massively shaped the country in its wake.
Jeremy Benoit, aka “JB Saax,” takes students through a journey of the professional recording artist/studio engineer. Students will be exposed to basic, intermediate, and advanced recording techniques and will even be granted the opportunity to record their own personal soundtrack. This course gives exposure to music industry standard operations and provides insight on how professional entertainers integrated these systems into their everyday lives.