Single Session

Exploring Space Harmony: Integrating Math and Dance through Icosahedrons (2-5)

by Mandy McGee | Creative Movement/Dance, Elementary School, Iberia Parish, Lafayette Parish, Math, Michael Crotty, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, Vermilion Parish

Let’s bring geometry to life through movement! In this hands-on, minds-on class, students will explore the powerful intersection of mathematics and dance using toothpicks, gumdrops, and their own bodies. Inspired by Rudolf Laban’s concept of Space Harmony, learners will build their own icosahedrons—one of the five Platonic solids—and use it to discover spatial direction, symmetry, and dynamic movement. This class is perfect for integrating STEM, dance, and art; the lesson supports multiple intelligences, encourages teamwork, and deepens spatial awareness—all while having fun! No prior dance or math specialization needed—just curiosity and creativity.

Character in Motion: Bringing Stories to Life Through Movement (K-8)

by Mandy McGee | Creative Movement/Dance, Elementary School, Iberia Parish, Lafayette Parish, Literary Arts, Michael Crotty, Middle School, Single Session, Social Emotional Learning, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, Theatre, Vermilion Parish

Unlock your students’ imaginations by merging creative writing and expressive movement in this dynamic, cross-disciplinary class. Using Rudolf Laban’s Effort Qualities as a springboard, students will explore how characters feel, move, and act—then bring them to life on the page and in their bodies. Students will experiment with eight distinct movement energies (e.g., strong vs. light, direct vs. indirect), then use those physical sensations to develop original characters. Through guided writing activities, they’ll create stories, monologues, or sketches that reflect their characters’ unique ways of moving and thinking. Along the way, they’ll build empathy, deepen their understanding of emotional expression, and connect movement to storytelling and social-emotional learning. This lesson is perfect for integrating dance, drama, and literacy; look forward to a class that supports kinesthetic learners, inspires creativity, and encourages a deeper connection between body, mind, and story.

Command the Room – Movement tools for Public Speaking (7-12)

by Mandy McGee | Creative Movement/Dance, Elementary School, High School, Iberia Parish, Lafayette Parish, Michael Crotty, Middle School, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, Theatre, Vermilion Parish

Help students develop dynamic, authentic presence by exploring Laban’s Effort Qualities—a system for understanding how movement expresses intention, emotion, and energy. In this interactive session, students will identify how body language, gesture, and physical effort impact communication. Then, students will apply those insights to improve their own public speaking. Through movement exploration, speaker analysis, and short performance practice, students will build greater confidence, self-awareness, and expressive control—essential skills for any speaking, debate, or performance context.

Clave & Grooove: A Fusion of Rhythm and Dance (1-8)

by Mandy McGee | Art History, Creative Movement/Dance, Elementary School, Heritage Months/Celebrations, Iberia Parish, Middle School, Mini-Presentation, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, Terrance Morgan, Vermilion Parish

Ready, Clave, Go! Discover the rhythmic heartbeat of Latin and Afro-Cuban music in this high-energy, interactive session. Students will learn the foundational clave rhythm (traditionally counted as 1-2-3-12) using authentic wooden percussion sticks. This session bridges the gap between live percussion and modern street dance, demonstrating how this ancestral pulse heavily influences house dance and hip-hop foundations.

The Rhythm of Self-Love (5-12)

by Mandy McGee | Alex PoeticSoul Johnson, Elementary School, High School, Iberia Parish, Lafayette Parish, Literary Arts, Middle School, Single Session, Social Emotional Learning, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, Vermilion Parish

We have all heard the term “self-love.” But have we ever explored what it really means? Or used a poetic structure to commit it to paper? This session offers an opportunity for both! Students will engage in a guided discussion on what self-love means and why it is important. Then, they will complete a writing exercise focused on using couplets to create self-motivation poems. It’s self-care meets rhyme meets SEL fusion! This artist is only available on Fridays, so chat with them about availability after booking.

Color Collage: Letter to Nature (1-8)

by Mandy McGee | Elementary School, Iberia Parish, Literary Arts, Margaret Simon, Middle School, Single Session, Vermilion Parish, Visual Art

Yes, you have a favorite color. So let’s do a deep dive into it! We will start with the book Dear Acorn, (Love, Oak) by Joyce Sidman and illustrated in collage art by Melissa Sweet. Then, students will channel that author and illustrator by creating a color collage that incorporates metaphors and writing a letter poem to a bit of the natural world. Let’s celebrate sky, rain, sun, and acorn!

Dancing with a Paintbrush (2-6)

by Mandy McGee | Elementary School, Iberia Parish, Literary Arts, Margaret Simon, Middle School, Single Session, St. Martin Parish, Vermilion Parish, Visual Art

It’s a multi-faceted artistic fusion! Students will listen to a variety of music and feel the mood by “dancing with a paintbrush.” But don’t stop there – each image will become inspiration for writing as well. Students will refine their word choice, incorporate metaphor, and make a masterpiece.

Exploring Erasure Poetry (5-12)

by Mandy McGee | Alex PoeticSoul Johnson, Elementary School, High School, Iberia Parish, Lafayette Parish, Literary Arts, Middle School, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish

There is a reason erasure poetry is also called “blackout poetry.” Erasure poetry is not about starting from a blank page, but about taking a page or poem that is already created and blacking things out. What does not get erased becomes the new poem. It’s conceptual, it’s creative, and it leaves a visual statement. Students in this workshop will learn about erasure poetry through analyzing examples. Then, they will create their own erasure poem…and visual art in the process.

Free Your Mind (4-12)

by Mandy McGee | Alex PoeticSoul Johnson, Elementary School, High School, Iberia Parish, Lafayette Parish, Literary Arts, Middle School, Single Session, Social Emotional Learning, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, Vermilion Parish

Spontaneous, unscripted, and supportive – those 3 words describe a freestyle poetry circle. In this session, students participate in such a circle and have a both literary and an SEL experience. Workshop goals: encourage students to control their thoughts, think strategically and accept themselves. Poetic inspiration included? Absolutely!

Music, Imagination, and Storytelling (PK-12)

by Mandy McGee | Adaptable for Special Education, Andrea Kapell Loewy, Elementary School, High School, Iberia Parish, Lafayette Parish, Middle School, Music, Single Session, Social Emotional Learning, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, Vermilion Parish

What does the imagination sound like? Classes can explore that in this multi-sensory, cross-curricular workshop. Students will learn how the sounds of the flute can be used to evoke stories with various moods and feelings. Andrea will perform several pieces from many different eras and cultures (including the French impressionism/embedded-story style as well as the Bossa Nova dance style of Brazil). Students will engage in a meaningful discussion and be supported in describing how the imagination creates stories and expressing the feelings evoked by the pieces. This richly-textured activity incorporates music, social-emotional learning, spoken word/aural stories, and language arts.

ADDITIONAL ARTS IN EDUCATION RESOURCES