From the ground up

Students at Abram Lansing Elementary School are inching closer to their goal of writing, choreographing and designing a theatrical production this year.

Through grants from the Partners for Arts Education and Partners in Dance, the school and the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company secured money to bring three different artists to the school to coordinate the project, which will end with students in four grades performing their original story.

Along with the dance company, storyteller Pleasant DeSpain and percussionist Brian Mellick are working with students.

Earlier this year, the fourth-grade class wrote a story with the help of DeSpain – the tale of a Cohoes student who opens a teacher's locked desk drawer and finds a dragon.

Now, the school's third graders are working with the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company to choreograph the story. Next, third graders will work with Mellick and the school's music teacher to learn about the science of sound in order to create a soundscape for the performance. Finally, the second-grade students will develop visual aspects for the story and performance such as costumes, sets and props.

In addition to the art forms, the project will tie in and align with the New York State curriculum in social studies, English Language Arts, physical education, math, science and technology. Students will keep journals throughout the process, as well.

The year-long project will conclude in May when students will perform their finished work for the school and community.

This project is made possible with public funds provided by the New York State Council on the Arts and administered through Partners for Arts Education. This project is supported by Partners in Dance with support from the NYS DanceForce which receives funding from the New York State Council on the Arts Dance Program and Altria Group, Inc.