Residency Work(s)

This post is from Open Dream Ensemble General Manager and Artistic Producer, Rebecca Nussbaum. Today marks the final day of Open Dream Ensemble residency work this season. At first glance it seems like an impossible mission: artists, Essential Standards, 20+ children in a classroom, arts activities. Each year we take artists, give them a week of training, a teaching artist partner, and a charge to bring the performing arts into the classroom through science standards. Artists are used to being diligent, patient, and creative. They are used to using their brains, bodies and reflexes to create and interpret art. They are generally NOT used to ingesting elementary science standards, teaching classrooms full of children, and writing out lesson plans. But year after year I have found that most artists are intrinsically good teachers. They enjoy the challenge of creating something that combines seemingly disparate fields. They enjoy getting children on their feet and bringing them into the wonderful realm when science, music, drama, dance, and imagination live. This has been a wonderful year to watch the Open Dream Ensemble artists develop in the classroom. From the opening day of teaching artist training to the tentative first moments running a class to where they currently are, 234 classes completed – capable, gifted, creative teaching artists. The returning cast has deepened their practice; the new cast has developed some impressive chops. Kudos to all of them and my thanks to each of them for being such curious, creative, and compassionate people!