Elementary School
Arts

A student’s AAS dance education experience includes contemporary, creative movement, modern, breakdance, hip-hop, folk as well learning about choreography, dance notation, dance production and improvisation.

In the lower elementary school, students learn to move in response to a variety of stimuli (for example, music/sound, text, objects, images, symbols, observed dance). They explore different ways to do basic locomotor and non-locomotor movements by changing at least one element of dance (space, time, and energy/force). Also, they improvise dance that has a beginning, middle and end; express an idea, feeling or image through improvised movement; make still and moving body shapes that show lines (for example, straight, bent and curved); change levels and vary in size; move safely in shared space and start and stop on cue during activities, group formations and creative explorations. Last but not least, students learn how to move body parts in relation to other body parts and repeat and recall movements upon request.

In the upper elementary school, students develop and refine artistic techniques, and work on presentation. They choose movements that express an idea, emotion or follow a musical phrase; adjust body-use to coordinate with a partner to safely change level, direction and pathway design and identify the main areas of performance space using stage terminology. Last but not least, students learn how to relate ideas and work with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding, by finding a relationship between movement in a dance and the culture, society or community from which the dance is derived. For example, how formations in a traditional Bulgarian “Ruchenitsa” dance represent togetherness

Music education contributes to many areas of children’s growth and can give them the joy of creating something uniquely their own, both individually and in groups.

In the lower elementary, students develop a recognition for pitch, dynamics, beats and rhythms. They experience, explore, and discover pitch and melody, dynamics, tempo and sound sources as they use their voices, bodies and instruments in games and activities.
They experience, explore and discover a variety of types, styles and genres of music, including traditional children’s songs, nursery rhymes, folk songs, partner songs, rounds, canons, classical and world music.

As well as the above, in upper elementary, students also learn to use musical skills and techniques they need to identify and explore the elements of music.

Through a strong Visual Art program, students gain opportunities to become more aware of their environment and their relationship to it; learn artistic techniques and skills; enjoy and appreciate their own art and that of others; and make interactive studies of aspects of art history. Through their experiences with the visual arts, they also develop an awareness of their own community.

In the lower elementary school, students explore and participate in creative art-making processes and learn to use a step-by-step process to create artwork. Students also begin to experience and use the elements of art and principles of design using a variety of media, genres, styles and techniques. The development of visual thinking strategies is also emphasised during the early years.

In the upper elementary school, students build on previous learning of the elements of art and principles of design to create artworks. To do this, they use a variety of media, genres, styles, and techniques. They use established guidelines to reflect upon and explain their artwork to others. They develop visual thinking strategies as they create and respond to art and make connections across disciplines, cultures, place, and time.