Educational Outreach
Company Residency Program at High School
For a second year in a row CrossCurrents Dance Company was at Montgomery County’s James Hubert (Eubie) Blake High School during March 2000, as that school’s modern dance company-in-residence. Blake HS, a new school in the north-east quadrant of Montgomery Co., Maryland, is the county’s only arts-oriented high school and has made CrossCurrents a true partner in its arts-focused mission.
“The dance instructors at Eubie Blake,” said CCDC Artistic Director Helen Hayes, “were kind enough to let us take over their classes for two weeks, so that we could teach the students the basics of modern dance, and, we hope, push them beyond those basics.”
On the morning of March 17th, the company kicked off its residency with an informal concert at the school, and then Helen, Debby Kanter, and company member Donna Iriarte began to teach the almost fifty classes that occurred during those two weeks at Blake.
Donna and Helen worked the day shift, while Debby came to the school for a newly initiated after-school program. “It was for students,” said Debby, “that might not be in the regular classes or simply wanted more instruction.”
In addition to these classes, the company held an open rehearsal at Blake on Saturday, March 25th, from 4:00-6:00 p.m., a chance for Blake students and guests to watch what happens behind the scenes with a modern dance troupe.
“We were very excited to be at Blake again, continuing to develop this important partnership,” added Hayes. “That was the second year of a long-term relationship with this arts-oriented high school.”
“One of CrossCurrents’ goals as an arts organization is to target the teenage population particularly here in Montgomery County,” said Debby. “Blake is a great place to do that work, to give these young people both exposure to and appreciation for modern dance.”