Springboard offers children ages birth to three years, along with their teachers, parents and caregivers, the opportunity to take part in a Baby Artsplay!™ residency program in their community. The goal of a Baby Artsplay! Classroom-Based Residency is to provide...
Art Form: Dance
Our Programs
Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts
Springboard to Learning is the only Missouri affiliate of the National Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts. The Wolf Trap professional development model helps to prepare young children for a lifetime of learning by educating, modeling, and coaching...
Capoeira Angola: Movement and Music
Capoeira serves as an introduction to Afro-Brazilian Cultures. Students are also introduced to cultural concepts of Brazil, Brazilian history, and the Portuguese language. Classes are taught over a period of 8 weeks. Classes are divided into four parts: 1) Stretching...
Latin Dance Excursion
Explore the music and history associated with Latin Dance. Students learn Salsa, Bachata and other dance moves with teaching artist Carmen Guynn, and are introduced to different styles of music and musical instrumentation, opening their minds to a plethora of...
Stories with Drums
Kunama drums, sings, dances and tells stories with a vibrant energy, bringing together students of all ages. The tales, rich in African-American folklore, come to life through audience participation in music and dance from the United States, Africa, Brazil and the...
Dance as Joy
In this program, South Indian movement artist Aparna Tara shares her multicultural dance experience to encourage students to create movement practices that work best for them. Students explore styles from around the world, ranging from Indian dance, yoga, West African...
Designed to Move
Note: This program can only be delivered virtually. Designed to Move is a 3-5 day virtual professional development residency for classroom teachers led by dance educator and seasoned teaching artist Sarah Council. Program participants will acquire a variety of...
Dancing Lifecycles
Note: This program can only be delivered virtually. Dancing Lifecycles is a 3-5 day virtual STEM-focused creative dance residency that explores the lifecycles of plant life, animal life, or weather through movement and dance making. Directed by dance educator and...
Dancing Engineers
Note: This program can only be delivered virtually. Dancing Engineers is a 3-5 day virtual STEM-focused creative dance residency that explores the 6-step engineering process through movement. Drawing additional inspiration from forms such as bridges, arches, and...
Dancing Histories
Note: This program can only be delivered virtually. Dancing Histories is a 3-5 day virtual creative dance residency that studies a pivotal historical event through movement and collaborative dance making. Classroom teachers and the Teaching Artist will work together...
Dancing the Story
Note: This program can only be delivered virtually. Dancing the Story is a 3-5 day virtual creative dance residency that explores a work of literature through movement and dance making. Directed by dance educator and choreographer Sarah Council, students will consider...
Dancing the Painting
Note: This program can only be delivered virtually. Dancing the Painting is a 3-5 day virtual creative dance residency that explores and responds to a work of visual art through dance making. This residency is directed by dance educator and choreographer Sarah...
Dancing the Poem
Note: This program can only be delivered virtually. Dancing the Poem is a 3-5 day virtual creative dance and poetry writing residency that will engage students in an exploration of the poetic form through movement. Directed by dance educator and choreographer Sarah...
Move, Create and Collaborate
Note: This program can only be delivered virtually. Move, Create and Collaborate is a 3-5 day arts-integrated, virtual creative dance residency that engages students in an exploration of classroom curriculum through movement and dance-making. Working together over...
Mindful Movement
Mindful Movement introduces students to awareness of self, space and community using creative movement and dance. The program will lead students through a series of activities that will reduce stress and anxiety, enhance focus, and explore empathy and emotions in a...
Moving Through STEM
Designed especially for STEM nights, this program includes two 30-minute excerpts of this ensemble’s popular “Moving Through Math” and “Moving Through Science” performances. "Moving Through Math" targets grades K-2 and is an interactive lecture demonstration that...
Lifestyle Changes!
Under the direction of dance education professional Alicia Gbaho, students will learn that dance is an art that is vital to the development of the total individual. It contributes to physical fitness, enhancing abilities such as agility, strength, endurance, and...
Moving Through Multiplication
Designed to help students conceptually grasp the foundation of multiplication, this program is designed to support student learning of factors and multiples, and later on, fractions. It explores how patterns lay the fundamental building blocks of music, dance, and...
Learning Through Movement
A SPRINGBOARD SIGNATURE PROGRAM (Originally Developed by Andrea Peoples) Explore the music and history associated with dance in America. Students learn hip-hop, disco and other dance moves that developed in America. Students are introduced to different styles of music...
Wiley and The Hairy Man
This play, set deep within a southern swamp, centers around a young girl, her mother, her faithful dog, and the Hairy Man who haunts Wiley's days and dreams. Dance, drama and music bring to life the adventures of this plucky heroine. In an exciting duel of wits, Wiley...
Words from the Drum
Kunama drums, sings, dances and tells stories with a vibrant energy, bringing together students of all ages. The tales, rich in African-American folklore, come to life through audience participation in music and dance from the United States, Africa, Brazil and the...
Haitian Market Dance
Join award winning musician Rodney Lindor on a voyage to Haiti. Students will experience Rabordy, Djoumba and Contradance all set to the rhythms of the Haitian Drums. With an afternoon at a lively marketplace as the backdrop, students will explore the culture of Haiti...
Moving Through Science
Students learn from Sir Isaac Newton and his team of dancers how scientific principles affect human movement in this performance. As students witness The Law of Motion Dancers perform a series of leaps, turns, and lifts, they discover how scientific knowledge can be...
Stories of West Afrika
This ensemble is eager to take students on a fun-filled excursion that is bound to leave a lasting impression on their hearts and minds. Learn about the customs and art of Mali and Guinea in West Africa through engaging drumming, song, and dance. Students will earn...
Africa to America
Beyond Measure Dance Theater delivers a dynamic performance involving the history, culture, language and creation of three dance styles: West African, Jazz Swing and Hip Hop. Through the use of song, dance and poetry written by the creator, Alicia “Sunshine” Gbaho,...
Moving With Character: Building a Classroom Community
Moving with Character engages students in Creative Dance and Movement activities that address social emotional learning. Using the concepts of body, space, and energy, students will explore ways they inhabit their bodies, and navigate and express feelings. The...
Dance to the Drum, Drum to the Dance
Join Kunama Mtendaji on an exciting journey exploring the rhythmic textures of African percussion through music and dance. This program will focus on either the folklore of the United States, or areas in West Africa, Haiti, and Cuba, and will emphasize the languages,...
Moving Through Math
This interactive lecture-demonstration is a fun and lively program using music and dance to bring elementary math and geometry to life. The performance catalyzes children’s capacity to grasp mathematical concepts by simultaneously stimulating visual, auditory and...
West African Dance
Students explore dances from West Africa dance and the music, culture, and history associated with it. They acquire new vocabularies which they put to use as they perform and choreograph dances such as the Diansa and Mendianie. The program may culminate in...
Hip Hop Dance
Students explore Hip hop dance and the music and history associated with it. New vocabularies are acquired and put to use as students learn basic break dance steps and recognize routines from everyday life that inspire dances. The program culminates with...
All That Jazz!
With dancer/choreographer Alicia Gbaho, students explore Jazz Swing dance and the music and history associated with it. Vocabularies increase and confidence is strengthened as students learn partner dances such as the Lindy Hop, Charleston, and Jitterbug. The...
All That Dance!
What do Jazz, Modern, West African and Hip Hop dance have in common? Your students will make the connection after spending three weeks exploring each dance style and learning about their history and music. An optional end of the semester school performance can...
Creative Movement Exploration
Creative Movement Exploration introduces students to creative concepts of dance, body-spatial awareness and expression through performance. Students will explore movement to music, while joyfully focusing their energy and stimulating their imagination. The program...
Gathering the Village: West African Song
DeBorah Ahmed of Rhythms in Anoa will introduce your students to West African culture in this exciting and fun-filled workshop. Students will learn about the traditions of the Manding cultures of West Africa through rhythms, songs, choreography, and discussions of the...
On Your Toes: Exploring Story Through Ballet
This program introduces students to the art of classical ballet. In the first half of the residency, they focus on the discipline and technique of ballet, learning proper posture and numerous ballet steps, the French words for the steps and their meaning in English....