Grunin Foundation Grant for Dance and Movement Program

At Lacordaire, we take pride in offering our students enriching opportunities to explore creativity through the arts. One such opportunity is a residency with teaching artist and dancer Laura Marchese, who, for the second consecutive year, is working with Lower School students to explore dance and movement as part of the Arts Lab program.

Laura’s residency at Lacordaire is made possible through a generous grant from the Grunin Foundation, facilitating the Arts Lab program in partnership with the arts organization Young Audiences NJ/EP. This initiative brings artists and educators together to provide hands-on learning experiences in the arts for students throughout New Jersey. Laura’s program at Lacordaire focuses on student-created movement, encouraging children to integrate concepts from their science curriculum into dance. For 2nd grade students, this includes themes like Earth's rotation and axis, the moon phases, and the planets. 3rd and 4th graders are working on movement that connects with their studies of the water cycle, climate, clouds (3rd grade), and weather (4th grade). This interdisciplinary approach allows students to physically embody scientific concepts, fostering both creativity and a deeper understanding of their studies.

We are thrilled to be a part of this exciting program, which allows our students to collaborate with talented teachers and artists like Laura. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our young learners to engage in creative expression, build teamwork skills, and discover new ways to communicate through movement.

At Lacordaire, we are committed to nurturing creativity in all its forms and are grateful for programs like Arts Lab that enhance our students' educational experiences.