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Gillette first-graders showcase world dances in residency presentation
Summary
First-grade classes presented dances and cultural lessons from Peru, Italy, the Philippines, Ireland and Puerto Rico as part of a world-dance residency; teachers and the PTO were credited for enabling the program and families attended the school performance.
First graders from Gillette School performed dances and spoke about the countries they represented during a school presentation at the Long Hill Township School District board meeting.
The presentations, introduced by teacher Miss Bakker, ran by class and included Peruvian Huayno steps with kundunga cords, an Italian tarantella performed with tambourines, a Filipino folk dance tied to agrarian traditions, a Celtic ring/jig blend from Ireland and La Plena from Puerto Rico. Students described cultural elements they had researched — for example, one student said, “My favorite part about the dance residency was performing in front of all of the people,” and another noted the Philippines has “over 7,000 islands.”
The residency emphasizes cross-cultural learning through music, movement, geography and language and culminated in in-school performances for families. Board members and attendees praised students’ public-speaking skills and thanked teachers, the PTO and Morris Arts for supporting the program.
The presentations lasted through the start of the board meeting and were followed by a brief question-and-answer period with board members. The program is part of regular classroom enrichment at Gillette and Millington schools and was presented to the board as an example of student engagement and curriculum-connected enrichment.
