A glimpse of the intensively creative, wildly inventive ferment that is a core part of the curriculum at Blue School, in the Seaport District, was on display last weekend at Gibney Dance, on Chambers Street.
Picture an intensely visual reinterpretation of Dr. Seuss, infused with elements of the Who’s rock opera, “Tommy,” all rendered in pantomime, and you’ll have a sense the moving spectacle that was “Feeling Blue.”
Minutes into the production, it became clear that this was not a school play, but rather avant-garde theater that happened to feature a cast of school-aged children. This was not an adult-imposed notion of experimental theater, however: The work was created collaboratively by 14 students, who were guided by adult mentors, as well as professional dancers and musicians.
The tableaux they acted out through dance and music, “spring from the enthusiasm absurdity, and challenges of childhood today,” says director Clare Hammoor, who holds a Masters Degree in educational theater from New York University. Dressed as sprites, the young performers brought to vivid life a range of motifs that would be less than credible for older actors, such as the innocent joy of discovery and the role of spontaneous play in forming not only relationships, but entire communities. But the cast of third, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders also made deft use of the license and artifice that anthropologists refer to as “clown society,” which gives them special dispensation to invoke themes ordinarily off limits to children, such as persecution and death.
Blue School’s signature emphasis on fusing curiosity, imagination and intellectual rigor has inspired British educational philosopher and reformer Dr. Ken Robinson (who is a member of the school’s advisory board), to call it, “a place that stimulates and nurtures children’s natural creativity within the context of a rich and balanced education.” His 2015 book, “Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education,” devotes an entire chapter to the Blue School. “It’s about the ecology of how parents, students, and teachers work together,” Dr. Robinson notes. “What we’re trying to argue in the book is that these principles be applied everywhere.”
“‘Feeling Blue’ is a great example of Blue School’s belief in the intellectual capacity of children and the school’s approach of dynamically balancing creative thinking, academic mastery, as well as self and social intelligence,” says head of school Allison Gaines Pell. “For the past six months, teachers provided this ensemble the chance to probe deeply, learn various aspects of theatrical production and composition, and explore their individual identities. Of course, they learned about stage production, playwriting, character, scenes, and teamwork, but all in service of something greater. They learned about what it means to have an idea, plan through it, practice it, and share it out with their world.”
Blue School has been building its partnership with Gibney Dance since that organization launched their new location in Lower Manhattan, in 2014. Blue School’s movement and dance teacher Mariangela Lopez is a professional dancer, who has worked with Gibney and forged a collaborative partnership with the school. This year, in addition to “Feeling Blue,” Blue School has connected with dance troupes and choreographers as well. Another show is slated for the spring.