Importance of an Arts Education

The Importance of an Arts Education

At an early age, I was encouraged to notice particulars. Whether this is an inherited personality trait or a nurtured way of life passed down by my grandfather, a young Russian circus performer to my father and his sisters and on to my generation, is unclear. But, when I asked questions, scrutiny was encouraged. Why did ants form patterns on the sidewalk, study those color changes in the evening sky and what about that smell that is created when Ivory soap is mixed with warm water? Family gatherings were a time to display paintings or hear songs written by older cousins. At age three my father taught me to cha-cha and fox trot to popular tunes by Benny Goodman and Frank Sinatra. He built his own stereo, liked to relax by listening to classical music and opera. In his later years he became a competitive ballroom dancer. These early influences at home were part of my development. I felt encouraged and learned a unique way to see beauty in our everyday world.

In the Beginning

After WWII the suburban public school system I attended in University City Missouri, had a well-rounded arts curriculum. There were rotating specialists teaching music and the visual arts in the grade schools with permanent faculty members in our Junior Highs and High School. We had offerings in drama, jazz, marching band, choir, dance and the visual arts. For a person like me, this made going to school fun. Do I remember page 75 in algebra? Of course not! But I certainly remember Rick Kottle getting sprayed in the back of the head by a strapped on fire extinguisher, while playing a volcano in our senior dance concert. In those years, I learned to improvise and choreograph. I performed in plays, musicals and modern dance concerts. My school arts education provided the foundation that set me on my path as a professional modern dancer and Arts Education Advocate.

Currently Right Here

In an article from the Herald Tribune by Jay Handelman, the state of Florida in fiscal 2014 was ranked 41st in per-capita spending on the arts by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. According to Walton County experts, the current 2015-2016 school year has had to cut approximately $1.00 per student in spending designated for supplies. Our local outside arts organizations, like Emerald Coast Theater Company are picking up the slack. By bringing a theatrical experience into the schools, kids can see a high quality performance in an educational setting. Through the ECTC after school workshops and summer programs, kids are learning to express themselves, invent, innovate, question and take risks. Our future depends on young creative minds. The arts are an educational tool to help kids express ideas and emotions in healthy ways. Through stories, songs, pictures, theater they build confidence. Creativity, self-expression and inventiveness are attributes that need to be nurtured in children in order for them to become successful adults. The Emerald Coast Theater Company is part of the local arts community with a mission to educate and have children experience theater. Artists and art programs in our schools, teach kids to be respectful of others and to celebrate each other’s uniqueness.

You can help enhance a child’s art experience by becoming a sponsor, donating to or by becoming a member of the Emerald Coast Theater Company at: www.emeraldcoasttheatre.org