Activities

Education

The audiences of the future are in our schools. And Knox Concert Series volunteers have, for over twenty years, created opportunities for young people to see classical productions and to be prepared to see them by extensive outreach in the classroom. Classical genre used to implement the learning opportunities has been opera, ballet and symphonies.

Outreach projects - Season 08-09

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™
performed by the Alabama Ballet

Sunday, December 7 at 2:00 p.m.
One of six companies in the world licensed to perform Balanchine's holiday masterpiece, Alabama Ballet presents Knox Concert Series 26th annual performance of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™.

Monday, December 8 – 10:30 a.m.
Special free performance for over 900 area third grade students from nine schools.

Sponsored by: AlaGasCo – Regional Medical Center – Westinghouse-Anniston
Outreach Projects Sponsored by: Honda Manufacturing of Alabama and the Calhoun County Achievement Foundation

In The Classroom

A study guide on ballet in general and the Nutcracker in particular will be provided to third grade teachers, along with a C.D. of the music from the ballet and a Nutcracker storybook based on the German fairy tale.

Knox Concert Series volunteers will visit the classrooms in November to discuss the story of the ballet and to elicit response from the children. A dance teacher and dance students will perform a brief excerpt from the ballet and the children will be invited to “perform” alongside them.

After they attend the ballet, they will be asked to write a “thank you” articulating something they particularly remembered and/or enjoyed about the ballet and/or the entire concert going experience.

Library Readings

A volunteer will read the story of the Nutcracker in all Calhoun County libraries. A dance teacher and dance students will perform a brief excerpt from one of the dance pieces. Refreshments with a Nutcracker theme will be served. This is an opportunity for groups such as the Boys and Girls Club to attend and is also seen as a family occasion.

Local Cast

Historically as many as fifty local children have had the opportunity to dance small roles in the annual Nutcracker production. This new production will feature at least one dance for local cast. Auditions will be announced.