Midtown Sacramento organization aims to get students back into the arts

Lonnie Wong reports

EXPANDING A PROGRAM ITPIONEERED.DURING THE PANDEMIC.WELCOME TO CLARA CLASS.THE CLARA STUDIOS COREPERFORMING ARTS IN MIDTOWNSACRAMENTO IS GEARING UP TOPRODUCE MORE CLASSROOM VIDEOSIN THEATER DANCE AND MUSIC.IT'S BUILDING ON INSTRUCTIONALSERIES PRODUCED FOR SACRAMENTOCITY SCHOOLS, FILLING A NEEDAFTER LIMITED SCHOOL HOURSDURING THE PANDEMICLIKE READING WRITING AND MATH.ONE OF THE OBVIOUS PLACESWHERE EDUCATION A CUT IF YOUONLY HAVE SO MANY HOURS A DAYWAS THE ARTS.DESPITE EVIDENCE THATPERFORMING ARTS LEARNINGIMPROVES GREAT COLLEGEGRADUATION RATES AND LIFELONGLEARNING DUBBED THE CLERICCLASSROOM.

THE ONLINE LESSONSALLOW TEACHERS AT DIFFERENTGRADE LEVELS TO PRISON LESSONSWITHOUT BEING PERFORMINGARTISTS THEMSELVES.AS THEY LEARN THE DANCEMOVES OR AS THEY LEARN NEWMUSIC RHYTHMS OR NEW THEATERGAMES TO CLOSE THEIR LAPTOPSDOWN AND TO GO FIND PEOPLE TOINTERACT WITH THAT THEY CANPLAY WITH SOME SIBLINGS ORPARENTS NEIGHBORS.PERFORMING ARTISTS WHO HAVECLASSROOM EXPERIENCE WE DO USEARE ENCOURAGING.THEY'RE LETTING PEOPLE HAVEOPPORTUNITY TO MOVE AND GETAND TRY NEW THINGS AND STILLESPECIALLY THROUGH THISPANDEMIC.SO STARTING THIS OFFERINGSTHE CLARA CLASSROOM PEOPLEHAVE TAKEN FEEDBACK FROMTO HEART THEIR UPCOMINGOFFERINGS THIS FALL ARE NOWMORE CULTURALLY DIVERSE.WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDING ACOURSE IN BOLLYWOOD DANCE ANDAFRO CARIBBEAN MOVEMENT ANDALSO IN BALLET FOLKLORICO.CLAIRE CLASSROOM SAYS ITCOULD EVENTUALLY HELPUNDERFUNDED SCHOOL DISTRICTSBEAT STATE MANDATED ARTSINSTRUCTION ECONOMICALLYPREPANDEMIC ONLY ABOUT 35% OFMANDATED ACCESS TO THE ARTSAND WE CAN SOLVE INSACRAMENTO.

LONNIE WONG FOX,40 NEWS.