School ’n’ rock
Malta Avenue Elementary School students learn rock ’n’ roll revolution
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. >> Local students learned about the rock ‘n’ roll revolution earlier this week during a special program with Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
For five weeks, the entire fifth grade at Malta Avenue Elementary School participated in lessons with highly-trained SPAC artists along with Alicia Albright from the Broadway musical Frozen, leading up to a recital on Monday titled Rock ‘n’ Roll Revolution.
This brand new program is part of a public school dance residency in the Ballston Spa Central School District by SPAC, as part of its deepening commitment to youth arts education.
The 75 fifth grade students debuted Rock ‘n’ Roll Revolution at during a show for other students and staff on Monday afternoon, followed by an evening recital for family and friends. The performance explores the evolution of Rock ’n’ Roll from the 1950s through the 1980s, featured music recorded by Elvis, The Beatles, Tina Turner, Journey and more.
As part of the program, the SPAC teaching artists also collaborated with the school’s music and art departments, allowing students to create drawings based on iconic Rock ‘n’ Roll images. Selected designs were incorporated into the students’ performance shirts.
Principal Sharon D’Agostino was excited to have the SPAC representatives back for another program. “Malta Avenue is super lucky because this is the third time we’ve been able to have them come to our school,” she said to the audience before Monday’s afternoon performance. “They started this program with us … and it’s become a wonderful program for not only our school but lots of other schools.”