First graders at Bedford Road School recently immersed themselves in the world of hip hop, learning how to top rock, cross step, and execute fancy footwork as part of a presentation conducted by Young Audiences Arts for Learning New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania (YANJEP), an arts organization that provides artist-led workshops to local schools. This event offered students a deep dive into the history and culture of hip hop, which originated in the 1970s in the Bronx, NY.

Throughout the performance, the students pointed out differences between their parents’ music and dance styles and their own. They described their music as “faster with a lot of energy,” a sentiment echoed by one performer who explained that the energetic pace of hip hop is partly because it was created by children aged 10-12.

The educational experience traced hip hop's roots back to a blend of diverse genres, including Latino and Native American music. A lesson for the students was the importance of personalizing their dance movements, a core principle of hip hop culture. Some students took to the stage to practice the moves, learning basic steps like the top rock and cross step, as well as more intricate 3- and 6-step footwork patterns.

Highlighting hip hop's significant influence on global dance, the students learned that it will be featured as a global sport in this year’s upcoming Olympics. 

As part of their studies in Shana Guidice’s Modified English class, ninth-grade students dove into the timeless tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. They focused on the rich array of literary devices in Shakespeare's text, such as characterization, conflict, and figurative language.

Students selected a passage from the play, analyzed it, and then had the opportunity to perform their chosen selection. Using selected props, they brought their scenes to life and recorded their performances along with their analyses in the high school’s video studio. These presentations will be edited and compiled into a final video by retiring Library Media Specialist Joanne Wallace.

To celebrate their hard work, a viewing party will be held, complete with popcorn.

English teacher Gaffney Murray shared, “We love to engage our students actively with Shakespeare, creating lessons where we can infuse technology, discussions, and activities.”

Guidice added, "Shakespeare's works are meant to come alive! This assignment enables these students to breathe life into the text while also demonstrating the analytical skills they have acquired this year."

The gallery was adorned with a diverse array of artistic projects, including:

• Colorful name paintings
• Monochromatic value scales
• Monet Reflections
• Line Life Process wire portraiture
• Name mandalas
• Detailed pencil renderings of shipping container homes in 1- and 2-point perspectives

Throughout the exhibit, family members attending the opening night reception could observe the improvement in technique among many student artists. Under the guidance of PMS art teacher Emily Weiss, the students demonstrated proficiency in a wide variety of artistic styles.

Of the art show she curated, Weiss said, "I intentionally avoid displaying grade level projects next to each other, preferring instead to put one grade's project next to another’s. This helps viewers see the ways that students develop and build their skills over the course of their middle school art experience.”

Weiss went on to describe the progression from one grade level to the next, adding, “The jump between fifth grade skill to eighth grade may seem dramatic, but when you take in the whole show, you can clearly see the development of skill, knowledge of the elements and principles of art, and the personalities and self expression of our middle schoolers. I could not be more proud of our middle school artists!"

Congratulations to all the young artists for their hard work and stunning contributions to this year's show!