Nearly 800 elementary, middle, and high school students visit UMass Amherst to experience Latin culture, history, and dance through the Fine Arts Center’s Global Art program.

Every year, the Fine Arts Center’s Global Arts program connects classroom learning with live performance by giving K-12 students affordable access to world-class artists from around the globe.

This season began with a performance by Ballet Hispánico, the nation’s leading Hispanic/Latine dance company and the largest cultural institution of its kind.

On the morning of the show, nearly 800 elementary, middle, and high school students from public, private, and homeschool programs arrived on campus. Buzzing with excitement, they posed for group photos, chatted with friends, and even took a moment to admire ducks on the campus pond before finding their seats.

Inside the theater, Artistic Director and CEO of Ballet Hispánico Eduardo Vilaro greeted the crowd, asking, “Are you ready for a dance journey?” 

“Yes! Sí,” the crowd shouted back.

For 50 minutes, students experienced an immersive performance combining music, movement, Latin history, and dance. Vilaro also led the audience in group dances and invited students to ask questions during a Q&A session with the performers. 

Elizabeth Gittens, director of education and engagement for the Fine Arts Center, calls the Global Arts program both a window and a mirror, a way for students to see into cultures similar to or different from their own while having their lived realities reflected back to them. 

“As someone who is Latina, I’m proud to watch Ballet Hispánico perform some of the dances that I grew up with at home,” Gittens says. “It’s affirming, it’s validating, and it’s exciting, too. I would love for students to attend a performance like this and then go back to their schools, their communities, their homes, and start to see the world around them in a new light.”

Alex Sprague, who teaches elementary art and Spanish at Amherst Montessori School, says Ballet Hispánico was a great fit for her class.

“Ballet Hispánico aligned perfectly with what I teach,” says Sprague. “It was a super engaging performance with opportunities for audience participation.”

To prepare for the show, her class made use of the educator and learning guide provided by the Fine Art Center’s education and engagement department, which included materials such as an overview of what students will gain from the program; a brief history of Latin dance; and even a video with the artistic director.

“The students were thrilled to see him on stage as the host—they felt like they already knew him,” Sprague explains. 

The class also loved being part of the show’s “human orchestra” by clapping on beat and enjoyed the mini dance lessons from Vilaro.

In addition to the live show they experienced, Sprague’s class also visited the University Museum of Contemporary Art, where they explored visual storytelling. 

“Welcoming students into the Fine Arts Center and the museum means a lot because it’s a chance for them to see how other people make sense of the world,” Gittens explains. “We’re trying to get students to ask themselves: How did this experience help me reflect on who I am and the world around me? In what ways did I connect with others and myself through this experience?”

For their tour, Amherst Montessori School students were welcomed by Amanda Herman, associate director of the museum. UMass undergraduate student educators Adri Pinto-Pro and Jules Levine then led two interactive activities for the class. While one group of students used pipe cleaners to recreate their favorite parts of The Queen of the Night by Carlos Bautista Biernnay, another drew imaginative scenes inspired by Rat and Can by Tate Klacsmann.

“Students get really into activities like this when they come to the museum, and I love seeing their enthusiasm,” says Levine, a senior majoring in art history and philosophy. “It’s important to bring young people into museum spaces early, so they can familiarize themselves with art and see what it’s like to be in an art gallery. That early introduction can really help students feel welcome and like they belong.”

A sense of belonging is exactly what Gittens hopes students gain from the Global Arts program.

“I want them to feel like this space, the Fine Arts Center, the university, this campus—it’s for them, and they are welcome here,” Gittens says.

Thanks to sponsorships from PeoplesBank and gifts to the Global Arts program fund, many students are able to attend performances at little or no cost. Upcoming shows include Soweto Gospel Choir, Cirque Flip Fabrique: Blizzard, and Mystical Arts of Tibet.

“When I think about the Global Arts program, I love that the performances can introduce students to something they may not be familiar with,” Gittens says. “I hope students leave these shows feeling inspired to play, to dabble, to try things, and to know that what they make doesn’t have to be perfect. Great art comes from play, from taking chances, and from sometimes making a mess.”

Help students see the world, one performance at a time, with a gift to the Fine Arts Center’s Global Arts program fund to connect K-12 learners with live performances that inspire curiosity and creativity.