Dance and Sculpture Unite in Enloe High School Performance

The dance program at Enloe High School not only teaches techniques of ballet and modern dance but the power of critical thinking, cooperation and collaboration — skills needed for today’s workforce.

But when honor dance students perform a choreographed work based on the children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are, with a sculpture created by Raleigh artist Thomas Sayre, it will be all about the magic of imagination and inspiration.

“This was a collaborative project from the beginning,” said Glenda Mackie, Enloe dance instructor. “The students not only worked together on the choreography but also on all aspects of the sculpture. The ability to communicate, solve problems and engage with each others ideas was an important element of this creative process.”

Sayre’s piece is 10 feet tall with translucent material that serves as a landscape, sail, and shelter for the dance presentation. A nationally recognized artist Sayre sought input from the students on the height, weight and material for the sculpture.

The performance, which is open to the public, is a good photo opportunity and a chance to talk with Mackie and Sayre about the relationship between arts in education and a qualified work force.

Who: Thomas Sayre, nationally recognized artist
Glenda Mackie, Enloe Dance instructor
Honors Modern Dance Class

What: Performance of Where the Wild Things Are
Enloe High School, 128 Clarendon Crescent, Raleigh 27610
Friday, May 4 and Saturday, May 5 at 7 p.m.

To learn more about the power of arts in our schools visit www.ncarts.org and aplus-schools.ncdcr.gov/, the website for the nationally recognized A +Plus Schools Program, founded in North Carolina it’s the longest running, most successful arts-based whole-school reform effort in the United States.