Photo by sean dean
DANCE LESSON. Students at Washington-Hoyt Elementary School displayed the dance movements they learned during an event on the playground on June 5.
Students at Washington-Hoyt Elementary School got a taste of Italian culture last week. According to Principal Karen Fynboe, a dance activity the children participated in was part of a series of academic enrichment programs that have occurred throughout the school year.
A committee got together at the beginning of the school year to plan the activities. Members include parents Justine Russo and Kristina Young, librarian Diane Burkhart-Kiss and teachers Sam Allegro and Erin O’Donnell.
Programs have included Native American storyteller Johnny Moses, a performance of “Peter and the Wolf,” an artist in residence program with Meredith Essex and author David Greenberg, who discussed a novel he wrote inspired by his father’s work with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“We tried to cover many different elements of art,” Fynboe remarked.
Justine Russo and her husband, Alfredo Russo, have two children who attend the school – son Marcello is in fourth grade while daughter Emilia is in kindergarten.
The couple is well known for the restaurant they own and operate in Proctor District, Europa Bistro.
Alfredo and his sister, Antonella Russo, grew up in Italy.
Antonella Russo was hired by the school’s Parent Teacher Association to teach dance and movement to the children for several days. She spent 15 years studying and performing dance in her homeland, where cultural activities are woven in the educational curriculum. Italian children learn movement and dance in school and put on performances, she noted.
“We discussed various ideas at the beginning of the school year,” said Justine Russo. Everyone agreed that Antonella could offer a unique experience for the children.
Antonella taught the students two dance steps she felt would be fairly easy to learn, then encouraged them during several days of practice leading up to a performance on the playground on June 5.
“I told them that everyone can do this,” she said. “They did a really good job today.”
Antonella has lived in the United States for two years. Spending time with the students gave her some practice on her English, she noted.
Commenting rules
Tacoma Weekly is happy to provide a forum for commenting and discussion. Please respect and abide by the house rules:
Keep it clean, keep it civil, keep it truthful, stay on topic, be responsible, share your knowledge, and please suggest removal of comments that violate these standards.
Read full commenting rules