400+ 5th Grade Students from Harrisonburg and Rockingham Schools experienced Fiddlin w/ Stories at the JMU Forbes Center on April 19, 2022.  Nationally acclaimed storyteller, narrator, instrumentalist, librettist and singer, Charlotte Blake Alston, shared poetry, stories, and music focused on the traditions and folklore of the African and African American traditions.  Alston along with renowned jazz violinist, composer and arranger Diane Monroe, delighted the audience through engaged singing, clapping and storytelling.  

On April 4, 5, 6 and 7th we welcomed TWO THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO K-2 students from 21 elementary schools in Rockingham County and Harrisonburg City Schools to the Harrisonburg High School Auditorium for the 14th edition of Tiny Tots.  K-2 students engaged with superheroes, princesses, and many characters before entering our auditorium for a 45 minute concert with the Harrisonburg High School Symphonic Band.  Students danced, sang, clapped to the music while also learning about all of the instruments on stage, high and low sounds, rhythm, and dynamics.  

Synetic Theater, from Arlington, Virginia, sent actors Josh Lucas (Harrisonburg High School alumnus) and Irene Hamilton (Spotswood High School alumnus) to Harrisonburg to share The Miraculous Magical Balloon.  Josh and Irene performed 6 different shows for over 1100 students sharing their show to incredible engagement, laughter, and awe!  Josh and Irene also shared their acting stories with the Harrisonburg High School Fine Arts Academy. 

Any Given Child Shenandoah Valley is proud to have partial support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Virginia Commission for the Arts to ensure equitable access of the arts for the students of Harrisonburg City Schools.  

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450 6th and 7th grade students from Thomas Harrison Middle School attended a performance with Catapult at our Premiere Performance Partner Venue, The Forbes Center at James Madison University.  An America’s Got Talent: Season 8 finalist, Catapult is the premier shadow dance company in the world.  Every cinematic scene is a kaleidoscope of colorful storytelling and shadow silhouettes, animated by dancers behind a screen. With the arc of an arm, the point of a toe or the twist of a torso, the dancers stretch their bodies by magically transforming themselves from one shape into another. Students were in awe as they watched, gasped, laughed, and were amazed to watch stories come to life through creative movement. 

​Any Given Child Shenandoah Valley is grateful for our partnership with the Forbes Center at JMU, in our 7th season, as we continue to curate opportunities for students to experience quality art in a state of the art venue. 

We are delighted to welcome Estela and Dave of The Lua Project back to Harrisonburg City Schools for a 4th and 5th grade residency over 3 weeks in Februrary. The Lua Project is a cultural arts based “Mexilachian” music project that blends original and traditional music of Mexico, Appalachia, and the Atlantic basin. Through music, LUA seeks to create, respectfully explore, educate, and build artistic bridges between cultures through performances, community programs, and cultural events.  

Any Given Child Shenandoah Valley is proud to have partial support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Virginia Commission for the Arts to ensure equitable access of the arts for the students of Harrisonburg City Schools.  

Author, illustrator, artist, and educator Laura Lee Gulledge was in residency at J. Frank Hillyard Middle School in Broadway, Virginia from December 6-10 working with EVERY 6th grade student. Students engage in creation of character and story, storytelling, collaborative decision making, creative problem solving, artistic expression, and creative writing.  Together, students and Laura Lee create a multi panel mural story to hang in the school building for future students to appreciate and enjoy.  Students also have the opportunity to make their own mini comics to take home and share their own individual story. 

Laura Lee also curated residencies with students at Skyline Middle School and Montevideo Middle School. 

Any Given Child Shenandoah Valley is proud to have partial support from the Arts Council of the Valley and the Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative Operation Roundup Grant to ensure equitable access of the arts for the students of Rockingham County Public Schools. 

The School of Theater and Dance at James Madison University, in conjunction with our Premier Performance Partner, The Forbes Center at James Madison University, welcomed 450+ third graders from Rockingham County Public Schools for an interactive informance on Friday December 10, 2021. 

JMU's Virginia Repertory Dance Company shared portions of their most recent Dancescapes show with the audience, and then taught our students about choreography, careers in the field of the arts, and even choreographed and performed a dance together from their seats in the audience!!

In collaboration with JMU Art Education faculty, students from Thomas Harrison MIddle and Skyline Middle School visited campus December 7-9 to experience Exuberance: Dialogues in African American Painting at Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Art.

Over 350 students engaged in three different educational experiences with JMU students from the School of Art, Design, and Art History learning about the history of African American abstract artists, exploring the gallery and art pieces curated for the exhibition, and even created their own abstract art in both collaborative and individual settings.  Any Given Child Shenandoah Valley as delighted to partner with Professor Bill Wightman, his colleagues, and their students to bring a unique and important learning experience to our students.  You can read more about the experience at the published article at jmu.edu.

Barefoot Puppet Theater from Richmond, Virginia performed their original show Galapagos George 6 times for over 1500 K-5 students at Keister, Bluestone, and Spotswood elementary schools November 3-5, 2021.

Based on the true story of "Lonesome George," this show tells the tale of a truly one-on-a-kind tortoise from the Galapagos Islands who grows up among sea turtles, lizards, hungry goats, sea lions, and dancing birds with blue feet. Students and teachers raved about the creativity, artistry, and originality of the show while connecting to relevant classroom content featuring animals, habitat, history, and the environment. 

Any Given Child Shenandoah Valley is proud to have partial support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Virginia Commission for the Arts to ensure equitable access of the arts for the students of Harrisonburg City Schools.