The Class 1 students took off their sweaters, pushed up their sleeves and tied on blue smocks. It was going to be a messy morning, but a marvelous one too, because our young artists were making dancers out of clay.
“Big city dance party, here we come!” said Lower School Art Teacher Lauren McCarty. For this movement-inspired lesson, she had placed an articulated wooden figurine at each station. “Choose a pose for your dancer that your body can do,” she instructed. “And don’t forget about her elbows and knees.”
Soon, the Art room pulsed with activity as the girls manipulated their figurines into different positions: an arm overhead, one leg pointing up, both arms wide in a “T” and more. When they were satisfied with a stance, each student drew their model on small sheets of purple paper, taking care to copy the oval head, triangular chest, long limbs and angled feet.
After writing their names on their sketches, the class moved on to the thrilling next phase. While Ms. McCarty passed out flattened circles of clay and round platforms to work on, she reminded her students to be proactive and curious. “Flex your art muscles,” she told them. “And look around the room to learn from your neighbors,” she added.
Following a full-class demonstration, the students proceeded to mark their dancer’s silhouette with a pencil and cut out her arms and legs using a special knife they were taught to safely handle. “Hold it up and down like a skyscraper,” Ms. McCarty said.
To keep the clay moist and malleable, the students soaked repurposed toothbrushes in “slip,” a liquid mixture of clay and water. “Brush your clay teeth, top and bottom,” Ms. McCarty exclaimed, causing the girls around her to chuckle. For several minutes, the students brushed with gusto until their dancers were smooth and soft.
When the sculptures started to resemble horizontal human bodies, it was time to balance them upright. Although this step proved tricky for some, Ms. McCarty encouraged those students to add more clay to their dancer’s lower extremities to provide the necessary stability. She also helped others shape heads and torsos and secure parts that may have broken off.
“Make your dancer as fabulous as she can be!” said Ms. McCarty, who consulted with each student, inspecting her work-in-progress and offering suggestions as well as praise.
For the rest of the period, the girls continued to even out the rough parts of their sculptures with their hands and brushes. Working intently, they were captivated by their elegant dancers, perhaps imagining them moving like professional performers. Those who finished early were allowed to experiment with leftover pieces of clay, which they molded into shapes and squiggles.
The feeling in the room was productive and joyful. When “clean-up time” was announced, the students gently placed their dancers on a shelf by the window to dry, washed their hands, put away their materials, wiped the tables and tossed their smocks back into a basket.
In upcoming Art lessons, Class 1’s dancers will be painted and glazed before journeying upstairs to be fired in the sixth-floor kiln.
Without question, Ms. McCarty was impressed with her students’ strong efforts and with their ongoing progress throughout the year. “You’re all growing as independent artists,” she remarked as they lined up by the door.
