Dressed as fairy princesses, kings and queens, farmers and more, Bellmore second-graders at Reinhard performed short plays based on the fairytales “The 12 Dancing Princesses,” “Many Moons” and “One Gift Deserves Another” (“The Turnip”) for delighted parents and peers. The plays were a culmination of workshops held by artist-in-residence Lorraine Zeller-Agostino, who taught the students nonverbal improvisational acting techniques through the study of fairytales.

“We are bringing these stories to life and have learned that there are many versions to a story by the way we transport ourselves into the characters,” Ms. Zeller-Agostino said.

In addition to reading and studying fairytales, the students learned to depict expression, emotion and choral techniques on stage. They were cast and then practiced their parts in the classroom and on stage for several weeks. In addition to learning acting techniques, the goals of the program were to provide them with opportunities to explore their creativity, learn cooperation skills, feel successful and examine the art of drama.