Current Events

The following education performances are a product of the Hylton Performing Arts Center’s relationship with Prince William County Public Schools, Manassas City Public Schools, and Manassas Park City Schools. 

Each year, the Hylton Center works together with local school systems to design custom arts experiences for students.  Below are some of this season's opportunities. For more information and registration details email Hylton@gmu.edu

Virtual Field Trips

Hip Hop Body Rock with Paige Hernandez – Video Series – Fall 2023

Theatre and dance collide in experiences craftedby world-renowned educator and performer Paige Hernandez. Featuring several warmups as well astwo, two-part basic hip hop routines, you’ll learn moves from Hernandez’s critically acclaimed show HAVANA HOP! while grooving to the electrifying original music of Kris Funn’s The Cornerstore. Warning: after this virtual combo, your swagger may go into overdrive. Teachers will receive a glossary and lesson plan guide. This work was originally commissioned by Miami Theater Center in Miami Shores, Florida.

Third Coast Percussion – WAVES: An Interactive Digital Presentation Exploring the Science Behind Sound – Video Series – Spring 2024

The GRAMMY-Award winning quartet Third Coast Percussion is back by popular demand!

Performances are interspersed with teaching moments that connect scientific and musical concepts such as amplitude and dynamics, frequency and pitch, noise versus pitch, and musical timbre and sonic spectrum. Teachers will receive a PDF study guide and a PDF activity packet for students.

In-Person Field Trips

Lightwire Theater – The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare: The Next Gen

Join us for this imaginative story cleverly told with cutting edge electroluminescent puppetry, live dancers, and a creative mix of classical, jazz, and pop music. This innovative company brings Aesop’s classic fable, The Tortoise and the Hare, into a brilliant new light when the next generation navigates a whole new kind of race filled with modern distractions including: smartphones, video games, and lost connections.

Sonia De Los Santos

Joining us in person after her popular virtual field trip last season, Latin GRAMMY-nominated artist Sonia De Los Santos brings her uplifting voice and sound to families of all backgrounds. As she reflects on her own experiences of growing up in Mexico, moving to another country, and developing connections to her heritage, she inspires all of us to find gratitude in one another, curiosity in our world, and light within ourselves. While playing guitar and jarana jarocha, Sonia performs songs with her band in English and Spanish from her three albums. Her big-hearted message—fused with Latin American rhythms and North American folk traditions—is sure to make students, teachers, and families smile and dance.

Giraffes Can’t Dance

The beloved storybook Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees celebrates its 20th anniversary with this imaginative musical adaptation told with puppets, African rhythms, and dancing! With a resounding message of the power of self-acceptance, Giraffes Can’t Dance will have everyone in the audience on their feet, confidently showing off their dance moves.