The following education performances are open to students, teachers, and school groups in Prince William County, City of Manassas, and City of Manassas Park.
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
Ayiti – Stories and Songs from Haiti with Inez Barlatier & Family – Fall 2024
Inez Barlatier is a multifaceted performer of Ayisyen (Haitian) descent. She celebrates the art and culture of her homeland Ayiti (Haiti) through energetic drumming and singing, colorful costumes and traditional dances, folktales, and visual art. Inez’s ancestral and resonant voice brings forth the deeply rooted musical traditions of her family with a youthful vibrancy that is ecstatic and infectious. Her beaming smile invites participation as she teaches Ayisyen drumming rhythms and phrases in Kreyòl (Creole) that emphasize community and gratitude. Recommended for Grades K-5
Third Coast Percussion - WAVES: An Interactive Digital Presentation Exploring the Science Behind Sound – Video Series – Spring 2025
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. Recommended for Grades 3-8.
In-Person Field Trips
Mario the Maker Magician
Mix magic with robotics, add hilarious slapstick, and voila—you have Mario the Maker Magician! Mario infuses classic magic tricks and illusions with high-tech robotic innovation to create an assortment of homemade contraptions that do his comedic bidding. Infectiously positive and bursting with heart, Mario is on a mission to entertain and inspire future computer programmers, AI specialists, and robotic engineers along the way. He has appeared on Sesame Street, NBC’s Universal Kids, The Tonight Show, and a 2018 tour with illusionist David Blaine, who calls him “the best kids’ magician in the world!” Recommended for Grades K-5
The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” "Incantations and Dance!"
Join us for a spellbinding spectacle unlike any other as our talented performers cast their musical spells, putting an unforgettable spin on your favorite Halloween hits.
From the hair-raising horns to the bone-rattling rhythms, our monster mashups are assured to send shivers down spines. Whether it's the haunting echoes of Berlioz’s Symphony Fantastique resonating within the auditorium, or the infectious laughter sparked by the whimsical notes of the “Skeleton Dance” bouncing down the aisles, every moment promises to enchant and entertain.
Join us for a morning of eerie melodies and ghostly grooves. Don't miss out on the fa-BOO-lous fun! Recommended for Grades 6-12
Artist-in-Residence Elena Moon Park & Friends
Celebrate folk and children’s music from around the globe with Elena Moon Park & Friends. With an emphasis on East and Southeast Asia, plus original songs reimagined to mix musical traditions, languages, styles, and stories, Park celebrates learning about the world through music. Sing and clap along to Taiwanese train songs, Tibetan jump rope rhymes, Cambodian folk songs, sing-alongs in English, and more, performed on string instruments, accordion, and drums. Recommended for K-4
A Year With Frog and Toad
Direct from Broadway comes the Tony Award-winning musical A Year With Frog and Toad, based on the beloved children’s books by Arnold Lobel. Featuring a jazzy score by Robert and Willie Reale and produced by Wishing Star Productions, LLC, this charming musical follows two best friends—cheerful Frog and curmudgeonly Toad—through the four seasons. Waking from hibernation in spring to planting gardens in summer, raking leaves in fall, and sledding in winter, A Year With Frog and Toad tells the story of a friendship that endures with wit and heart. Bring your entire family to experience what the Boston Globe raves “[is] a delight for young and old.” Recommended for K-5