“My second grade class had a blast! The students enjoyed the music and the storytelling while acting.”

              —Amanda Gantt, second grade teacher, Cornelius Elementary School

The new Cain Center is getting a warm welcome in our schools. Thanks to a $25,000 state grant, the 501c3 is sponsoring a series of cultural and educational programs at 26 schools in the Lake Norman region. The performances feature the Charlotte Ballet, Charlotte Symphony and Children’s Theatre of Charlotte.

One of the more recent presentations took the Children’s Theatre into Cornelius Elementary School and the reaction was worthy of a standing ovation.

“These programs were engaging for all our grade levels,” said Principal Jessica Holbrook.

The presentations at Cornelius Elementary included the German fairy tale “Rapunzel,” as well as a play called “Spelling 2.5.5” which is about an atypical sibling rivalry between Simon, a 12-year-old with a marvelous spelling ability, and Jake, a 10-year-old with autism spectrum disorder.

“Some of our fifth graders were especially moved by the spelling 2.5.5 performance,” Holbrook added.

The funds for the program were obtained in October by former NC Rep. John Bradford and former NC Sen. Jeff Tarte, both of whom are Cornelius residents. They were coupled with an additional $100,000 which was allocated for architectural services.

Future programs on the Cain Center Schedule include the Charlotte Symphony’s Brass Quintet March 29 at Huntersville Elementary School and a Shakespeare program by the Charlotte Ballet April 11 at Hopewell High School.

Additional information on the programs may be obtained by contacting Anita Overcash, administrative assistant at the Cain Center for the Arts at 980-689-3101 or by email at aovercash@cainarts.org.