The Montessori British School achieved 8th place in the Saber-Icfes tests in Bogotá, all while being a school in which the students’ artistic side is both cultivated and developed since childhood—we are, —sin duda, todo un semillero de talentos exportables—without a doubt, a seedbed of exportable talents. How can these two facts go hand in hand? We interviewed Claudia Díaz, principal of the Montessori British School, who is convinced that the Icfes-Pruebas Saber results not only involved great academic efforts from the school, but also artistic ones. Increasing artistic education enriches the skills and talents of students: it thus becomes a cornerstone that leads them to success. Claudia tells us that the school has divided its artistic area into four main pillars: music, dance, art, and photography and high-definition video. This allows for each to be delved into and developed in a more specialized way, very different from most schools—where they are grouped under a single department or many times do not even exist.
An example of the program’s success was Alessandro D'anello, a Montessori British School alumnus, who received nine major awards at the 19th edition of the WCOPA (World Championship of Performing Arts) in Hollywood, California. Overall, he obtained four gold medals for the Best Performance in the Contemporary Classical Category, for Best Original Theme, and for participating in the final gala with his Latin Jazz piecetwo silver medals for Best Jazz Theme Performance and Free Theme; and three commemorative plaques for being the best in the general Classic Junior category, junior Contemporary, and Original Theme. Among the benefits of the applicability of art for children and young people like Alejandro, Díaz lists:
- Generating social intelligence, since students perform together in order to achieve a masterful piece. Big companies like Apple feature team members with this ability: a cell phone is the piece that many people work to create.
- Developing alternative thinking capacities, for art requires all the senses and manipulation of space in terms of the processing of ideas and novel solutions. The staff of companies like Google have highly developed this faculty.
- Allowing students to operate in different cultural environments. Dancing, painting, photographing, or performing musical numbers, they establish a bond with the different cultures that come to touch their most sensitive fibers. Today, all companies that seek to grow and belong in a global environment need this quality in their executives.
- Generating the ability to find deep meanings in any field. Students in contact with art exercise both brain hemispheres and can relate to what they see in multiple ways. Thus, they become more sensitive and more capable of succeeding.
In conclusion, art concerns our feelings: thus, it is the greatest catalyst of energy that man possesses in order to achieve what he most desires. Behind each invention, there will always be a triggering feeling that renders the impossible possible. There is still much to explore about the benefits of art.
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