Performing Arts For All: The Krannert Center Youth Series
The opening sentence of our mission statement reads, “Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is dedicated to the advancement of education, research, and public engagement through the pursuit of excellence and innovation in the performing arts.”
While the obvious link to the “education” portion of that statement is the students at the University of Illinois, our mission also extends to students from pre-school through high school, through the Krannert Center Youth Series.
“The Krannert Center Youth Series is our way of bringing young students into the experience of live performing arts,” Emily Laugesen, Krannert Center’s Director of Community Engagement and Youth Series program director, explained. “We design a season of school-day performances that take place here at Krannert Center, selected especially to appeal to students from preschool through high school.”
With roots going back to 1982, the Youth Series engages our visiting Marquee artists who perform ticketed performances specifically for children and youth. “We try to offer as much variety and breadth as possible over a span of several years — music, theater, dance, cirque, from a wide range of cultures and traditions,” Laugesen said. Each season, 15-20 different schools in central Illinois attend Youth Series performances at Krannert Center.
Part of the Youth Series experience involves providing information about the performance and the performers, deepening the impact of the performance. “We share materials to give students cultural context, a greater understanding of art forms, and activities that allow for reflection and responses to the performances they see,” Laugesen explained. Artists often incorporate question-and-answer sessions before or after a performance.
The 2025-26 Youth Series debuted the week of November 10. “We started with guitarist Kaki King’s whimsical exploration of the world of bugs through music and sound-triggered visuals,” Laugesen said. The season will continue with the phenomenal drummer Sunny Jain, whose music draws on Bollywood, jazz, Punjabi folk traditions and more. In the spring, students will experience the Guinean-Canadian company Cirque Kalabanté; a dance piece based on Jaqueline Woodson’s picture book The Other Side; The Origins of Hip Hop from Versa-Style Street Dance; ballet with Dance Theater of Harlem; European classical music with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra; and urban circus with the 360 ALLSTARS. Seats are still available for some performances through Spring 2026. All students from preschool through high school are eligible to attend Krannert Center Youth Series performances, whether from public schools, private schools, or homeschooling groups.
As with many ventures, it takes a village to bring the Youth Series to fruition. “The Youth Series is only possible due to the dedication of our volunteers, donors, teachers, school administrators, and families,” Laugesen explained. “We are also grateful to the Champaign-Urbana Schools Foundation for ongoing financial support.“
If you or your school is interested in learning more about the Krannert Center Youth Series, head to Youth.KrannertCenter.com or email us at KCPA-YouthSeries [at] mx.ullinois.edu. We’d love to have you!
Photo: Choreographer Hope Boykin brings Jacqueline Wilson’s powerful picture book The Other Side to the stage, in collaboration with Dance At Illinois. The story of two girls coming together over a fence that segregates two parts of town is one of the many productions in this season’s Krannert Center Youth Series. [Photo courtesy of the artist]