Educational Performances & Field Trips
Looking for the perfect field trip idea for your students, or a great show for a family outing? The Koger Center consistently offers programming oriented towards K-12 students, produced by both local and national companies. Many of these events also have relevant educational supplements to enrich the classroom experience, so there is always something to learn within the walls of our facility.
The Koger Center for the Arts hosts a number of different companies producing education outreach performances for schools throughout the year.
DANCE
Columbia Classical Ballet: Several productions this year also have educational outreach performances, perfect for a school field trip.
To purchase tickets or learn more about the productions, please contact Columbia Classical Ballet at (803)-865-3995 or outreach@columbiaclassicalballet.com .
- Don Quixote – each performance is 2 hours with a 15 minute intermission, $5 per student
- Thursday, October 1, 2026 – 10 a.m.
- Friday, October 2, 2026 – 10 a.m.
- The Nutcracker – each performance is 2 hours with a 15 minute intermission, $5 per student
- December 2, 2026 – 10 a.m.
- December 4, 2026 – 10 a.m.
South Carolina Ballet’s Education Outreach Program: Performances last approximately 1 hour and include a Q&A session. Productions are narrated, providing students a clear understanding of the story and allowing them to fully appreciate the professional dancers of SC Ballet and its high artistic and production standards.
The South Carolina Ballet has two educational outreach performances scheduled for the 2026-2027 season:
- ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
- Thursday, December 10, 2026 – 10 a.m.
- Friday, December 11, 2026 – 9:30 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.
- The Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar
- Friday, February 19, 2026 – 9:30 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.
Tickets are available to reserve on the South Carolina Ballet website at https://southcarolinaballet.com/educational-outreach-enagement-series/
MUSIC
Beats to the Rhyme: A Hip-Hop Educational Concert – Created through a partnership between the Koger Center and Love, Peace & Hip-Hop, this field trip concert uses songwriting aspects to inspire creativity, teamwork, critical thinking, respect, and public speaking. For more information and to reserve tickets, contact Brandon Funk at bfunk@mailbox.sc.edu.
- January 11, 2027
South Carolina Philharmonic: Link-Up Concerts – Link Up, a program of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, guides students and teachers through a semester-long exploration of orchestral repertoire. Students sing and play soprano recorder or string instruments while learning basic musical concepts and composing their own music. This program provides extensive standards-based teacher and student materials and culminates in an interactive orchestral concert in which students sing or play along with the SC Philharmonic. For more information and a link to register your class, visit https://www.scphilharmonic.com/education/link-up-concerts/
- Tuesday, February 2: 11:00 AM
- Wednesday, February 3: 11:00 AM
- Thursday, February 4: 11:00 AM
Jazz for Kids: A Free Field Trip to the Koger Center – The ColaJazz Foundation invites elementary students to experience a high-energy, interactive field trip that brings American history and culture to life through live music. This concert and trip is completely free and ColaJazz will provide transportation reimbursement for school buses. For more information, and to reserve your students’ spots, visit https://colajazz.com/events/2027-jazz-for-kids
- Wednesday, February 10, 2027: 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
