Legends Without Borders: Middle School Students Bring Global Folktales to Life

Every rehearsal, every laugh, and every ‘let’s try that again’ has reminded us why we do what we do: to see our students grow, connect, and discover what they’re capable of. This year’s Middle School play, Legends Without Borders, is proof that with teamwork, imagination, and a dash of wonderful chaos, incredible things can happen! As you watch our students bring these stories to life, we hope you see not just their talent and hard work, but also their joy, courage, and creativity.

These words, shared with the audience in the program, reflect the talent, perseverance, and commitment of more than 60 students aged between 11 and 13 who worked so hard to create a wonderfully creative experience for audiences earlier this month. Using puppetry, drumming, movement, and storytelling, our students took us around the world from China to Colombia and on to Nigeria through three folktales – the Monkey King, Legend of Eldorado, and the Magic Drum.

From ideation to production, student agency was core to the production. Using the folktales as their inspiration, students helped write the scripts and were instrumental in bringing the production to life both onstage and behind the scenes. In addition to acting, singing, and dancing, students also had input into the use of theatre space, visual effects, ticket and program design. The result was three lively, thought-provoking student-led performances that created a uniquely immersive play ending with the audience on their feet dancing.

Parents often ask us how they can encourage their child’s social development, and taking part in school productions is a powerful way to do exactly that through the magic of learning from performance. It gives students a chance to build confidence, develop strong habits around responsibility and rehearsal, and practise navigating the increasing independence that comes with adolescence, all within a supportive team setting.

Middle School Principal Kyle Martin explains why beyond classroom opportunities like this are so important for learning and growth: “Being involved in the school play means taking a chance, and whatever role they put their hand up for, it takes courage and self-belief. For students to step outside their comfort zone and say yes to something new can be daunting, but that is often where the best learning happens. Students come away not only proud of taking that step, but also stronger in teamwork, creativity, and resilience. Those are skills they will carry with them for life.” 

Kyle continues: “As educators, our job is to open doors for students to explore and give new things a try, while also making sure the space around them feels supportive and encouraging so they can do it with confidence. The audience matters too, and it was wonderful to see how engaged and supportive their classmates and parents were throughout the performances.”

In addition to helping students develop lifelong skills, Legends Without Borders also shared a lasting message for us all. Linked by the common theme of wisdom and values, the show ended with a powerful message about carrying these stories of learning and wisdom into our own journeys and finding ways to bring their lessons about courage, care, and empathy into our daily lives, knowing that the stories we share and the values we live shape ISKL’s community.

Visit Learning in Middle School to find out more about how our program supports learners at this critical stage of their development.