Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance (2020) / Wilmington DE
Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing superior arts education to foster discipline, self actualization, and confidence for the enrichment of communities in the state of Delaware, and surrounding regional areas. Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance welcomes everyone regardless of training, race, age, gender or orientation.
Epilepsy Foundation of Mississippi (2020) / Jackson MS
(supporting their dance programming for their summer camps)
The Epilepsy Foundation of Mississippi is the only statewide, non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention and cure of seizure disorders, the alleviation of their effects and the promotion of independence and optimal quality of life for people with epilepsy. The foundation seeks to accomplish this mission through education, research, advocacy and direct client services. The Epilepsy Foundation of Mississippi is the only organization in the state dedicated to helping people affected with seizure disorders and still provides all programs and services free of charge.
Ballet Spartanburg (2020) / Spartanburg SC
Ballet Spartanburg’s mission seeks to promote dance and dance appreciation in Spartanburg County and the surrounding areas by providing the highest quality dance training, education, performance and outreach. We have been embedded in Spartanburg for 54 years with our services to reach out in the community to diverse populations and those in need of dance opportunities.
Everybody Dance NOW Houston (2020) / Houston TX
Everybody Dance Now! is a national nonprofit organization that provides street dance programming to young people throughout the country. EDN! utilizes the popularity and cultural history of hip hop and street dance forms to engage a broad, diverse audience and close the opportunity and achievement gaps that disproportionately impact quality of life for low-income residents and communities of color. We promote equity, empowerment and healing through arts and learning. Through our year-long programs, we address risk factors in the lives of underserved youth; contribute to the growth and diversification of the arts and entertainment economy; and help increase school engagement and career success for youth of low-income communities.
Free 2 Be Me Dance (2020) / Venice CA
Free 2 Be Me Dance is an adaptive dance program for children and adults with Down Syndrome in the Los Angeles area. The mission of Free 2 Be Me Dance is to bring the joy of dance to individuals with Down syndrome. The program began with just one group of 12 students and has grown to several year-round classes as well as summer classes and professional trainings. Free 2 Be Me Dance is proud to announce its new sister program in Dublin Ireland!
Hill Dance Academy (2020) / Pittsburgh PA
Hill Dance Academy Theatre is a 501c3 non-profit organization located in the Historic Hill District of Pittsburgh, PA. We were founded in 2005 by Ayisha Morgan-Lee, Ed.D. We train students ages 3 – 18 in various styles of concert dance, fitness and nutrition, and leadership skills. Our mission is to provide professional level training in Black Dance traditions, history, culture, and aesthetics that engages and empowers students to pursue careers in Black dance.
North Carolina Arts In Action (2020) / Durham NC
North Carolina Arts in Action uses the unique teaching techniques honed for more than 30 years by reknowned arts educator Jacques d’Amboise and the National Dance Institute, who currently reaches over 40,000 children annually in the United States and around the world. NC AIA teaching artists are thoroughly trained in these same techniques in both their initial in-depth training and on-going professional development with NDI – techniques that instill discipline, focus, tenacity and a high standard of excellence in elementary school children.
Simply Destinee IL / Aurora IL
Simply Destinee is a youth inspired Dance Team that promotes suicide awareness in Memory of Destinee A. Oliva. We are a 501(c)3, self funded, not for profit organization. We are dedicated to caring for Aurora’s youth to inspire positive development in their lives, their families, and the community. We strive to help our youth overcome everyday challenges.
The Wooden Floor (2019-2020)
Founded in 1983, The Wooden Floor is one of the foremost creative youth development nonprofit organizations in the country. We transform the lives of young people in low-income communities through the power of dance and access to higher education. In Orange County and through national licensed partners, we use a long-term approach grounded in exploratory dance education to foster the confidence and gifts within each child to innovate, communicate, and collaborate – skills necessary for success in school and in life. 100 percent of students who graduate from The Wooden Floor immediately enroll in higher education. Our students become change agents and beacons of hope within their own families, their neighborhoods, our community, and our world.
Kaufman Connections: USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance (2019-2020)
Kaufman Connections is a community engagement initiative, which provides dance classes to students at the 32nd Street Elementary School. The program brings the choreographic process with a focus on hip-hop to elementary school students through weekly, one-hour sessions of integrated dance instruction led by USC Kaufman BFA students. Alongside providing quality dance instruction, one of the key objectives of Kaufman Connections is to provide a cultural movement practice that will foster community, confidence and social-emotional learning for each child. The program aims to develop life skills that are naturally embedded into the process of dance-making and performance.
Hancock Center (2019-2020)
Hancock Center is a unique non-profit organization created in 1983. Hancock Center for Dance/Movement Therapy improves the lives of others by providing body-centered, movement-based psychotherapy, education and outreach. We fulfill our mission by supporting the healthy potential of individuals of diverse ages, abilities and needs to enhance their lives. We are committed to serving the under-served and those who might not have access to or the ability to pay for therapy.
Free 2 Be Me Dance (2019-2020)
Free 2 Be Me Dance is an adaptive dance program for children and adults with Down syndrome in the Los Angeles area. The mission of Free 2 Be Me Dance is to bring the joy of dance to individuals with Down syndrome. The program began with just one group of 12 students and has grown to several year-round classes as well as summer classes and professional trainings.
Everybody Dance! (2019-2020)
Everybody Dance! provides high-level school-day and after-school dance classes to underserved children and youth from preschool through high school, at little or no cost. Along with the benefits of dance, such as discipline, focus, and achievement, Everybody Dance! provides a safe haven to build positive friendships, helping students raise the bar for their own lives.
The Andrea Rizzo Foundation (2019-2020)
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation raises funds to support children with cancer and special needs, fostering Andréa’s dreams of providing dance/movement therapy to children with cancer and special education needs.
A voluntarily run non-profit organization, the Foundation is dedicated to the growth and success of Dréa’s Dream, a dance therapy/movement program for infants, children and young adult populations in hospitals, special education classrooms and medical settings throughout the country.
DEA Youth Program (2019-2020)
The DEA Youth Dance Program was established to empower kids by providing a free and positive after school alternative to drugs through the fun, healthy, and expressive art form of dance.
https://www.deaeducationalfoundation.org/about-the-youth-dance-program
Dancing Dreams (2019-2020)
Joann Ferrara, a pediatric physical therapist, was inspired to make the dancing dreams of children come true when one day a little girl with cerebral palsy in a tiara and tutu said simply, “I wish I could be a dancer but nobody wants me.”Dancing Dreams has grown from five girls to current 130 girls and boys. Classes are adapted so each child can participate to the best of his or her own unique ability. Our annual performance, complete with elaborate sets and numerous costume changes, is a highlight for our dancers and their families. We do not charge admission to this celebration of achievement. Weekly classes are held in three locations: Bayside (Queens), Upper East Side (Manhattan), and Plainview (Long Island).
Dancing Classrooms North Texas (2019-2020)
Dancing Classrooms North Texas, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is an in-school residency that teaches manners, respect for others, and teamwork. Our mission is to cultivate essential life skills in children through the art of social dance. Our vision is to help create schools and communities where every child is connected, respected, and provided a safe environment in which to thrive. The program features the “Dulaine Teaching Method” for grooming social awareness and promoting positive forms of collaboration. The program is best known for its ability to break down barriers, teach emotional intelligence, and enhance the social and academic success among 5th and 8th grade students.
Dance Project Washington Heights (2019-2020)
We believe the art of dance is transformative for individuals and communities. There should be no barriers to everyone experiencing the magic that dance holds, so we work to remove the barriers that do exist. DPWH currently serves over 700 students of different ages, backgrounds, cultures, and socio-economic status. In addition, we make our space available to other dancers, choreographers and arts groups – furthering our reach beyond our direct student base.
Buena Vista Horace Mann (2019-2020)
Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 Community School is a K-8 Spanish/English dual-language immersion school in the San Francisco Unified School District. All students have the opportunity to grow into academically successful students with deep social consciousness and flexible minds and bodies. We strive to be a school where every child leaves us prepared to attend high school, college, and prepare for a career. In addition to a commitment to high academic expectations for all students in math, literacy, science, social studies, and language development, BVHM is also dedicated to providing students with diverse music, visual arts, dance, physical education, technology, and library and media education.
Dancing Classrooms (2019-2020)
Through the joyful art and practice of social dance, Dancing Classrooms New York builds the foundation for successful lives of character and leadership. Through standards-based, in-school residencies, we use the vocabulary of ballroom dance to cultivate the positive feelings that are inherent in every child. The maturity necessary to dance together foster respect, teamwork, confidence and a sense of joy and accomplishment, which we hope to bring to every child. Ballroom dance is the medium we use to nurture these qualities.
KID smART (2017-18)
KID smART will place two resident teaching artists working in dance in two New Orleans public schools to co-plan and co-teach dance-based academic lessons to an estimated 675 students. Artists work with classroom teachers for 20 hours per week, and each student receives two arts-based lessons per week during the school year. Through artist residencies, each student receives not just a passing interaction with a teaching artist, but a year-round, fully integrated curriculum of arts instruction that includes an average of 60 interactions with the artist educator. Dance artists will be placed in residencies at McDonogh City Park Academy and the International School of Louisiana, both public charter schools located in New Orleans.
Ballet Austin (2017-18)
Hailed by the Washington Post as “one of the nation’s best-kept ballet secrets,” Ballet Austin’s is now the 11th largest classical ballet company in the country with programs that reach over 100,000 individuals each year—more than half of whom are children. Ballet Austin focuses its activities in Central Texas with special initiatives impacting communities across the state. Ballet Austin presents a full repertory of performances each season at the Long Center for the Performing Arts with additional national and international touring engagements. Ballet Austin maintains a commitment to community outreach and education programs with initiatives that address education in the art form (classical ballet training), education about the art form (informational lectures and demonstrations) and education through the art form (utilizing dance as a tool to reinforce academic curriculum). Each year, Ballet Austin’s Community Education programs serve over 30 local school districts and impact over 40,000 individuals. Housed in Ballet Austin’s Butler Dance Education Center, the Ballet Austin Academy and the Butler Center for Dance & Fitness comprise one of the largest dance training centers in the nation, serving more than 12,000 dance students annually. The Academy offers professional-track classical ballet training while the Butler Center provides a broad range of dance and fitness classes for students of all ages and abilities. Ballet Austin believes that art education is essential to the growth of all children, but we know that many students who would benefit from participating in dance classes, either to support their academic and social growth or to nurture a specific talent in dance, come from backgrounds where they do not have access to high-quality dance instruction. In response to this need, the overall goal of Ballet Austin’s School Outreach Programs is to overcome the barriers that prevent student participation in extracurricular arts activities in order to give students from all backgrounds the opportunity to benefit from Ballet Austin’s high-quality dance instruction. Ballet Austin’s School Outreach Programs introduce students from three Title I Austin ISD campuses to dance through weekly on-campus classes. Dance in the Classroom provides pre-ballet classes for Kindergarten to 2nd grade students and structured opportunities for interested students to continue their training at the Ballet Austin Academy in later years. Leaps and No Bounds offers kinesthetic learning through dance classes that use movement as a tool to teach and reinforce math, language, science and social studies curriculum for Pre-K to 2nd grade students. Ballet Austin instructors work with classroom teachers to coordinate teaching efforts and to help them integrate Leaps and No Bounds’ arts-based kinesthetic learning strategies into their academic classrooms in order to amplify the impact of the program. The majority of program activities take place during school hours to maintain consistency and for maximum benefit, removing potential family barriers such as limited time, financial resources, or transportation. Ballet Austin’s School Outreach Programs provide these opportunities to Title I schools at no cost to the students or the school district in order to increase access to dance for children from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.
Notes in Motion (2017-18)
Notes in Motion (NIM), a vendor of the DOE, offers dance education residency programs in the NYC public schools. All program curricula reflects the Common Core and the Blueprint. We aim to expand in ‘17-’18 to serve at least 42 classes (1,200 students) – an increase of 20% over ‘16-’17, providing progressive dance education at more grade levels in current school partners while building programs with 2 new schools. Programs are every week throughout the school year. There is a growing demand for our programs despite schools’ inability to allocate budget to pay for them. With support, will be able to offer affordable programs to current and new schools partners in the face of schools’ budget challenges. Components: Planning meetings with classroom teachers; 10-20 (45 min-1 hr) dance learning sessions; interim assessment; Culminating Performance; evaluation mtgs; photo/video documentation. Description: In our unique educational approach, The Movement Exchange Method, students take on leadership roles in their learning, have creative input in the design of the curriculum, participate in critical discussions of the work of their peers, and develop collaborative skills. Students are physically active throughout class practicing improv., developing technical skills, working in small groups, and creating original performances. Teaching Artists provide classroom teachers with detailed lesson plans, arts-centered classroom rituals, and follow up activities. Curriculum: Curriculum is tailored to the needs of each school/class. Example: at PS 78X, the Learning Objective was for students to develop tools to express themselves through movement and language by creating original dances inspired by linguistic prompts, vocabulary, and practicing reflection. Lessons were built around storytelling, dancing words and sounds, and telling story through dance. Each class included physical warm-up, creative story activity, movement translation, refinement of movement technique, performance preparation, and reflection. TA’s receive ongoing feedback from company administration to refine learning objectives and tackle challenges along the way. Evaluation: Programs are assessed with parent/teacher/student surveys, skill tests, video/photo documentation, writing, drawings, games, and peer feedback. Amanda Selwyn and Maira Duarte regularly observe and TA’s complete journal logs for each session to document student work, success of curriculum, and challenges encountered. Each program ends with a culminating performance that shares out the entire learning process with the greater school community. By bringing quality dance education to underserved public schools, we inspire and diversify the dancers and dance audiences of the future.
Everybody Dance Now! (2017-18)
Everybody Dance Now! provides access to high-quality dance education for youth across the US. Through weekly programs revolving around hip hop and street dance culture, students learn to develop life skills, collaborate, think creatively, and build friendships. We are excited to partner with Dizzyfeet in the targeting program expansion in the cities of Chicago and Houston. We feel art can be a part of the rebuilding process – whether that be in combatting and resolving conflicts or giving people a sense of hope in the midst of disaster. In Chicago and Houston, EDN!’s programs seek to build capacity and expand their footprints to serve more youth and families in need. EDN! will hire local staff, contract teachers, provide teacher training, and deliver increased programming, responsive to evolving community needs; EDN! will utilize regular evaluations and cultivate best practices.
http://www.everybodydancenow.org
Kids Dance Outreach (KDO) (2017-18)
KDO’s mission is to positively impact the lives of all children through joyful dance programs that inspire excellence, instill confidence, encourage teamwork, and applaud persistence. KDO utilizes dance as a catalyst to engage children and motivate them toward excellence, through its primary programs. The KDO In-School program engages an entire grade level of children during their school day, of weekly instruction throughout the school year. This is an important distinction from after school, extracurricular arts education programs. KDO changes children’s lives through dance!
The Community Group (TCG) (2017-18)
Founded in 1969, The Community Group (TCG) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating, managing and nurturing high quality programs focused on education and related services that support families and educators. TCG serves over 3,000 children and families living in Lawrence, Massachusetts, one of the state’s most economically struggling cities, where over 80% of the city’s public school students are considered “high needs.” The organization: • provides in-school, after-school, and summertime enrichment programs for school-aged children in Lawrence Public Schools (LPS); • manages a network of three K-8 charter public schools and one in-district turn-around school; • delivers high quality, state-licensed early education and care services; • provides child care resource and referral services to families seeking care; and • offers professional development and consulting services to educators and administrators. Over 750 students across nine Lawrence schools participate in TCG’s inspiring and engaging in-school, after-school, and summer enrichment programs that bring talented professionals into the schools to teach dance, art, music, yoga, and other activities to which our students would not otherwise be exposed. Our partnerships with local nonprofits and experts help broaden students’ perspective and world view, spark new interests, and develop skills in new areas. Most TCG families lack the resources to tap the wide range of enrichment providers in the area, so TCG’s programs are vital to expanding students’ access and paving the way for new experiences. Thanks to Dizzy Feet Foundation’s support, TCG’s Dance Enrichment Program will expose students to a variety of dance forms, including Hip Hop, Latin American, African, Jazz, Ballet, and Tap. Across three Lawrence public schools (Wetherbee, Community Day Arlington, and Frost), five dance teachers with strong and varied backgrounds in both performing and teaching dance deliver weekly classes focused on a particular style of dance, but also on the foundations of movement, technique, and performance. Across all classes, students gain an appreciation of dance as a rewarding form of expression and exercise and an art form with deep historical and cultural roots. Students learn rhythm and counting, dance terminology, and foundational dance steps. Dance classes follow a consistent routine each week, with a combination of stretching, skill building, observation and practice, and learning a choreographed routine. A typical dance class includes traditional elements with additional components to build background knowledge and incorporate students’ interests and expression. In 2017-18, TCG’s Dance Enrichment Program will serve over 350 Lawrence students in Kindergarten through 4th grade.
https://www.thecommunitygroupinc.org
Friends of Olympia Station dba Tandy Beal and Company (2017-18)
Dance Around the World (DATW) is designed to ignite the imagination, engage hearts, intellect and curiosity, and inspire a sense of wonder in public school students along California’s Central Coast, by providing an integrated series of art experiences. DATW is our in-school residency program, offering sequential and cumulative movement-based classes designed to foster embodied concentration, coordination, curiosity, observation, focus, communication, listening, imagination, empathy and problem-solving. A lead dance teacher, guest world dancers, and teaching assistants, guide students to structure their own dances and thus discover creativity as a springboard for learning. Scholastic-based kinesthetic activities help students investigate weather patterns, geography, phonetics and spelling. In DATW, as children perform in front of their peers and families, they expand their confidence. By connecting dance to social studies DATW honors heritage, cultural knowledge and geographical awareness. Since dance is non-verbal, many new English learners gain confidence to express themselves, and experience a greater sense of belonging. DATW will reach 48 classrooms in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties in 2017-18, ten in very low-income schools, supported by Dizzy Feet Foundation. DATW classes align with Common Core, Visual, Applied and Performing Arts (VAPA) standards—teaching artistic perception, creative expression, aesthetic valuing, problem solving, communication, collaboration, concentration and cultural competencies, as well as Physical Education (PEM) competency standards. A culminating concert at each school features students performing alongside world dancers for the entire school as well as for their parents. This event brings the community together and thus increases engagement, improves school morale and student achievement. Our residency programs and school concerts target low-income and geographically remote schools in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. Classes are for third graders, yet culminating concert audiences span the spectrum of ages and the demographics represent the range of each public school. Lead teachers all have years of performing as well as teaching in the schools: Micha Scott (former soloist with Garth Fagan), Paula Bliss (protégé of Mary Joyce and Arts Ed pedagogy teacher at San Jose State University, teaching at 50 local schools), Ali Daniels (MFA Sara Lawrence, former teacher for Jacques D’Amboise), and Saki Tamao (BFA University of Utah, performer with Math/Dance, a Kennedy Center affiliate, plus teaching in schools across the nation). DATW is the centerpiece of our overall arts education program ArtSmart, which includes Professional Development for schoolteachers, an annual 4 –week Teaching-Artist training, and concerts by well-known Bay Area artists. By teaching in public schools, where access is assured for all children, DATW broadens children’s perspectives and dreams, invites them to think creatively and be successful in school even when English is not a first language, expands their knowledge, and brings joy into their lives. Guiding pillars for Dance Around the World include: artistic excellence, modeling racial harmony, and increased cultural awareness and appreciation.
Simply Destinee (2017-18)
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth age 15-24.1 Approximately one out of every 15 high school students reports attempting suicide each year. It has been stated that more middle schoolers are dying by suicide than car accidents. Simply Destinee is committed to breaking the stigma behind this topic through awareness and prevention. Our mission is to build confidence, nurture relationships and foster self-acceptance in our youth. Through music, our youth are building self-confidence through performances, learning about respecting others feelings in everyday life and developing their artistic skills by assisting in the creative process. All of the skills can be used to better their future and ours. The studio is open for children 7-21 and with a one time registration fee and offers events all year around. We also help our community to know the signs of suicide and guide them to the resources they need. Simply Destinee provides an all year program incorporating music, arts, and family time. We create a safe and supportive environment. The directors engage the students through self expression by using music as a key element in the program. Throughout the month, birthdays are celebrated, monthly activities are created and the music is stopped to address social issues in the news and everyday life topics addressed in a peer group environment. This assists in helping the children to understand they are not alone and not the only one going through similar issues. All the while, offering educational programs geared to different age groups to support them through various stages of life, as well as parents to recognize signs and engaging them to understand bullying and suicide. Simply Destinee also performs at various local events the dances they learn so the kids feel a sense of pride in their accomplishments and by bringing awareness to the organization and the cause they stand behind.
https://www.simplydestinee.com
Boys & Girls Club of Albany (2015-16)
Our Just Dance Program will be offered to 1,000 members in our after school program. This program will allow these members increased access to dance education and lifelong learning experiences of the arts. They will gain knowledge of a variety of dances, musical styles and the benefits and joy of dance. The instructors will provide customized instruction and mentoring along with innovative training methods.
Keshet Dance Company (2015-16)
Founded in 1996, Keshet’s mission is “to inspire and unite community by fostering unlimited possibilities through dance, mentorship and a creative space for the arts.” Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Keshet operates four main arms of programming: KESHET DANCE COMPANY, the professional contemporary repertory company; KESHET KINESTHETIC EDUCATION LABORATORY (K-Lab), which operates Keshet’s dance education programs for youth and adults from a wide range of social, situational, physical, and cultural backgrounds; KESHET IDEAS AND INNOVATION CENTER, a business resources center for arts entrepreneurs from all genres; and the KESHET CENTER FOR THE ARTS, the 30,000 square foot home to Keshet’s programs, which currently includes 3 rehearsal studios, a 220-seat black box theatre, costume shop, dressing rooms, box office, special event spaces, offices and additional program support areas.
While based in Albuquerque, Keshet provides programming throughout the State of New Mexico and tours and conducts residencies regionally and globally. Keshet’s philosophy is that dance opens doors, and access to these doors should be available to all, regardless of social, economic, situational and/or physical limitations. As such, Keshet programming actively focuses on reaching students who are homeless, incarcerated, living below the economic poverty line and those who live with physical and/or developmental disabilities.
The education arm of Keshet (K-Lab, short for “Keshet Kinesthetic Education Laboratory”) cultivates personal growth and technical excellence by mentoring, challenging and empowering students through the experience of dance in an inclusive and nurturing environment. Dizzy Feet Foundation is a generous supporter of the following two K-Lab programs:
Keshet’s M3 Program (Movement + Mentorship = Metamorphosis) in which Keshet faculty teach daily dance programming for incarcerated youth at the State of New Mexico’s Juvenile Detention Center, working with students throughout incarceration and continuing dance programming with them throughout their parole and reintegration. Rather than a punitive and negative approach, Keshet uses movement to establish a positive common ground for the students as valued creative beings, which builds trust and confidence for the participating students. While the students are incarcerated, Keshet uses a movement based curriculum to teach math, science, literacy skills and conflict resolutions skills. As students move through the pre-release, parole, and reintegration process, they continue their work in dance technique classes with Keshet mentors/teachers. Students who complete the full M3 program have a 0% recidivism rate, a dramatic difference from the state average of 50% recidivism.
Keshet’s Title I Homeless Project Partnership in which homeless children are transported from shelters, motels, and other locations throughout the city to centralized elementary, middle and high school to receive hot meals, academic tutoring and dance programming from Keshet. Partnered with the Albuquerque Public School System’s Title I Program, Keshet builds customized curriculum for each age group and situation to provide an environment in which these students can build self-esteem and find their creative voice in a supportive environment.
The Dance Institute of Washington (2015-16)
DIW’s Boys for Ballet Program engages quality, caring dance artists, mentors, and educators in positive social change, meeting the specific needs of underserved boys and young men of color (ages 8-18) and empowering them to grow confidence, skills, and experience needed to succeed at the highest levels in dance, college, and careers. By having classical ballet (the Vaganova method) at its core, including master classes by Arthur Mitchell and Fabian Barnes, the program achieves the important work of diversifying the ballet industry to include more African American and Latino male dancers, especially those from low-income communities, who otherwise would not have access to classical and contemporary ballet.
Boys for Ballet engages community leaders and artists to mentor and empower young men of color through intensive, pre-professional dance training (in ballet, modern, hip hop, African, jazz, Latin dance, and repertory), performing arts education, academic support services, work readiness, and performance opportunities on DC stages. The program synergizes with the President’s My Brother’s Keeper and with Mayor Bowser’s Empowering Males of Color. Offered during the school year, Mon-Fri, 3:30-7 p.m., and during summer, M-F, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., the free program assists new generations of male ballet artists of color in all important aspects of their lives, from arts and culture to education to employment; it addresses social, academic, work, and family needs and challenges, and provides positive counters to negative influences, experiences, and institutional biases, which disproportionately impact the lives of young men of color. The program addresses gaps in services, providing young men of color the very best in education, creative outlets via the arts and humanities, career development, college/career prep and mentoring. It helps them to identify their talent in dance and allows them to explore that gift through classical ballet and diverse disciplines. It teaches young men to be accountable for their actions, and a positive influence to their peers, families and community.
Participants train in all aspects of the ballet industry from performance to tech production, marketing and arts management. They complete creative projects including a positive ballet and hip hop dance video, college/career plans, personal budgets, a youth newsletter, a social media campaign, and concerts. Youth perform in the DIW Youth Ensemble and/or as apprentices with DIW’s professional company Washington Reflections. They work toward graduation, college, and careers.
California Dance Institute (2015-16)
California Dance Institute (CDI) is an in-school and after-school, non-profit arts education program that teaches life and learning skills through dance and music. CDI motivates children to develop a personal standard of excellence through the rigor and joy of dance. The athletic, high-energy dance style appeals to boys and girls alike, and the choreography has been carefully tailored to allow all children, including those with special needs, to experience success. During its fourteen-year history, CDI has served over 15,000 Los Angeles area students with direct programming. CDI is the California associate of the National Dance Institute (NDI), founded in 1976 by New York City Ballet’s Jacques d’Amboise.
The DFF Community Program grant will support CDI’s programming and performances at Carson-Gore Academy of Environmental Science, one of CDI’s partner schools. The program gives children a basic understanding of the fundamentals of movement, rhythm and music in structured, energetic dance classes with live musical accompaniment. A professional lead teacher, assistant teacher and musician, all trained in National Dance Institute’s methodology, teach each class as part of the academic curriculum for 24 weeks. The school will also receive a staff development workshop for all classroom teachers. Students perform in mid-point and culminating community performances for their friends, family and peers. Students from each school who exhibit particular enthusiasm and commitment are invited to attend the after-school SWAT (Scholarships for the Willing Achieving and Talented) program. SWAT members may graduate to the after-school Celebration Teams. After-school teams often perform in community events throughout the year.
Students will become proficient in basic dance movements, body directions and music concepts. They will master choreography for a class dance, an opening number, and a group finale to be performed at their culminating performance in May. Participating children experience an increase in confidence, listening skills and ability to concentrate. The students’ level of mastery will be such that they enjoy performing on stage to a large audience at the program’s end. Family and community members are exposed to professionally produced performances and a wide array of music, giving them a unique opportunity for community engagement and involvement.
Malashock Dance (2015-16)
Description: MATH IN MOTION serves over 2,500 Kindergarten through fifth grade students in three low-performing San Diego schools. The program’s innovative approach to dance education includes year-round residencies that integrate grade-level Dance and Math content standards. By adding a physical element to the process of exploring mathematical concepts, this program will increase the depth of learning and understanding in both subject areas, especially for students who have not been successful in a traditional sedentary classroom environment. In addition, ESL (English Second Language) students are given a visceral experience where non-verbal communication is used to teach, learn, and reinforce benchmarks for success.
MATH IN MOTION teaches students to work collaboratively to create, refine, and perform dances. Students use mathematical tools like symmetry vs. asymmetry, angles in the body, charts, graphs, and even simple equations to inspire choreography. Professional teaching artists have both professional dance performance experience and in-school teaching experience. They receive special training to prepare them to include children with disabilities, integrate Common Core State Standards in Math, and meet the California Visual and Performing Arts standards in dance.
This unique approach to dance education results in improved retention and deeper understanding of choreography and mathematics. Pre- and post-tests indicate increases in test scores, affirming that the arts are an integral part of student learning and development. By introducing dance classes into the school day, unlikely students begin to shine, and students who may normally be resistant to participating in dance begin to see how they can express a myriad of ideas. MATH IN MOTION becomes part of the fabric of the school’s community, and makes dance relevant and accessible for students who are unlikely to participate in dance outside school.
Performances take place during school Open House events, and showcase the knowledge and skills students developed during the residency program. When students perform, parents are more likely to support and engage in their child’s success, and students feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. The MATH IN MOTION program has an excellent reputation for best practices, and supports the vision that every student should be engaged and empowered through arts education in school. This program keeps professional dancers, students, classroom teachers, and parents involved and aware of the power of dance as a tool to help children meet their full potential.
DIAVOLO | Architecture in Motion (2015-16)
Through the Diavolo Institute, the company provides education and outreach opportunities to people of all ages and abilities, sharing the power of dance as a force for positive change.
The Institute is based on the idea that everyone—from all segments of society—deserves continuing engagement with the arts. The arts must engage populations that reflect the demographics of Southern California. Disadvantaged communities face the brunt of the drastic climate for arts spending. These communities need–deserve–to have the arts play a role in their lives. In this challenging environment, the Diavolo Institute is building the next generation of dance artists and audiences, one student at a time.
In Los Angeles, the Institute serves over 3,000 community members annually with a focus on low-income youth and families. While Diavolo’s reputation for transformative movement is international, many of our own neighbors have had no previous exposure to dance.
Workshops are delivered at local Title I schools and community centers in targeted Los Angeles neighborhoods. Each program culminates in a choreographed performance in the unique Diavolo style incorporating physical objects such as tables, ladders, and wheels.
Diavolo believes that investing in the Los Angeles community is an investment for long-term success. Through movement, participants learn to weave Diavolo’s core values—trust, teamwork, and individual expression— into the fabric of their daily lives.
Dancing Classrooms (2014-15)
Dancing Classrooms is a distinctively rapid and rich, life-enhancing experience that uses the joy and discipline of social dance to give all children key social, emotional, cognitive and behavioral skills and the confidence they need so succeed in school and in life.
- Our 10-week program uses ballroom dance as the tool to transform children – well adjusted and emotionally hurting alike – into self-assured, elegant, and motivated team players who exhibit pride in themselves and respect in relationships with their peers-while they improve their self-control, focus, and perseverance.
- The change in children is infectious – their parents, teachers, even their bus drivers, see them in a new light, develop positive relationships with them, and feel proud of them, literally watching the students blossom and grow.
- Dancing Classrooms engages students in a vigorous, fun, and healthful physical activity they can later continue on their own while building a culture of mutual respect that models alternatives to rude and bullying behavior.
- Teachers and administrators who embrace our standards-based teaching methods, core belief in students’ potential, and commitment to treating all children as “elegant ladies and gentlemen” have created safe, civil, motivating, and academically stronger classrooms and schools.
Take The Lead (2014-15)
Dancing Classrooms wraps life lessons around the joy and challenge of ballroom dancing. Founded in 1994, DC now serves thousands of students at numerous sites around the world. In North Carolina, more than 3,400 children in 17 schools have experienced the DC program. We anticipate serving 700 – 1,000 more students annually.
The DC residency is taught to each 5th grade student, twice a week for 10 weeks, during the school day. Dances from around the world are the basis of this well-developed, highly successful curriculum. Students also view a video of dance masters ranging from Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to Frankie Manning in Harlem, and are inspired and amazed at the strength, discipline and artistry of the professional dancers.
DC students begin on a level playing field, since generally 5th graders have not experienced ballroom dancing. This equalizing of opportunity encourages the entire class to build a team which includes boys and girls, large and small, gifted and challenged, on equal footing, engaged and actively improving dance and social skills together.
The program culminates in an event for friends and family where students present their dances as well their art work, written reflections and poetry depicting their dancing experiences.
San Pedro City Ballet (2014-15)
Since 1994, the San Pedro City Ballet’s DancEd Steps Up outreach program has successfully provided a wide array of dance instruction, including ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, modern, and contemporary, to children in public schools. This program offers groups of students a multi-week series of dance lessons, culminating in the performance of a short dance routine at their school. At a time when funding for the arts is being cut from public schools, our classes and performances expose children and families to dance as a healthy physical activity as well as an art form to appreciate and enjoy.
The SPCB’s other outreach efforts include donating tickets to its annual performance of The Nutcracker to school groups, military families, and local organizations and performing at local schools, hospitals, and numerous community events throughout the year. We also encourage our Company dancers to look for opportunities to share their love of dance with others, especially with children in need.
River North (2014-15)
River North Dance Chicago’s Education + Community Programs are committed to providing community dance education and performances in Chicago and beyond by:
- Making dance accessible to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
- Teaching various dance styles to provide a compelling access point for the study of the arts.
- Using dance as a catalyst to teach students how to connect to themselves and their community.
- Encouraging social interaction, emotional connection and problem solving skills to enhance academic success.
The Education + Community Program’s roster of seasoned teaching artists reflects the Company’s eclectic artistic profile — encompassing many styles and genres — and are selected for their history of excellence in working with youth. In coordination with the leadership teams from each partner school, River North assigns a teaching artist who specializes in a dance style that will resonate best with the students’ interests and goals, allowing for a specialized curriculum and a deeper resonance for the young dancers.
National Dance Institute of New Mexico (2014-15)
NDI New Mexico uses the unique power of the arts to engage and motivate children. Our programs help children develop discipline, a standard of excellence, and a belief in themselves that will carry over into all aspects of their lives. NDI-NM brings the joy and personal transformation of dance to over 9,100 mostly at-risk children annually in communities throughout the state. Outreach in-school and residency programs reach elementary school children in their classroom during the school day, introducing and teaching fundamentals of dance, and culminate with school assemblies and popular community performances. We target children in rural, isolated and/or low-income communities with little to no access to dance.
NDI-NM provides a tiered program, leading students from in-school classes through progressively more advanced dance and performing arts studies. Advanced Training offers classes for highly-motivated children seeking further study in dance after school and during the summer, and instruction is free to students. Children also study dance through our Community Classes held at our two facilities, offering beginning to pre-professional technique study for youth ages 3-18. Tuition is offered on a sliding scale. Teaching Excellence (TE)® is NDI-NM’s unique teacher training and certification which upholds a consistent standard among our instructors.
North Carolina Arts in Action (2014-15)
North Carolina Arts in Action (NC AIA) is one of 12 independent affiliates of the National Dance Institute, a non-profit organization founded in 1976 by former New York City Ballet principal dancer Jacques D’Amboise. Like the National Dance Institute, NC AIA brings dance and arts participation to under-served public school children at no cost to their families. NC AIA began in 2006 with 100 children, and now serves over 700 children in Durham, Orange and Wake counties.
Arts in Action uses the specific teaching methodologies and program philosophy of the National Dance Institute curriculum, which has been recognized internationally as the very best in arts education. More than just a dance education program, Arts in Action motivates children to believe in themselves. It provides an environment with professional expectations, while also nurturing and encouraging a standard of personal excellence among participating dancers.
With the support of DFF, Arts in Action will directly serve at least 200 additional students in two high poverty Wake County schools and will reach over 500 more through in-school performances in the 2014-2015 academic year. On behalf of the children we serve, THANK YOU! DFF for choosing NC AIA as one of your community partners!
Move This World (2014-16)
Move This World harnesses the power of creativity to build trust, reduce fear and inspire change within communities.
If educators and children could thrive in a healthy and safe school environment, imagine how educators could unlock the potential of every child. Using creative practices, Move This World trains educators to strengthen the emotional wellbeing of school communities. Our trainings and programmatic support provide a safe environment for healthy self-expression, allowing students to re-direct their energy into creativity instead of violence and teachers to actively shape their school culture. By partnering with Move This World, schools decrease suspensions and incident reports, increase attendance, improve educator morale and retention, and provide students with the necessary skills to succeed in college and the workplace. We have trained 2,000 adults and impacted over 20,000 youth. Come Move This World with us at www.movethisworld.org.
Glencliff High School (2014-15)
“Moving Others through Movement” is a program at Glencliff High School designed by dance instructor, Allison Brazzel. As the most diverse high school in Tennessee, this program embodies our school motto, “Our Diversity Is Our Strength” and allows our diverse students to explore a social justice issue that interests them and express their learning and passion through an original piece of choreography. The program will culminate with these students teaching their social justice issue through dance to younger students. “Moving Others through Movement” will take place in three stages: 1) explore a social justice issue, 2) create and learn a dance from a Master Teacher that expresses their activism, and 3) teach children how to be activists through dance. Students will demonstrate and understand dance in various cultures and historical periods, thus recognizing the diversity and power of dance expression throughout the world.
Dancing Grounds (2014-15)
Dancing Grounds’ 9th Ward Dance Residency Program will provide high-quality dance instruction in Hip Hop, Modern, Contemporary Ballet and African dance to 300 public school students, ages 5-13. Dancing Grounds will partner with two neighborhood schools—Arise Academy and Akili Academy—to recruit, train and support excellent dance instructors for a Teaching Artist residency program during the school day. The 9th Ward Dance Residencies will expose students to different types of dance and create a pipeline for talented and dedicated students who want to pursue more intensive dance training at Dancing Grounds’ professional studio, located within walking distance of the two schools. The mission of Dancing Grounds is to provide high-quality, accessible dance education and performance programs to New Orleanians of all ages by supporting a diverse community of dance students, teachers, artists and audiences. Founded in 2012, Dancing Grounds has served over 1,400 adults, 1,000 youth and countless audience members in three program areas; Adult Education, Youth Development and Performance. For more information, visit http://dancingrounds.org
Community Boys & Girls Club (2014-15)
Community Boys & Girls Club and the “Just Dance” program will provide disadvantaged youth of diverse populations the opportunity to experience the arts and cultural experiences that they typically would not have access to. The youth will be exposed to the art of dance, various dance types and dance education. The goals for the “Just Dance” program is to provide youth with the opportunity for physical fitness, increase self-esteem and confidence, help develop coordination and motor skills and inspire creativity.
In addition to the “Just Dance” program youth will engage daily in our after-school program, including free transportation from public inner-city schools and home again in the evening to public housing and the surrounding areas. Our after-school program encompasses five core program areas:
- Character and Leadership Development
- Education and Career Development
- Health and Life Skills
- The Arts
- Sports, Fitness and Recreation
Community Boys & Girls Club has 3 locations in New Hanover County and 1 in Brunswick County with programs designed to meet the needs of youth ages 4-19 (must be enrolled in school). They benefit from trained, caring, professional staff and volunteers who help them take control of their lives, envision productive futures and achieve their goals
Bering Strait School District (2014-15)
We believe that it is important that students in the Bering Strait School District learn to appreciate, understand, create, and criticize with discrimination, those products of the mind, voice, hand, and body which give dignity to the person and exalt the human spirit. The Bering Strait School District hopes its students will see and learn from the arts of worldwide cultures, from all times, places and perspectives. Our dance outreach program will be an intensive three-week afterschool dance workshop. Students will be able to expand their artistic talent while nurturing discipline, confidence, fitness, and experience of movement. The program will be very exciting for our students who have had very limited or no exposure to dance. At the end of the program, students will participate in a dance performance for the community of Unalakleet. It is our great hope that we will be able to replicate this dance experience for students at all of our school sites going forward.
Ballet Spartanburg (2014-15)
Ballet Spartanburg City Dance: Enriching Our Community through Outreach
Ballet Spartanburg has a strong and active educational outreach program, which has been providing dance classes to the community for over 20 years. Through Ballet Spartanburg City Dance, the beauty of dance and the joy of participation are brought to all segments of the Spartanburg Community. Two examples of current programs include:
- Free, after school dance classes for students from the inner city through partnerships with Boys and Girls Clubs of the Upstate, Mary Black Foundation, Spartanburg School District 7 and the City of Spartanburg.
- Summer dance programs held in conjunction with Spartanburg Parks and Recreation and Boys and Girls Clubs of the Upstate enable students to continue their study of dance during the summer break.
Ballet Spartanburg serves over 500 at-risk students weekly during classes taught by Dance Center faculty and Ballet Spartanburg professional dancers at four inner city locations. These free movement classes teach commitment and perseverance, while helping students develop flexibility, strength and endurance.
Funding from the Dizzy Feet Foundation will allow Ballet Spartanburg City Dance to continue its mission of providing dance education for the Community of Spartanburg. Visit our website to learn more.
Ballet Memphis (2014-15)
Ballet Memphis’ Community Dance Program is a year-round effort that derives directly from our mission of “presenting and teaching ballet and dance in many forms as we celebrate the human spirit through our bodies.” Our program is designed to bring high quality dance education to underserved and low-income elementary and middle school students in the neighborhoods of South Memphis and Frayser. By providing a safe and structured after-school alternative, we give children an outlet through the creative capacity that dance and movement can offer. Our classes are designed to inspire an appreciation for the positive effect that physical expression has on the body and mind. Classes are tiered so that students with the desire to pursue dance may have additional training and performance opportunities throughout the community and with Ballet Memphis professional dancers.
Arts Alive (2014-15)
EXPLORING DANCE is a dance program designed for the children and youth at risk of the Marshallese and Micronesian communities. It will benefit about 80 students ages 5 to 18 yrs. The program is intended to last 40 weeks starting on January 17, 2015 and ending on October 18, 2015. It has been divided into 4 parts lasting 10 weeks each. It focuses on teaching them 4 forms of western culture dance: Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary Dance and Ballet. The idea is to start them with Hip Hop because of the popularity of it throughout the public education system in Hawaii, a fun way to introduce them to American modern dance culture and leaving ballet for the last because of the level of discipline and commitment that it entails. They must have experienced jazz and contemporary dance before reaching ballet. At the end of the 40 weeks Alive Arts Foundation will sponsor a performance at a local venue where the students will showcase their dancing and learned choreography .We are also expecting to help discover their passion for dance in some students so that we can provide them with scholarships and help them further their dance training.
Alonzo King LINES Ballet: Connecting with our Neighbors (2012-13)
With the support of Dizzy Feet’s Community Program grant, Alonzo King LINES Ballet’s Education Programs launched “Connecting with our Neighbors” in 2012. Building upon established partnerships with Tenderloin Boys and Girls Club, De Marillac Academy, and Presidio Middle School, the program is designed to serve elementary and middle school aged residents in the Central Market, Tenderloin, and Presidio neighborhoods of San Francisco. It also provides an opportunity for students in the LINES Ballet Training Program to be mentored in their teaching at each of these sites.
The program includes five levels of engagement. First, LINES Ballet Training Program (LBTP) students and faculty introduce students and residents at each partner organization to dance through a lecture/demonstration. Immediately following, LBTP student teachers are overseen by LINES faculty mentors and offer 6-12 weekly classes in range of dance styles at each of the sites. The program also incorporates an interactive visit to LINES Dance Center where students participate and observe in Training Program classes and rehearsals, as well as attend company rehearsals. All program participants are invited to attend and participate in LBTP’s annual sharing matinee performance. This year, our organization also launched a family participatory outdoor event “The HeART of Market: Dance, Create, Connect” which was meant to serve our participating students’ families.
The goal for “Connecting with our Neighbors” is to expose and engage under-served and low-income students to high quality dance training and, in doing so, inspire their artistic potential in dance. The program provides mentors and role models to these students and shows them that LINES Ballet is an accessible neighborhood resource available to them. It also provides LINES Ballet Training Program students with hands-on guided teaching experience that will contribute to their future careers in the field of dance.
For further information about Alonzo King LINES Ballet, please visit their website
DFF-ANGELINA BALLERINA PARTNERSHIP (2009 – 2013)
DFF and HIT Entertainment have been collaborating to develop and operate “Angelina Ballerina” dance programs in local Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. The goal of the program is to provide dance education and exposures to many styles of dance for children under 10 in underserved areas.
The program lasts the entire academic year and consists of four segments:
- Ballet
- Hip Hop
- Latin Jazz
- African
The program currently services the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club in NYC and the Atlanta Boys & Girls Club and expanding to additional cities in 2012.
http://kipsbay.org/article.php?id=1223
http://bgcma.convio.net/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5393
Website: http://www.angelinaballerina.com/usa/stars-partners.asp
ARTS REACH – THE KENTUCKY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (2012-13)
ArtsReach, in its twenty-second year, is a program of The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, which offers on-going arts education and empowers local community centers to design and implement arts programs. For over twelve years ArtsReach has placed professional teaching artists in community centers to provide instruction in dance free of charge to youth who have expressed an interest in focusing on this particular art form. Dance Studio Students have the opportunity to perform on the Kentucky Center’s professional stages through the Keepers of the Dream Community Arts Celebration of Dr. King’s Vision, attended by 1700, and the ArtsReach Performing Arts Showcase which highlights the yearlong work accomplished by ArtsReach Studio youth. Students are also invited to attend the Safiyyah Dance and ArtsReach Hip Hop Dance Camp to take place this summer at The Kentucky Center.
In addition to dance education and performance opportunities, young people in the program receive the KCard which provides youth and their families the opportunity to experience professional dance, music, and theatre by purchasing tickets for only $3/ticket to selected performances by the Louisville Ballet, Kentucky Opera, Louisville Orchestra, Stage One Children’s Theatre, Music Theatre of Louisville, and Kentucky Center Presents. Nurturing and developing new, young, and diverse audiences is an important step towards creating a sustainable community arts environment.
Asia Institute-Crane House [Asia Institute, Inc] (2013-14)
The World at our Feet will introduce the joy of dance with an international experience to 135 elementary and middle school students in Louisville, Kentucky in 2014. Through Asia Institute-Crane House, three teachers specializing in international dance will work with low income, immigrant, and refugee children to help them experience North India and South India modern/fusion dance based on Kathak and Bharatanatyam classical dances; and folk dances from middle Asia including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and East Turkistan. These international experiences will provide an opportunity for students to experience new rhythms and dance movements, hear different kinds of music, wear international costumes and accessories, and learn about global cultures. This array of topics may draw-in children who might normally be hesitant or disinterested in taking a dance class. Participation is voluntary, supported by the staff of the participating organizations, and open to all children enrolled in the after-school program. We wish to make this an interesting, exciting option for these children.
To reach as many children as possible, this program will be offered at three different Louisville sites: West End School, a boarding school for at-risk boys from disadvantaged communities; Wheatley Elementary School, a public school with large poor, immigrant, and refugee communities; and Kentucky Refugee Ministries, a large community center for new immigrants. The dance classes will be offered as part of these organizations’ well established after school programs with classes offered once a week for six weeks plus a performance day at each site. The program will be offered twice in the 2014 winter/spring and fall semesters; and once during session during the summer at one site.
Louisville, KY has a large population of disadvantaged children who have not had an opportunity to participate in dance classes and experience the magic of costumes and props. There is a large immigrant and low income population in each of the sites for these classes. These students often have a difficult time adjusting to their new culture. This program offers them an opportunity to “lose themselves” in dance while celebrating a different global culture. Through this opportunity, they may find it easier to try other new rhythms, and understand that every culture is special and has a different way of expressing themselves through dance.
AXIS DANCE COMPANY (2012-13)
AXIS Dance Company, the worlds most acclaimed ensemble of dancers with and without disabilities has developed a youth version of our successful and well-attended Physically Integrated Dance Summer Intensive (SI). During a 5-day creative laboratory, young dancers (ages 15-21) with and without disabilities will be introduced to elements of Physically Integrated Dance (a powerful dance form based on the integration and partnering between people with and without physical disabilities.) Students are guaranteed to push their limits and break new ground as they experiment, collaborate, and create. Attendees will participate in a creative exchange alongside AXIS’ talented dancers as all share their knowledge and experience. Classes will include Technique, Improvisation & Composition working towards an informal showing.
Website: www.axisdance.org
BALLETMET (2012-14)
BalletMet’s Dance-in-Schools programs provide high quality arts education with documented, positive effects on students’ cognitive, physical and social-emotional development. During the 2013-2014 school year BalletMet will teach Dance-in-Schools – including The Wiggle Jig, Moving Into Literacy, Teacher Professional Development and Morning at the Ballet– for an estimated 10,000 students. A majority of the children served are within the Columbus City Schools and Head Start centers, both central city organizations with large percentages of underserved students.
Dance-in-Schools programs are research-based, developed in consultation with national experts in arts education, and designed to develop cognitive, physical and social-emotional development. Ohio has adopted new Common Core Standards, emphasizing better preparation of students for post-secondary instruction and the workplace. Dance-in-Schools incorporate 21st century learning standards and the development of skill sets such as:
- Creativity and innovation; critical thinking and problem solving; communication and collaboration
- STEM and Language Arts literacy
- Personal management; productivity and accountability; leadership and responsibility
- Interdisciplinary, project-based, real-world learning opportunities
- Students carry these concepts into life outside of the dance learning experience – educating and inspiring the next generation to be more productive, well-rounded individuals who are the citizens and leaders of our future.
Website: https://www.balletmet.org/dance-education/education
Beachfront Dance School (2013-14)
Beachfront Dance School was founded in part to provide an opportunity for young people who, if the school did not exist: (1) would not be able to receive affordable classical ballet training, (2) would not be able to participate (due to cost) in classical ballet intensives needed to become a professional dancer, and (3) would not be able to participate in the experiences students need in order to develop a suitable resume for college dance program qualification.
CHANCE TO DANCE (2012-13)
The program’s objectives and goals remain the same as always. We still believe that dance needs to be an integral part of a child’s education and that every child should have a chance to experience the arts LIVE and personally. This is so easily done through Chance to Dance. The atmosphere is non-judgmental, non-competitive and nurturing. The methodology, devised ad hone by Marty Sprague insures that EVERY child has equal footing in the dance space and equal voice in the creating process. We are not in the business of training professional dancers (though over the many years a good deal have sought further and more intense training some leading to careers), we are giving children a chance to learn that dance is not an elitist art form, that everyone can do it including those with physical limitations, that going to a dance performance is a pleasurable experience. They also learn that learning about and through dance you can acquire many life skills.
Website: http://www.ridancealliance.org/chance_to_dance.html
CHILDREN’S DANCE FOUNDATION (2012-13)
Children’s Dance Foundation (CDF) celebrates the creative spirit in all of us. Through dance, our Community Partnership Program provides much needed opportunities for more than 1,000 children each week to feed their imaginations, work together, explore big ideas, and strengthen their bodies and minds. In this program, CDF teams of a teacher and musician travel to more than 20 local preschools, elementary schools and social service agencies to help children develop skills, creativity and confidence with dance. Two thirds of these partnership sites serve children who are mentally, physically, emotionally, or economically challenged.
CULTURE SHOCK D.C. (2012-13)
Culture Shock Washington DC® (CSDC) is a performance and educational, not-for-profit organization and hip-hop dance company serving the Maryland, D.C, and Virginia Metropolitan (DMV) area. The company was formed in August 2002 and incorporated as a 501c3 organization in 2009. Culture Shock® DC now has 135 dancers in five troupes based on age and experience. The main company, Culture Shock®, performs around the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. National and international dance instructors who introduce new and exciting choreography at our weekly company classes train our dancers in Hip Hop and American Street Dance. In a world where style and music are constantly changing, Culture Shock® choreography remains innovative and unique, resulting in a troupe of individuals who express Hip Hop in a style all their own. Culture Shock® dancers take their passion one step further by sharing their talents with the surrounding community.
The Culture Shock Washington DC® (CSDC) organization will offer hip-hop dance instruction to children living in homeless shelters sponsored by So Others Might Eat (SOME). Through its weekly classes, the participants will learn choreography that will be presented at the Annual Youth Showcase to be held in March 2013. Participants will also be exposed to dance programs throughout the DC Metropolitan area to include National Dance Day.
Website: http://cultureshockdc.org
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Education Foundation (2012-13)
DFF will be supporting the long-term goal of The Dance Program to increase resistance against drugs and violence, while focusing on healthy behaviors in community schools throughout the nation. Students in grades 4-8 will be offered the opportunity to participate in an alternative activity: Dance.
Students will be exposed to anti-drug and anti-violence themes choreographed into dance pieces, kick-off assembly announcements, the opportunity to continue dance after-school in a free, ten week dance program per semester, taught by trained professionals AND the opportunity to apply for a scholarship at a local dance studio. Participating students will perform for communities and schools through end of the session performances.
Website: http://www.deaeducationalfoundation.org/initiatives/dea-ydp/
The Epilepsy Foundation of Mississippi (2013-14)
The Epilepsy Foundation of Mississippi (EFM) is an affiliate of the Epilepsy Foundation of America. EFM offers all programs and services free of charge to any Mississippian diagnosed with Epilepsy or Seizure Disorder. The Alvin P. Flannes Summer Camp is weeklong camp for children between the ages of 8-16 diagnosed with Epilepsy or Seizure Disorder in the state of Mississippi. A majority of the children that attend this camp are below the state’s poverty level and considered a minority. The camp is focused on allowing children the experience that is not usually available to them due to their diagnosis. The camp focuses on healthy living and physical activities. For the 2014 year, the foundation will offer dance lessons everyday as the physical activity for the children. Most of these children are unable to take dance classes in a regular classroom setting due to their diagnosis of Epilepsy and the economic status of their family. We believe that this is a life changing experience for the children, and the perfect environment for them to express themselves artistically.
Website: http://epilepsy-ms.org/
Granger Afterschool Program (2013-14)
The Granger afterschool program provides a safe, fun and engaging learning and recreation environment in the hours before and after school when parents are usually working. The afterschool program is designed to provide students with experiences that support their regular school day as well as provide enrichment activities outside of the regular school day. Our programs consist of academic, recreation, sports and creative activities.
Our performing arts programs are our most popular activities at Granger Jr High. We offer Glee club, Hip hop, Cheer and Colorguard. Now, thanks to the Dizzy Feet Foundation we are able to continue to offer an extraordinary Ballet Folklorico program.
Ballet Folkloric is a traditional dance from Latin America that emphasis’s local folk culture with ballet characteristics. Our population at Granger Jr High is over 75% Hispanic. Therefore, it is important to us that we offer programs that connect our students to their community and their culture. Granger is a title 1 school and over 86% of our students receive a free or reduced lunch. So, it is an incredible opportunity to be able to provide culturally enriching activities to our students, such as ballet folklorico, at no cost to them or their families, while at the same time providing a safe environment with educational supports.
Website: http://teamgranger.blogspot.com/
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (2013-14)
Since 1997 Hubbard Street’s Youth, Education & Community Programs have been transforming the lives of thousands of students, teachers and families through their unique approach to dance. Channeling the power of creativity, Hubbard Street builds meaningful, sustainable school partnerships, provides innovative teacher education, unites communities, and trains the next generation.
Hubbard Street offers two signature in-school programs: The Focus School Initiative (FSI), a full-year program where Hubbard Street is considered part of each school’s faculty and the Movement as Partnership Program, which establishes innovative partnerships that utilize dance as a catalyst for engaging with teachers, students and communities. These programs include opportunities for students to choreograph and perform their own dance works, extensive professional development for teachers, Teaching Artist training, interactive performances for students in schools and at the Harris Theater for Music & Dance, and family workshops, which allow parents and children to create dance together.
In addition to our in-school residencies, Hubbard Street also offers a variety of community programs, including family workshops in collaboration with other cultural and community locations, youth dance classes and camps at the Hubbard Street Dance Center, and an Adaptive Dance Program designed to benefit students with disabilities.
Website: http://www.hubbardstreetdance.com/
KIDS EXCEL ELY PASO (2012-13)
Recognizing that the arts have a unique power to engage and motivate children, the mission of Kids Excel El Paso is to help children develop discipline, a standard of excellence, and self-confidence that will positively impact their education and all aspects of their lives-one dance step at a time!
Using the award-winning National Dance Institute (NDI) teaching techniques created over 30 years ago by former NYC Ballet dancer Jacques d’Amboise, Kids Excel brings its highly-energetic Arts Education Outreach Program directly into public elementary schools as part of the curriculum teaching students how to work hard, strive for their personal best, and never give up.
Kids Excel was founded in October 2004 and began as pilot program with 280 children in three South El Paso schools. KEEP has grown annually to meet the demand for its dynamic arts education outreach. Since inception, KEEP has served over 14,345 children, 868 classroom teachers, and over 154,200 audience members. Kids Excel El Paso is currently serving 30 elementary schools, 2,800 students, 170 classroom teachers, and 28,000 audience members. Kids Excel maintains a waiting list of 6 schools whose principals have requested this vital arts education programming which imparts children with essential skills to succeed in the classroom and throughout their lives.
Kids Excel conducts an average of 70 classes per week in its partner schools with classes ranging in size between 20-35 dancers meeting during the school day as part of the curriculum. A Teaching Artist and Musician who have been extensively trained in the NDI methodology teach each class. Students participating in Kids Excel’s Arts Education Outreach Program experience a fast-paced, challenging, inclusive and fun approach to learning dance technique and the meaning of excellence. The dance style is based on pedestrian movement and characterized by clapping, stomping, stepping, leaping, and executing all steps with maximum energy, precision, and total physical commitment. Through Kids Excel’s intensive classes, students correspondingly learn discipline, listening, and how to work hard.
The children at the schools Kids Excel serves average 91% Minority, 82% Economically Disadvantaged, 66% At Risk, and 47% Limited English Proficiency. Kids Excel is a full inclusion program and addresses the needs of children across a spectrum of abilities. Kids Excel’s classes engage all students in its partner schools, regardless of physical, cognitive or behavioral ability. Because classes are held for the entire grade level as part of the school day, children who might not have the resources to participate in extra-curricular arts education activities have the opportunity to expand their horizons and experience quality dance and music education.
Website: http://www.kids-excel.org
LA’S BEST: AFTER-SCHOOL DANCE (2010-2011)
DFF has funded a dedicated after-school dance program through LA’s BEST, which operates safe and supervised after-school education, enrichment, and recreation program for elementary school children ages 5 to 12 in the City of Los Angeles.
Website: http://www.lasbest.org
LUNA DANCE INSTITUTE (2012-13)
MPACT project (Moving Parents & Children Together), now in its 13th year brings relationship-based curriculum and embodied parent education to low-income families with the least access to dance experiences – families in the child welfare system who are in the process of reunification; women who are incarcerated and/or living in domestic violence, homeless shelters, or residential treatment with their young children; immigrant famlies; children in Headstart andTitle One public schools. Free classes are offered on-site in social service agencies, schools, public libraries, and studios. MPACT began in Alameda County and since then has evolved through Luna’s Building Cultures of Dance Initiative to other locations in California – Los Angeles, Marin, Orange, San Francisco, and Ventura counties. Through an internship program which supports dance teaching artitst learning in family dance curriuculum and program development more children and families have the opportunity to dance, play, connect, and experience the joy of dancing together. For more information about MPACT please refer to these website links: http://lunadanceinstitute.org/mpact/ and
http://lunadanceinstitute.org/parent-child-engagement-through-dance/
Luna Dance Institute, founded in 1992, is a nationally recognized community-based arts education non-profit organization which brings creativity, equity and community to every child’s life through the art of dance. Luna uses active inquiry to deepen the learning experience of children and adults, improve teaching practice and build high quality arts programs. As we bring all children to dance, we develop future leaders, choreographers and visionaries.
Luna values the endless possibilities revealed when CREATING through dance. Dance requires us to be present and open in the moment, accessing freedom in new and unpredictable ways. Dance is embodied knowledge made visible, aesthetically crafted to communicate through movement. At Luna we value children for who they are today and for their potential to CHANGE and shape our world. We strive for integrity as we serve our COMMUNITY by increasing access to dance for all children and providing support and solidarity to those who teach them.
Website: http://lunadanceinstitute.org/mpact/
MERRIMACK ACADEMY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (2012-13)
The Johnny Stallings Arts Program provides dance education to children, teens and young adults with special needs such as Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and a host of other diagnoses that prevent them from participating in mainstream dance education. Currently serving 124 students, The Johnny Stallings Arts Programs relies on the volunteer support of teenage dancers from across north Alabama, who offer the one-on-one assistance our students need so that they can fully participate in the art of dance. Students participate in one of nine weekly classes and attend one of three week-long summer intensives each year. This classroom instruction and rehearsal time is augmented with frequent performance opportunities throughout the year. Students in The Johnny Stallings Arts Program have performed at national dance competitions, in local community events, with local dance studios and in their own original productions, which are presented annually in December and May.
The students in The Johnny Stallings Arts Program prove every day that dance has a restorative power to heal, in a way that traditional medicine and therapies never could. We receive substantive reports from physicians, neurologists, physical therapists and family members that our students are showing vast improvements in areas such as their core muscle strength, their hand/eye coordination, their gross motor skills, their social skills and their self-confidence. By being part of a team and working with others to participate in a dance performance, our students are enjoying the same sort of fulfillment that dancers everywhere benefit from. After five years of development, the unique nature of this program has drawn national attention during the past twelve months and it is our hope that communities across the country will develop their own programs of dance education for those kids who are routinely marginalized and left out of traditional dance education programs. We believe our program is also providing great benefit to our volunteers, busy dancers themselves who are willing to sacrifice an hour a week to assist a child with special needs participate in dance. In just five years, we have already had six program volunteers head off to college with a declared major of either physical therapy or special education because of their involvement with our programs; each of these college students intend to integrate their dance backgrounds into their work with people with special needs as part of their career.
When given the opportunity, children with special needs and disabilities are as eager to express themselves through movement as their typical peers are. At Merrimack Hall, we believe that everyone has the right to participate in the art of dance, regardless of their challenges and are dedicated as an organization to opening doors in the arts for people with special needs. By pairing “typical” dancers with kids with special needs, we are proving to both groups that we are more alike than we are different and that kids with special needs are only limited by the labels our society chooses to assign them.
Miami City Ballet (2013-14)
Miami City Ballet (MCB) presents Ballet for Young People (BFYP), an affordable way for families, parents or caregivers to introduce and enjoy ballet with their children, exposing them to a professional ballet and theater performance, regardless of their ability to pay. Many families face barriers to arts experiences due to financial considerations, misconceptions about ballet, unfamiliarity with cultural activities, or a lack of exposure to arts in school due to budget cuts. BFYP makes ballet more accessible through free admission or low-cost tickets, thereby allowing anyone who wishes the opportunity to celebrate dance and share the joy of the arts with their children. Child-friendly program guides are provided to attendees, which include activity pages, accessible information related to the production, as well as educational information on the history of ballet.
Programming is carefully selected to engage the young audience in a family-friendly atmosphere, and performances are introduced by brief intros to help kids relate to what they are seeing. Ballets scheduled for the 2013-2014 season include George Balanchine’s Serenade, excerpts from Sleeping Beauty and Marius Petipas’ breathtaking version of the literary classic Don Quixote. These productions will feature a mixture of MCB company dancers, apprentices, and the newly formed Student Ensemble, which was created to serve as an ambassador for MCB in the community.
Website: http://www.miamicityballet.org
PERFORMING ARTS CENTER OF LA COUNTY/MUSIC CENTER (2012-13)
The Music Center’s education programs have been adapted and strengthened over their 34-year history to accommodate the diverse and changing needs of the schools it serves. Today, ATP is comprised of the following components:
Artist-Teacher Planning Meetings are conducted throughout the residency to discuss the project focus, set curriculum goals and student outcomes, review lesson plans and ensure goals are being met.
Student Workshops provide comprehensive arts learning for students in elements, skills and vocabulary. They also help students make connections and practice new skills. In addition, workshops provide direct hands-on professional development opportunities for classroom teachers.
Culminating Activities allow students to demonstrate what they have learned during the program and reflect upon and assess their respective learning experiences.
Evaluation Meetings are held at the conclusion of each residency between teachers and Music Center staff to discuss project impact as well as next steps.
ATP residencies are comprised of at least 10 sequential sessions to provide more in-depth interaction between teaching artists and classroom teachers. To emphasize integration and thematic learning, all ATP activities integrate at least one of five Universal Themes developed specifically for the program: Enduring Values, Human Family, Transformation, Power of Nature and Freedom and Oppression. In 2012-13, we are looking at ways in which ATP can help deliver a sequential learning model across K-12 grades for schools with little or no exposure to arts education helping schools connect to their academic focus and drive learning in the arts.
The Music Center believes in the transformative power of the arts. Its long-term organizational goal is to create opportunities for the invaluable experience of the arts by promoting life-long learning as well as keeping artistic traditions alive and accessible for the community.
MARK DEGARMO & DANCERS/ DYNAMIC FORMS (2012-13)
Mark DeGarmo & Dancers/Dynamic Forms Inc. (MDDF)’s Partnerships in Literacy through Dance & Creativity with P.S. 15-Roberto Clemente School in New York City’s East Village will introduce the whole PreK-5 school community, including 225 students to dance and literacy connections.
Website: http://markdegarmoarts.org
New Orleans Ballet Association (201314)
For over 40 years, the New Orleans Ballet Association | NOBA has been serving and helping to advance the dance field with a mission to cultivate understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of dance through performance, education, and community service. In addition to the presentation of a Main Stage Season featuring world-class companies, NOBA provides almost 5,000 tuition-free dance classes to 1,500 students ages 6-18 annually throughout the New Orleans metro area, a Master Artist Series in which internationally-renowned dance artists work intensively with students, full-scale performances, family field trips to see Main Stage performances, student internships, and more. Working in partnership with multiple entities, the Dizzy Feet Foundation will fund sequentially based classes in community centers directly in the neighborhoods where participants live. Since its founding, NOBA’s after-school dance program provides complete and open access to quality training with a core curriculum of ballet with classes in hip hop, modern, tap, Brazilian, Haitian, and other dance forms. Students need only have an interest in dance to participate, and uniforms (leotards, tights, shoes) are available for students with need. Seventy-five percent of students are deemed low income and, for many, would have no other access to dance or arts programming.
Website: http://www.nobadance.com
Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp (2013-14)
Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp is the oldest continuously-operating arts camp in the nation. In 1913 Charlotte Perry and Portia Mansfield, pioneering artists and arts educators from Smith College, had a dream — a performing arts camp in the Rocky Mountains with renowned professional artists in an unparalleled setting. Legendary alumni and faculty include Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman, José Limón, Agnes de Mille, Hanya Holm, Valerie Bettis, Ruthanna Boris, Merce Cunningham, John Cage, Louis Horst, Julie Harris, Dustin Hoffman, Camille A. Brown, Kyle Abraham, Mandy Moore, Antonio Brown, Robert Battle, Jessica Biel, Lee Remick, Daniel Nagrin, Helen Tamiris. 200 students arrive each summer: Discovery (ages 8-10); Junior (ages 10-12); Young Artist (ages 13-15); Pre-Professional (ages 16-22). In 1995, the campus – 76 acres near Steamboat Springs – was added to the National Register of Historic Places, in recognition of its significance in the evolution of modern dance in America. In 2004, the founders were inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame for their positive imprint on the arts and culture of Colorado and the nation.
The founders’ vision — “creative practice through art and nature manifests in an insightful, compassionate, and courageous life” remains unchanged.
Website: http://perry-mansfield.org/
The Philadelphia Dance Company [PHILADANCO] (2013-2014)
The Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO) has benefitted four generations of Philadelphia children and youth through exceptional one-on-one guidance, mentorship, and performance opportunities. Young, predominantly African-American students are cultivated and supported through exquisite training in a wide variety of idioms, from classical ballet to modern dance. In addition to dance technique, students also develop social and personal skills, build confidence and grow as individuals.
PHILADANCO is unique in providing instruction that is accessible in cost, schedule, and geographic location for low- and moderate-income families. I & T was initially developed in response to the lack of opportunities for African-Americans in Philadelphia to study and pursue careers in dance. PHILADANCO has always followed a policy of inclusion, believing that those who are the most qualified and passionate deserve a chance to grow as both dancers and individuals, regardless of ethnicity, gender or ability to pay for world-class instruction.
SOUTH LANE BALLET ACADEMY (2012-13)
Small in population but huge in enthusiasm, Cottage Grove, Oregon is exceedingly proud of its ability to “Move Your Student Body” through a generous grant from the Dizzy Feet Foundation. Our town of 10,000 is economically disadvantaged but increasingly rich in arts appreciation, especially the love of dance. From the historic former city hall building South Lane Ballet Academy teaches ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop and modern dance to approximately 200 children six days a week. SLBA is able to draw from a talented and knowledgeable instructor pool from the nearby city of Eugene, home of the University of Oregon and the Eugene Ballet Company. In a community where 68% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches at public school, paying tuition to dance class is not possible for most families. As a result, SLBA teaches more than 50% of its students on scholarship. Our families are involved in our school’s success through volunteerism in everything from answering phones to cleaning studio floors. Our upper-level scholarship students assist in classes and tour with our Reve performing group.
Public outreach is a cornerstone of SLBA’s mission. We want to entertain, encourage and teach both arts appreciation and dance itself. In 2012 Reve toured with A Nutcracker Remix to nearly 1500 people at nursing homes, libraries and public schools. Continuing the outreach, we developed a free public school program we call “Move Your Student Body.” Hundreds of Cottage Grove and surrounding rural school students get up to three weeks of training that incorporates ballet, ethnic dance, hip hop and jazz as well as anatomy and health lessons. Members of our Reve performing group, ages 9 to 16, are ambassadors of dance to elementary students, demonstrating a grand jete and demi plie and helping children know their patella from their phalanges. Key to the success of this program is the fun the kids are having! “Everybody dance now” booms throughout the gym as children gleefully show off their newly learned choreography.
SLBA has expanded its scholarship offerings as a result of outreach. Students who are exposed to dance for the first time in their school gyms are now able to attend SLBA. Further, SLBA is implementing a “boys” ballet class for the first time in our history. While we’ve taught ballet to boys over the years, we have never before had the enrollment to make it a focus. Also on our agenda is the creation of a special needs dance class. Several children and young adults with developmental delays, physical challenges and autism attend our school currently. SLBA is proud to be working with local organizations to make a safe place for differently abled individuals to experience dance.
Dance can create joy, health, personal growth. Dance can entertain, enliven and engage an entire community – even a community with roots deep in the timber and agricultural industries! Thank you, Dizzy Feet Foundation, for helping us at SLBA bring dance to so many people who love it so much.
THE WOODEN FLOOR (2012-13)
Core Dance Education Program at The Wooden Floor. The Wooden Floor pioneered the practice of involving at-risk youth in the process of creating new, risk-taking art. Our approach to dance engages students in inventive participation and artistic creation that is original and idiosyncratic. The dance we value is about possibility and expansion. Through 54 dance education classes per week, and annual performance opportunities, 375 low-income, primarily Latino young artists bring themselves and their cultural background to the creative process. We uniquely bring this population together with artists to create and perform contemporary dance works that stand as works of art. For audiences, this challenges assumptions about who participates in this form of art-making and helps break down stereotypes that negatively affect our children. For our students, being on stage validates them and their point of view; they are seen and feel they matter. From this, they find their confidence and learn how to move forward.
The Wooden Floor’s Theory of Change is grounded in an approach to dance that values exploration, discovery and innovation, which leads to student success in school and life. A rigorous 10-level curriculum of Ballet and Modern includes Somatic Studies and Improvisation. Students will progress in dance proficiency, co-create new works in collaboration with established artists, develop creative problem-solving and inventive capacity, teamwork and community. In the dance studio, self-knowledge evolves into confidence, leadership, cooperative learning, well-being and joy. Rehearsal and performance will teach discipline, goal-setting, commitment and achievement through hard work. Students will perform 3 new works at our 30th Annual Concert, May 30-June 1, 2013.
Website: http://www.thewoodenfloor.org
Worcester Educational Development Foundation (2013-14)
The Worcester Educational Development Foundation, Inc. is pleased to partner with faculty of the Worcester Public Schools – Burncoat High School Dance Fine Arts Magnet Program to offer creative, arts-based alternatives to the traditional gym requirement high school students must fulfill as well as satisfy the new state standards requiring students to take a fine art course. This program is geared to meet the needs of any non- magnet student attending Burncoat High School (BHS) and expose them to the fine arts programs offered at BHS. Each of the courses being offered will provide students with a balanced range of activities throughout the medium of movement which will contribute to their overall development by helping them lead active and healthy lives. This program is a school wide program open to all children attending BHS. Students will be able to select from four courses in which they may participate in one period a day for five days a week. Courses include: Dance Movement 101, Hip Hop, Dance PE: Athletic Conditioning, and Tap. This partnership, with the generous support of the Dizzy Feet Foundation, will forever change the lives of hundreds of Worcester Public School students.
Website: http://www.WEDFWPS.org
VANCOUVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS (2012-13)
The Dizzy Feet Foundation Community Program Partnership will support an afterschool dance program for Vancouver Public School students ages 8-13. Students will receive a free dance class every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 at Vancouver School of Arts and Academics. Classes will be taught by certified dance teachers and National Honor Society for Dance Arts members will be teaching assistants. We are grateful for the opportunity to share our passion for dance with young students!
Young Audiences of Louisiana (2010-14)
Since 2010, DFF has sponsored an in-school tap dance program in New Orleans. Young Audiences of Louisiana serves over 800 students at two elementary schools through the Dizzy Feet funded Tap Institute. At almost any given time during the school day or after school, as well as on Saturday mornings, 1st through 5th graders at Lincoln Elementary School for the Arts and Woodmere Elementary School can be found learning the elements of tap dance, discovering the rich history of tap in New Orleans, and choreographing their own tap performances. These talented students have performed for their families and the greater community at a number of local events, including Young Audiences Winter and Spring Spotlights and New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Website: http://www.ya4la.org
Young Audiences of Oregon & South West Washington (2009-11)
In 2010, DFF sponsored an in-school hip hop and ballroom dance programs for 5th graders at Hartley Elementary School and Rosa Parks Elementary School in Portland through Young Audiences of Oregon & SW Washington. Both schools are Title 1, and each program serves 160 students.
In the fall of 2011, DFF underwrote a “Making Science Dance” curriculum at Salish Ponds Elementary School, a Title 1 school in Fairview, Oregon. Led by dancers from the Bodyvox professional dance company, the program taught students basic modern dance and performance techniques and used them to illustrate science concepts like force, direction, velocity and to explore the workings of the solar system, plant biology and physics. The program served all 515 students in the school and provided them with five one-hour weekly sessions.
Website: http://www.ya-or.org