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Dance Education Blog

NDEO's "Dance Education" Blog features articles written by NDEO members about dance and dance education topics as well as periodic updates on NDEO programs and services. This is a FREE resource available to ALL.

By Zachary Keita, NAfME Public Policy and Advocacy Communications Manager ~~ In the early days of his administration, President Donald J. Trump has taken significant action to push forward his vision for the U.S. Department of Education and the federal role in education. Beginning on January 20, 2025, the administration has issued a series of executive orders and agency memos that would eliminate all federal government diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) practice, freeze all disburs...
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By Patch Schwadron, Independent Career Consultant ~~ Beyond learning technique, dancers need to develop and practice strategies for managing their mental and physical health, finances, and career options. As with all their acquiring of life skills, dancers in training can benefit from practical support provided by knowledgeable adults around them. At the Fund, I responded to a request from a dance professor at Florida State University to talk to students about how to use their college years to p...
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By Lydia Hance, Founder & Artistic Director, Frame Dance ~~ As early childhood educators, we have a profound opportunity to nurture the social development of our youngest students. Through dance, we can support the healthy growth of social skills, helping children understand themselves in relation to the world around them. Ensemble work in the dance studio becomes a metaphor for their growing understanding of community, cooperation, and collaboration—skills that will shape their ability to conn...
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by Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects ~~ As dance education professionals, we understand the dynamic, affirming, community-building power of dance. But unfortunately, we live in a time when dance is increasingly misunderstood, misrepresented, underfunded, and undervalued. The challenges facing the field of dance education at this moment cannot be overstated. Funding for the arts, at every level, is increasingly at risk. Dance programs in K-12 and higher education are being dismantled at...
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by Pascal Rekoert, Assistant Professor and Dance Education Program Director at Central Connecticut State University ~~ Successful educators continually adopt a sense of curiosity in their work environment, ideally adjusting to their community’s needs and learning attitudes. As teachers, we are leaders who strengthen our community in the microcosm of our learning spaces, guiding individual students toward success. It is imperative to build (or revisit) our teaching philosophy annually. While thi...
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by Nadia Ureña, NDEO Intern, Fall 2024 ~~ For college applications, merit awards, grants, or even just simple showcases, dancers are often asked to describe their own choreography in writing.Yet where does one begin? How can an entire choreographic process and work be described in a simple paragraph. Additionally, dance makers may feel challenged to condense longer works into simple ideas. As a former undergraduate and graduate student in dance, choreographer, and a teaching assistant of several...
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By Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects ~~ In this post, we will focus on how dance educators can better connect with high school age dance students. We are defining high school age dance students as those approximately age 14-18, in grades 9-12. High school students are navigating the transition to adulthood. As the non-profit EL Education describes, “As students transition into and through high school, they are able to make more connections between their actions and the impact of those...
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By Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects ~~ In this post, we will focus on how dance educators can better connect with middle school age dance students. We are defining middle school age dance students as those approximately age 11-13, in grades 6-8. Middle school students face unique challenges, and dance educators in turn have a special opportunity to reach and impact these students through dance - although it isn’t always easy. According to the Association for Middle Level Education (...
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By Zachary Keita, NAfME Advocacy and Public Policy Communications Manager ~~ After years of advocacy from the arts education community, multiple meetings with U.S. Department of Education (ED) officials, and bipartisan support from Congress, arts educators now have long-needed guidance to help them access resources for their programs. On October 2, ED sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to state education agencies detailing how federal funds can be used to support arts education across the United S...
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By Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects ~~ In this post, we will focus on how dance educators can better connect with elementary school age dance students. We are defining elementary age dance students as those approximately age 5-10, in kindergarten through 5th grade. Many elementary age dance students come to class excited to learn and explore movement, and they tend to be enthusiastic learners. However, their eagerness can at times lead to unruly behaviors or quickly turn to boredom wh...
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by Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects ~~ In this post, we will focus on how dance educators can better connect with preschool school age dance students. We are defining preschool age dance students as those approximately age 3 to 5 years old, who may or may not be enrolled in a formal early childhood education program. Preschool dance classes can be some of the most challenging to teach, and dance teachers may be uncomfortable working with students in this age group for a variety of rea...
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Shannon Dooling-Cain | 11 Oct, 2024 | 0 Comments |
By Amanda Karhuse, NAfME Assistant Executive Director for Advocacy and Public Policy ~~ Following the May announcement of a new partnership to amplify the value of arts education through joint advocacy work, the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), the National Art Education Association (NAEA), the National Association for Media Arts Education (NAMAE), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) co-hosted a webinar during National...
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by Helen Buck-Pavlick, Doctoral Student, The Ohio State University ~~ In July, the House Appropriations Committee approved the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies 2025 funding bill. The Committee recommended a discretionary funding budget of $67.9 billion for the Department of Education, cutting 13% ($11.1 billion) of the Department of Education budget from fiscal year 2024, returning funding to 2012 levels. If enacted, this bill would reduce or eliminate programs t...
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by Shannon Dooling-Cain, NDEO Special Projects ~~ In this blog series, we are exploring ways to help dance educators foster better connections with their students, so that they can teach more effectively and meaningfully. This blog series features insight from NDEO members who responded to a call for submissions, as well as ideas gleaned from resources used in our OPDI courses for dance educators...
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by Nisha Pradeep, Bharathanatyam Dancer, Teacher, and Choreographer ~~ The sound of a chollu (sound/syllable) or a sound uttered has a life. It may live for a few seconds to even as small as a millisecond. The skill of a dancer is in embodying that sound fully and wholly within their movement. Every movement sequence (adavu) in Bharathanatyam is associated with a specific sequence of syllables set to rhythmic pattern. The dancer executes each movement sequence in accordance to this rhythmic syll...
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