The New York City Department of Education and the New York City public schools partnership has made a significant impact on the quality of dance education in America.
Not only did they produce the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Dance, Grades PreK-12 in 2007 with an assembled cast of stellar educators, administrators, and artists, they now are able to show the results of having put this kind of far-sighted blueprint into action with a PBS special that features one of its public schools.
This week they air an important documentary, PS Dance–Supporting Dance for Every Child! They write: “Our new documentary about dance education PS DANCE! airs this Friday on THIRTEEN/WNET in New York at 10:30pm. After May 15, it will also be available for viewing online at http://thirteen.org/specials . For us, it’s more than just a film, it’s a movement to get dance education in schools everywhere! #danceforeverychild This documentary will no doubt be a beacon to those who aspire to implement dance as a holistic educational and artistic subject in rigorous school-based programs.
With the documentary film and the Blueprint, they have the recipe to start a movement worldwide! It’s high time someone did! Don’t miss the film. And if you want to share it with others after May 15, 2015, do so at the link above.
The Blueprint is a milestone for the NYC Department of Education but its ripples can be felt around the world. NYC DoE shares it with the world through a link to the Blueprint website. If you haven’t looked at it, please do. It should be required reading for K-12 dance educators for it lays out so clearly the content and skills that programs around the world should emulate. Higher education dance programs should also take notice, because this is how they should be preparing pre-service dance educators today for the future of dance education.
To read through the blueprint is to get a detailed vision of what dance education should incorporate. In a world where too many K-12 dance programs are still “dance” (technique and production dominated) instead of holistic “dance education,” the Blueprint should also be required reading for principals who have–or aspire to have– dance in their schools. This publication brings to life—in word and concept- what the new National Core Arts Standards in Dance desire. Let’s get on board with the movement.
We’d love your help in sharing the official trailer for the film:
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By Brenda Pugh McCutchen
Dance Curriculum Designs LLC
www.dancecurriculumdesigns.com