SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
Dance Initiative collaborates with public schools in the Roaring Fork Valley to provide dance education that is accessible to youth from different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds and that focuses on educating the whole person as dancer, lifelong learner, and creative citizen.
In 2015, Dance Initiative identified that access to dance and movement arts education is often inaccessible to youth in the Roaring Fork Valley. In response, Dance Initiative created an in-school dance and movement program that we bring to local school PE classes. Our program can be adapted and modified for each public school’s needs and schedule. Our school education programs are typically six to eight weeks.
DANCE INITIATIVE PROVIDES DANCE TEACHERS FOCUSED ON BRAIN COMPATIBLE DANCE, HIP HOP, WORLD DANCE, CREATIVE DANCE, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.
CURRICULUM
Our program is not based on traditional dance instruction (Ballet, Jazz, or Tap), and instead works with students using creative dance, a variety of world dances, and breakdancing. We have a holistic approach that develops every student into a whole dancer as skilled technician, critical thinker, collaborator, story teller, and creator. We emphasize body awareness concepts like the vestibular system, levels, rhythms, patterns, pathways, speed, and spacial boundaries. Our program has historically met state standards for dance in P.E. and we strive to work with each school to understand their specific themes and focus points in addition to keeping our eye on touchstones such as cooperation, personal expression, and artistic appreciation, not to mention fun! Our social justice component is new as of 2021 and includes concepts of inclusion, understanding “othering,” body acceptance and positivity, community, and compassion. Dance Initiative currently serves Glenwood Springs Elementary School, Carbondale Middle School, Carbondale Community School, and Basalt Elementary School.
MEASURABLE OUTCOMES
Dance Initiative conducts pre- and post-session student surveys to measure success by evaluating physical benefits, social benefits, emotional benefits, and intellectual benefits. Physical benefits include increased body awareness, control, balance, and coordination. Social benefits include learning to cooperate and problem solve with others through partner and group work. Emotional benefits include increased self esteem and self awareness through expression and reflection. And finally, intellectual benefits include acquisition of movement vocabulary, both verbal and physical, as well as development of neural pathways through developments patterns that ready the brain for learning in the classroom.
IMPACT
Dance Initiative hires, trains, and pays the creative dance teachers to implement these programs in the RE1 School District. This program is funded in part by local and regional grants as well as individual gifts from community members who are passionate about dance education. In the 2021/22 school year, more than 1,500 students, ages 6-14, received dance education, and an average of 40% of students are on Free and Reduced Lunch programs. This is an invaluable, no-cost service to our valley’s youth.
A donation of $50 serves 30 kids for one day of dance education in school. Your contribution makes a tremendous difference.
DONATE TODAY
MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS
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Johier Begay has been breaking on and off for about ten years. He taught himself moves like the robot and moonwalk and remembers being outside, practicing on the sidewalk for hours when he was young. He got into breaking in 8th grade when he volunteered to be a breakdancing reindeer - his music class was preforming Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer turned hip hop. After teaching himself a couple moves, he was hooked. He loved the energy behind breaking and he fell in love with the culture of hip hop in general.
Chasing battles, jams, and classes kept him going. He taught himself 90% of what he know by watching pros. Then he would go out and push himself. Countless bruises and soreness only motivated him more to reach his goals and keep it real, practicing anywhere he could, from concrete to grass, and in gyms.
Battling is a quintessential element to breaking, you train to win dance battles, but training is a never ending battle against oneself to blow past the inherent plateaus that come with learning this dance. Breaking keeps him humble and builds his confidence. He recognizes it has kept him out of trouble, given him a healthy outlet, and helped him learn more about himself and how he faces challenges. Johier works to pass on these lessons in the classroom with Dance Initiative’s program.
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Joan is a dance teacher, choreographer and performer that entered into the dance industry when she was 18 years old, when most considered her age to be “too old” and “too late.” A majority of her dance training comes from attending workshops and classes in heels/stiletto dance, technical jazz, hip hop & yoga. For 20 years, Joan has been an advocate to make dance an accessible in form of expression, discovery and wellness through choreography and teaching for Youth For Christ, 24 Hour Fitness, National Women's Basketball League, Lifetime Fitness & The University of Texas at Dallas.
She has professionally performed with Bally Total Fitness, Dallas NRG, Fort Worth Rim Rockers, WFAA’s Good Morning Texas, Nike, Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, NBA Dallas Mavericks Dancers & Dallas Desperados Arena Football League. Joan now has a deep passion for inspiring and empowering students through movement and dance. She teaches fun, energetic dance classes. She finds great fulfillment in seeing her students radiate joy & liberate their natural performance energy through dancing in her classes.