My students amaze me every day with their hard work and their drive to be successful in life. I teach dance at a Title 1 school where the majority of my students live in poverty. Some are facing hunger and many other challenges. My students lack the resources that would enable them to participate in classes or teams outside of school. When students participate in the DMS dance program, they have the opportunity to grow socially, physically, and emotionally.
Covid-19 has impacted learning for my students, as it eliminated in class experiences and opportunities to perform.
Practicing together and performances are the ways my students develop socially, increase their self esteem and enjoy good mental health. When we were unable to hold in person classes we used Zoom, which allowed us to teach the basics of dance. The spirit of a group experience and camaraderie of a dance team were missing. The isolation of Zoom classes did not have the same impact on the dancers as being together in a studio. In a group situation students who are timid and shy at the beginning of the year, quickly develop more confidence and start to believe they can accomplish.
My Project
The requested resources will be used to purchase costumes for the dance program. During Covid-19 lockdown all performances, in school dancing, assemblies, and recruiting stopped, which caused these students to lose their support group and turn away from expressing themselves. Performances help build the students' social-emotional development and increase their self confidence. The funds of this project will make it possible for students to share their skills and knowledge of dance while rebuilding their self-esteem and sense of belonging to a team.
Costuming is just as important to a performance as the music and choreography.
We use costumes in assemblies, concerts, and district concerts that help promote dance in the school. In the last four years the dance program at DMS has gone from 5 students to 130. I have frequently seen students too timid to dance in class, blossom when they put on a costume and perform in a concert.
The funds being provided will make it possible for the dance program to reach out to more students and help them build their social learning through dance.
More than a third of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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