Dear Readers:
As we move into the summer months, many dance educators have freer schedules, allowing for reflection and envisioning plans for the next school year. I hope the articles and columns in this issue support you in that process.
This issue begins with our “Practical Resources for Dance Educators” column, written by guest columnists Alesondra Christmas, Jazelynn Goudy, and Davianna Griffin. They discuss the vital importance of uprooting racism and sizeism from the dance classroom, and they include history, context, and practical suggestions. This is followed by Allegra and Nancy Romita’s article on the topic of student-centered alignment cueing that honors all bodies.
Next is Mijkalena Smith’s article on teaching teenagers effectively, giving advice on how to create a positive environment and not to mistake insecurity for apathy. In the following article, Christine Mazeppa describes how she guides her high school students to use the format of the well-known five-paragraph essay as a structure for creating choreography.
The issue ends with an informative NDEO Works column by guest columnist Dale Schmid. It introduces the Connected Arts Network (CAN) initiative, which is a project funded by the U.S. Department of Education that aims to “create a sustainable model for professional learning among arts educators in public schools and public charter schools with a focus on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL).” Dale provides specific goals, describes the demographics of the teacher-leaders, and gives an overview of the work thus far and the work to come.
I encourage readers to consider sharing your innovative dance teaching practices by writing an article for DEiP. We welcome emerging as well as experienced writers.
Executive Editor, Dance Education in Practice
Professor and Head of Dance, Montclair State University
[email protected]
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).