It seems that each student in the video had at least one connecting movement to another dancer, and then used their own movement vocabulary to "say something" about themselves. Most students taped themselves inside their homes, while others chose to be outside, another element of choice in the project.

There was a mix of technical ability among the students, but each was able to use their movement choices to participate and to be an integral part of the collection. The transition from everyday activity (sitting on the couch reading a book) to whole dance movement and then back to reading is a great way to highlight how Dance can be a part of every child and person's daily activities.

Student projects can serve deeper purposes, including discipline, creativity, collaboration, self expression, stress relief, social justice, and more. When students present their work through performances, multimedia, or workshops, they make Dance visible in their community (school and outside). That visibility both celebrates current dance programming and strengthens the case for future support.

Social Media Campaigns: Share student reflections, rehearsal clips, and performance highlights to build visibility for the dance program.

Student Ambassadors: Have advanced students present at school assemblies or board meetings to speak about the value of dance education.

Cultural Exchange Events: Celebrate diverse dance forms through festivals or “world dance days” that highlight inclusion and global awareness.

Advocacy through Art: Create visual displays or short films about “Why Dance Matters” to exhibit around the school.

Dance programs that allow students to become advocates not only emphasize their creative influence, but also confirm dance as an integral component of a well-rounded education.

This type of project is a great way to showcase the importance of Dance, education in schools. Displaying how Dance requires collaboration, teamwork, creativity, discipline, and hard work can help educate people on the importance of arts in schools.

Ways in which I can advocate for my dance program and students is by continually representing the deep thinking that is done within our dance space. It is often lost amongst consumers of the arts, the deeper learning that exists within the process of art making. Not just the glitz of glamour of performance, but in the teamwork collaboration and discipline, it takes to participate in the arts. Group projects, student choreography, student reflections/journals, multimedia, dance films are mediums to demonstrate this learning.

One way of advocating for my dance program and students is by creating opportunities where families and other members of the school community (classroom teachers, administrators, etc.) can witness the students’ dance work in a performance, recital, or open class. The performance can serve as an exhibit to showcase the “final work” created by the students, as well as their development process and experience. This could include journals, a slideshow of pictures, and videos of different drafts of each dance. While it is crucial to place dance learning at the center of educational dance, I believe it is helpful to demonstrate how dance can also serve as a vehicle to access other subjects. Sharing with classroom teachers and families how students can develop literacy skills through dance could be a powerful way of advocating for a dance program.

This project advocates for dance in public schools, because it demonstrated how dance reaches beyond obstacles to foster connection. The Dance Connects video is a testament to how dance builds resiliency and offers students a chance to express themselves without words. Educational dance connects different cultures through shared experiences and creates opportunities for social emotional learning.

I believe that educators could continue to utilize technology to advocate for dance in public schools. Sharing examples of student work (with parental consent) on blogs, Substacks, or online videos is a simple way to highlight all that our students are learning and achieving within our classrooms. This also creates new opportunities for dance programs to foster community and collaboration throughout the city, allowing students to connect with peers of different backgrounds and ages.

Dance Methods- 2 FALL 2025

Professor Dr. Ana Nery Fragoso

MA Student: Tatiana H. Green

HW Response:

The Dance Connects video beautifully highlights how impactful dance can be in online learning. Dance provides access to community and communication beyond words. I was inspired by how the dancers traced steps, communicated through eye contact, and used rhythm to build trust and connection a powerful tool for artists sharing through movement language.

The choreography felt both intentional and spontaneous, showcasing how movers of different ages can unite through shared energy. This reminded me of the importance of creating classroom spaces where students connect through movement, empathy, and collaboration. As a Dance Educator, I will encourage students to explore movement through media by engaging in filming mini dance projects. These recordings can serve as Dance time capsules, capturing students’ growth from the beginning to the end of the year. Memorable playbacks of students classroom learning during rehearsals, and performances can provide evidence of student work, while also expressing their identities through dance. I truly enjoyed the video, I’m looking forward to create an exotic experience like that, because it was popping dance lesson.

Thank you,

Tatiana H. Green

What touched me the most was how each child expressed energy, creativity, and resilience through movement. Even in a virtual environment, dance remained a way for students to communicate, to stay positive, and to feel part of something larger. This perfectly reflects what I believe about dance education—it is not only about learning choreography or performance skills, but also about connecting hearts, healing emotions, and building community.

As a DOE dance teacher, I see projects like Dance Connects as essential for student growth. They allow students to use dance as a voice for advocacy—to show that the arts matter, that movement can express what words cannot. Through these creative projects, students learn empathy, teamwork, and leadership. They also realize that their artistic expression can bring people together and make an impact beyond the classroom.

I hope to continue fostering this kind of spirit in my own teaching. Whether in person or online, I want my students to feel that dance gives them a sense of belonging and empowerment. Just like in Dance Connects, even if we move separately, our hearts and creativity can always move together.

For me, it is captivating to see students actively participating, engaging, and showcasing their dances to build virtual connections. This is both exciting and inspiring, as their dances help create bonds and break the isolation experienced during the pandemic. By participating in meaningful dance performances, students engage in creative, expressive, and culturally rich activities that showcase their talents and advocate for the important role of dance education in schools. Organizing school-wide or community performances to demonstrate students' artistry and skill highlights the true value of dance education.

This project can also be viewed as an act of protest and resilience through hardship which is how dance has been used throughout history. Not only was COVID-19 a difficult time in terms of the pandemic, it was also a challenging time for many communities facing heightened racism and prejudice. Projects like these are important to uplift students voices and give space to tell their artistic and individual expression through movement in a collaborative way. Having all students of different backgrounds, abilities, and ages represent the community that exists and will continue to thrive in NYC schools.

Leading up to the trip, the class began to do projects, watch videos about to show and choreographer, learn and have discussions about theater etiquette.

Advocating for experiences like these are a beautiful way to create generational experiences, as well as create dance opportunities our school communities have not seen in the past.

Creating projects like “Dance Connects” provides administrators and families with physical evidence of the learning that happens in the dance classroom. People who are not familiar with dance need something tangible to understand the impact it has on students. This video shows that students are learning how to choreograph, collaborate with peers, perform, and utilize their technique. Incorporating film projects into the dance curriculum is a great way for students to collect “notes” or keepsakes of their movement explorations. They can explore their creativity, choreography, and voice while also investigating a different medium of dance. 

There are also so many other creative ways to advocate for a school dance program beyond student projects. Collaborating with classroom teachers to integrate movement into literacy, science, or social studies lessons highlights how dance supports academic learning, not just physical activity. Hallway displays, student quotes, or “dance fact posters” are simple but effective ways to make dance visible in the school building. Another idea is to create “Dance Ambassadors” students who help lead warm-ups, speak at meetings, or introduce dances at performances because sometimes the strongest advocacy comes straight from the students. 

Advocacy can even be woven into everyday teaching, for example, by having students reflect in journals on how dance makes them feel, or by collecting simple before and after mood check-ins to show how movement supports mental health. When we document and share these things, we’re not just showing cute moments; we’re documenting dance as essential to student growth. As dance educators, we already know the impact our classes have on confidence, identity, expression, and wellbeing, but the more we share student voices, data, and joyful moments with the wider school community, the harder it becomes for anyone to dismiss the value of dance education.