Dancing Classrooms

1

• Dancing Classrooms
• Teaching Children to Take a Bow
• 2006 - 2008

2
Changing Lives Through Dance

• 1994 Pierre Dulaine American Ballroom Theater
  begin Dancing Classrooms
  
• Social development program for 5th grade boys
  girls
  
• 10 weeks, twenty 45 minute classes
• In school vs. afterschool
• All fifth grade classes in a school
• Merengue, Foxtrot, Rumba, Tango, Swing, Waltz
• 2007-2008 35,000 children in 300 schools in 6
  cities
  

3
Changing Lives Through Dance

• 2006
• Join the Dance (Canada) commences negotiations
  with American Ballroom Theatre and Toronto
  District School Board
  
• March 2007
• Commence pilot program in 6 schools with 385
  grade 4, 5 6 students
  
• Independent disability program for 30 girls with
  significant learning and mild intellectual
  disabilities
  
• October 2007
• Full program implementation in 15 elementary
  schools with 850 students
  
• Dance For Life modified Dancing Classrooms
  program for 24 secondary school young women with
  significant learning and mild intellectual
  disabilities
• January 2008
• Term 2 in 13 schools with 700 students
• April 2008
• Term 2 in 11 schools with 550 students

4
The Dulaine Method

• Comprehensive survey of Teaching Artists
• What is the Dulaine Method philosophy?
• Respect Compassion
• Being Present
• Creating a Safe Place
• Command Control
• Language Body Verbal
• Humor Joy

• What is the Method?
• Clear compelling philosophy
• Rigorous systematic training
• Replicate on a large scale

5
National Network Goals June 2010

• 25-30 US sites 2-3 International
• 175,000 5th graders annually
• 2-3 Regional Training Centers
• 30 Senior Teaching Artists
• 5 Dulaine Method Teaching Artists
• Annual National Conference in NYC

6
American Interest

• Mad Hot Ballroom 2005
• Take the Lead 2006
• Pilot Sites Omaha, Ft. Worth/Dallas, Newark,
  Toronto, Philadelphia, Suffolk County, NY, and
  Ft. Myers, Florida
  
• Potential 2008 Sites Atlanta, Austin,
  Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, San
  Diego, Tallahassee, Waco.
  
• National Network Plan Director

7
American Interest

• Dancing Classrooms has enjoyed ongoing media
  fascination the program and its founders are
  frequently featured on network television, in
  national publications and newspapers, including
  outlets such as the New York Times, The CBS Early
  Show, and Time magazine.

8
Torontos Media Interest

• Pierre Dulaine, his philosophy and phenomenal
  success in New York City, are not strangers to
  Toronto. Hollywoods tribute Take the Lead was
  filmed and premiered here in 2006 to much acclaim
  following the international release and success
  of the Mad Hot Ballroom documentary in 2005.
• Canadian press and television media have
  demonstrated no less enthusiasm and support than
  their New York City and other U.S. counterparts.
  Dancing Classrooms is a good news story that
  they continue to share with enthusiasm since the
  program launch in March 2007.

• Dance Time Magazine
• .

9
Research

• Dr. Larry Nelson, UTA College of Education,
  Arlington, Texas 2006
  
• Pre post test protocol on 624 5th graders
  (1/3rd in control group)
  
• Sense of Mastery Global Scale
• Optimism Confidence subscale
• Self-Efficacy Motivation subscale
• Health Wellness subscale
• Sense of Relatedness Scale
• Trusting Others subscale
• Social Support subscale
• Comfort Connectedness subscale
• Diversity Compassion for other subscale
• School Environment subscale

• Very Strong Statistical Difference
• If I try hard it makes a difference.
• There are people who will help me if something
  bad happens.
  
• I get a lot of encouragement at my school.
• School will help me be successful.
• Strong Statistical Difference
• I will be happy and successful when I grow up.
• I am getting the exercise that I need.
• People accept me for who I am.
• I feel supported.
• It makes me sad to see a girl or boy who cannot
  find anyone to play with.
  
• I respect people who are different then I am.
• Social Support within the Sense of Relatedness
  scale) showed a Very Strong Statistical Difference

10
Research

• Study 1 Dancing Classrooms Impact on Obesity,
  Fitness, Wellness
  
• increase in childhood diabetes
• use wireless heart-rate monitoring equipment with
  participants to measure dancing classrooms
  fitness impact.
  
• Study 2 Dancing Classrooms Impact on School
  Climate
  
• Relationships
• Personal Growth and/or Goal Orientation
• System Change and System Maintenance
• Corollary comparisons with absenteeism,
  discipline problems, and academic success
  

• Study 3 Dancing Classrooms - Colors of the
  Rainbow Competition
  
• Other research issues
• Teen Violence Prevention
• Implementing a nationwide first semester
  evaluation
  
• Teacher Turnover by improving School Climate
  can a school district reduce teacher turnover
  
• Teen Pregnancy by improving respect between 5th
  grade boys girls, can you reduce teen
  pregnancies in middle school
  
• All sites are being encouraged to do research
  evaluation results to be shared throughout the
  Dancing Classrooms network16
  

11
Program Cost 2008-09

• Cost per school - 7,700
• 40 borne by schools - 3,080
• 60 borne by community sponsors - 4,620
• Academic Yr. 08/09 projected intake 15-20
  schools p/term
  
• Program Delivery
• 2 classes of a maximum of 30 students per class
  for 10 weeks
  
• Each class receiving two 50-minute sessions of
  specialized ballroom dance character
  development training per week
  
• End of program in-school showcase
• An opportunity to compete in the Team Match
  Semi-Finals and the Colours of the Rainbow
  Quarter Finals
  
• An opportunity to compete for the annual Colours
  of the Rainbow Dance Trophy

• Program costs cover the cost of providing a
  minimum of
  
• 1 trained lead dance artist at each session
• 1 trained buddy dance artist at 12th lesson
  partnering session
  
• Ongoing coordination and communication with
  schools and dance artists throughout program
  delivery
  
• Program Management, Quality Control and Key
  Administrative services
  
• Certain Program expenses associated with
  supporting schools in preparation for and
  participation in various Dancing Classrooms
  special events.