School Dance Education in UK
The article is a couple of weeks old but it's a great story.

I know that a few isolated school systems in the US have tried some form of dance education (remember "Mad Hot Ballroom"?) but the idea has really not spread very far.

Having been a public school teacher years ago, I am absolutely certain that adding ballroom dancing (including Latin) to a school's curriculum would do a great deal to promote self-confidence and respect for others, especially girls.

Of course, given the regressive political climate in the US, this proposal has absolutely no chance whatsoever of being implemented except in a few progressive areas.

Great idea, though.



jj

jofjonesboro. Anybody who cares to Google Dance Easy and go to Dance Easy will see that we have a government program for teaching Ballroom Dancing in schools Public or otherwise. Some European countries have been doing this for years. Some teachers here are making a reasonable living teaching in schools every week.
Some schools are obviously off the beaten track. They can apply and get fee a Dance Pack which will help a Phys
Ed teacher on how to go about it.

Since the documentary "Mad Hot Ballroom" was released a few years ago, I have often said that ballroom dancing in our schools would be an excellent course study. The film shows what it does for kids in New York public schools, so why wouldn't it work just about everywhere? Cost and time would be the most likely hindrance to this idea, plus you need some people who know and love ballroom to spearhead it. I know our dance studio did a short series in some of the elementary schools, introducing kids to ballroom. And it went over quite well. But no one in the school system is progressive enough to embrace and promote it as a widespread program.

Chicago Public Schools promotes ballroom dance as part of its 5th grade curriculum - students in its "Having a Ball" ballroom dance intensive learn a combination of Latin and Standard dances and meet 3 times per week during the regular school day. Ideally it would be more wide spread however funding is (as always) an issue. However the positive impact on the children who do get to participate is incredible.

Wasn't that program started under the guy whom President-elect Obama will nominate to be Secretary of Education?



jj