Today’s schools are deeply concerned with student achievement. We make natural connections with the curriculum (math, science, reading) through pushing back the desks and dancing it. Children are learning about artistic expression and academic areas through dance. When a child embodies a concept it becomes embedded, leading to long-term retention and application to other areas.
We use dance/creative movement as an educational tool to contribute to students’ artistic development, academic achievement, and quality of life. Through MoDE, our highly trained dance educators develop K-12 curriculum integrating dance with math, science, language arts, social studies, health, theatre, music, art, and physical education.
Children in Western Montana are dancing in school. Second-graders are demonstrating adverbs; fourth-graders are dancing place value. Seventh-graders perform hip-hop in PE, and high-school drama students choreograph movement-theatre performances. Three years ago, 99% of these students had never danced before. Through Montana’s Model Dance Education Project (MoDE), dance programs have begun through a combined school and grant-supported project. Grounded in standards-based, arts integration, the first two years of MoDE have been launched with great success.
2010-2011 Participating Schools
School |
Location |
Grades |
Curricular areas |
Dates |
Arlee Elementary |
Arlee, MT |
K-6 |
Math & Science |
October-December 2010 |
Bigfork Elementary |
Bigfork, MT |
K-5 |
All areas |
January-June 2011 |
Bigfork Middle School |
Bigfork, MT |
7-8 |
Health/PE |
January-June 2011 |
Big Sky High School |
Missoula, MT |
10-12 |
Theatre |
January-April 2011 |
Hellgate High School |
Missoula, MT |
9-12 |
Theatre |
October-November 2010 & April-May 2011 |
Paxson Elementary |
Missoula, MT |
K-2 |
Literacy & Math |
January-March 2011 |
Rattlesnake Elementary |
Missoula, MT |
2 |
Math & Communication Arts |
October 2010-May, 2011 |
