Dancing Classrooms was launched in 1994 as a not-for-profit project of the American Ballroom Theater Company. It is an arts-in-education program teaching ballroom dance to the upper elementary, junior high and high school students of participating schools. As seen in the documentary film Mad Hot Ballroom, Dancing Classrooms is an in-school residency for every child, regardless of background or experience.
While Dancing Classrooms has been hailed as an effective program for teaching social dance, the program provides many other benefits. Dancing Classrooms is about creating an atmosphere which allows students who are typically introverted and reserved, to step out and shine. It focuses physical energies and increases health through the joy of movement. It builds self-esteem and interactive social skills as it improves confidence and children’s ability to relate to others.
“Dancing is about connections … to our friends, to our families, to our neighbors. It is one of the most expressive ways we celebrate and communicate our cultures and communities. With Dancing Classrooms, we are able to reach children in existing classroom settings and address fundamental issues of mutual respect and self-esteem – issues that social dance puts into practice. We hope to inspire children through dance to do well, to respect one another, to be proud. This program is about more than dance, it is about teaching children to take a bow.”
- Pierre Dulaine & Yvonne Marceau
Mission
Our mission is to build social awareness, confidence and self-esteem in children through the practice of social dance.
Through standards based, in-school residencies, we use the vocabulary of ballroom dance to cultivate the positive feelings that are inherent in every child. The maturity necessary to dance together fosters respect, team work, confidence and a sense of joy and accomplishment, that we hope to bring to every child. Ballroom dance is the medium we use to nurture these qualities.
History
Dancing Classrooms was launched in 1994 by world-renowned ballroom dancers Pierre Dulaine and Yvonne Marceau. The program is a not-for-profit project of the American Ballroom Theater Company, designed to bring social awareness, confidence and self esteem to children.
Since its inception, Dancing Classrooms has expanded from one 5th grade class of 30 students, to over 18,000 students in the New York City area. We now employ over 65 instructors, teach over 650 courses, and participate in approximately 180 New York City schools. The program is also currently active in several U.S. cities and is expanding nationwide. Dancing Classrooms is a trademarked entity. For further information about bringing the program to your community, please visit the “How To Get Involved” section of our website or contact Pierre Dulaine at 212.244.9442.
- Growth chart (PDF)
children's photographs by Ellen Crane