Dancing Classrooms is a 10 week/20 session standards-based social development program for 5th & 8th graders that uses ballroom dancing to change the lives of children. A Steering Committee of passionate local residents plans to pilot this internationally recognized program for 5th graders in one Albuquerque and one Rio Rancho elementary school this coming Spring. These Pilots are Phase I of Dancing Classrooms New Mexico (December 2011-June 2012).
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, teamwork, confidence and a sense of joy and accomplishment, which we hope to bring to every child. Ballroom dance is the medium we use to nurture these qualities.
For more information about the National Network and the explosive growth of Dancing Classrooms worldwide, go to www.dancingclassrooms.com.
Mission:
Our mission is to build social awareness, confidence and self-esteem in children through the practice of social dance.
History:
In 1994 Pierre Dulaine volunteered to teach a dance class at the Professional Performing Arts School on West 48th Street in Manhattan.
From this beginning, Pierre developed Dancing Classrooms a 10 week/20 session standards-based social development program for 5th & 8th grade children that utilizes ballroom dancing as a vehicle to change the lives of not only the children who participate in the program but also the lives of the teachers and parents who support these children.
In 2005 Mad Hot Ballroom, an award-winning documentary capturing the Dancing Classrooms journey from classroom experience to the culminating Colors of the Rainbow Team Match was released. Take the Lead (with Antonio Banderas) was released in 2006 and depicted Pierre’s efforts to utilize ballroom dancing to help NYC youth regain a sense
of self-respect, pride, and elegance. Both of these movies greatly accelerated national, and international, interest in Dancing Classrooms.
In 2006, Dancing Classrooms New York City began developing Dancing Classrooms sites throughout the US and Internationally. During the 2010-11 school year Dancing Classrooms served 42,000 children in 509 schools in 24 cities: New York City, Newark, Omaha, Fort Worth/Dallas, Toronto, Philadelphia, Suffolk County (NY), Fort Myers & Florida Keys (FL), Cleveland, Lake Charles (LA), Monterey & Santa Cruz (CA), Geneva (Switz), Pittsburgh, St. Louis, US Virgin Islands, Western Maryland, Winston-Salem, Seattle, Phoenix, Stamford (CT), and Zurich (Switz).
