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A New Era

Summer is always intense for us at Luna.  We hold week-after-week of dance camps for youth and week-after-week of workshop intensives for teachers and dance professionals.  This year stretched our small staff to the brink as we added to the usual load a move to our “forever” space in West Berkeley and an intense hiring process.

But, ahhh, here we are.  The beginning of semester, with those shadows already shifting and the weather hot, is showing the promise of what is possible for Luna in our new space.  Nearly 40 professional educators and dancers launched their school year the Tuesday after Labor Day at a cocktail party to introduce folks to Luna’s Professional Learning services.  This past Saturday, September 8th, approximately 70 families danced and played in our space.  The group varied from families new to Luna, who happened by as they were out for a weekend bike ride, to MPACT veterans, to our staff’s families, to supporters from Luna’s inception.  A fun time was had by all.

Today, after a recovery Sunday, I reflect on how far we have come, our place in space & time and my own mortality as a creator, teacher, director and dancer.  Witnessing the shared ownership of Luna’s programs and activities by an extraordinarily competent staff, I feel excited for Luna’s future.  I see that Luna will continue to evolve beyond the limits of my imagination, yet without veering too far off from its founding values.  The goals of this year are to stabilize Luna in our new home, continue to build leadership capacity (with Staff and Board) and to establish our West Berkeley space as the dance village it has the capacity to be.  [Read more about our village http://dancersgroup.org/programs_articles.php]

I now have the opportunity to reflect, articulate and begin moving toward those projects that I still wish to manifest before I retire.  It is one of Luna’s greatest accomplishments that we are in a place that I can do so.  So, I get to begin by writing the second edition of Body, Mind & Spirit IN ACTION, as well as its 3-volume companion on Dance in Early Childhood, Family Dance, and The Rigor of Creativity.  We get to move toward our goals of starting the charter school I’ve dreamed of since I was a teenager and strategize a capital campaign to eventually purchase our home.  All of this celebrates Luna’s adulthood.  At 21, we’re old enough to gamble, but we’re placing safe bets on a foundation that has always done what we said we would do to bring the joy and power of dance to every child.

What's On Their Minds

Dancing through the Lock Down

By Bonner Odell, Luna Teaching Artist

It started out as a typical monthly assembly at New Highland Academy (NHA), one of Luna’s partner schools. The MC, a 4th grade teacher with a guitar, struck up “Down by the Bay” and in moments the room was filled with exuberant singing voices. Such joyful scenes are common at NHA, where the arts—music, visual art, and dance—are central to the school culture. One way NHA keeps dance and the other arts at the forefront is by presenting performances and “artist of the month” awards at their all-school assemblies. This month’s gathering featured a structured improvisation by an adrenaline-pumped class of 2nd graders. They danced with expression, poise and focus, the act of performing having transformed them from a squirrely pack of reluctant listeners into serious little dance artists. Just after the applause died down, the Vice Principal buzzed in over the loud speaker.

We are officially on lock down. Local police have informed us of violent activity outside the school. No one may leave the cafeteria until further notice.

Gasps and murmurs spread through the room. Some kindergartners broke into tears. Instinctively, the MC snatched up her guitar. “If we’re stuck here, we might as well sing!” And sing we did. Song after song. The students’ favorite seemed to be a Spanish tune that had them dance various body parts in different ways. I was struck by how absorbed they became in the movement. Kindergartners with tear marks still on their cheeks were smiling, singing, and dancing with gusto.

Suddenly I was overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude. I felt privileged to do this work, to share in this moment. Gun violence, and the fear and suspicion it breeds, is a threat these children face every day. But within the locked doors of that room, joy, community and expression abounded. It was another hour before we were allowed outside, but I never grew antsy or bored.

Situations like this one remind us that the arts are not merely a treat, but a life-giving necessity. There is within them an inherent power, one greater than the forces of hate and division. The question is, will those of us convinced of this truth keep up the fight for their importance? The long campaign never seems to end. Even so, there is joy and sustenance in this work. May we embrace it whole-heartedly.

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California Arts Council: support it, it supports us

The California Arts Council through its Artists-In-Schools program has consecutively supported Luna with our work in Oakland Unified School District.  With Craig Watson as our new CAC director and momentum garnered by the Create the State initiative  we’re optimistic about a revival of prioritizing arts education in our state.  Meanwhile, as you file your tax return in California there is a simple way you can help fund the arts and bring visibility to the arts in California. Just check off the California Arts Council on your tax return to make a donation. The CAC’s goal is to raise $250,000 this year. For more information go to this web link :  http://www.cac.ca.gov/getinvolved/taxcheckoff.php

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Building Cultures of Dance Southern California

Dance in Physical EducationOutcomes & Process:  With support from the Clarence E. Heller Charitable Trust, Luna has been working with former Summer Institute participants to build cultures of dance in Southern California.  The goals of this process were 1) to leverage the relationships forged through Luna’s SIs to create professional learning communities of dance education in Southern California.  This would create a level of autonomy as professionals in that region could support and rely on each other; share resources;  and develop their skills in a more immediate, organic, grass-roots manner. 2) to develop leadership skills among the core cadres.  3) to broaden Luna’s reach to improve teaching practice by holding a Summer Institute in Southern California July 2012 and smaller introductory workshops prior to that time to identify potential participants.  4) to develop SoCal educators to create and implement MPACT-like programs in partnership with social service agencies in the region.

Impact:  To date, all objectives have been met and many exceeded.  All participants have increased their confidence in leadership and instructional methods.  Despite radical budget shifts in public school education, and their ensuing re-classifications out of dance teaching and into general education, these dedicated dance professionals are keeping dance alive in their teaching settings, educating their non-dance peers about the value of dance and keeping their own skills sharp.  Jill Sethi, working at Carlos Santana Academy, has provided professional learning opportunities for her K-5 colleagues, implemented an afterschool action research project that demonstrated improved attendance and test scores for students who receive dance, and is currently exploring the place for family dance within the school community.  Meg Glaser Teran, southern California project coordinator, trained to teach MPACT-like classes, created a program and curriculum and piloted a successful session of classes at the Wooden Floor in Santa Ana.  More than 12 families of 30 individuals participated in the entire 6-weeks.  Parents report that they appreciated the opportunity to carve out time to play and dance with their children, that they learned how to observe them better, and that they began to see the value of improvisation to dance learning, play and life.  Ruth Torres also trained in MPACT and has shared her curriculum widely.  You can read more about Ruth’s class at http://www.artsforla.org/blogs/experiential-advocacy-creating-arts-advocates-through-dance/

Challenges: The primary challenge to creating professional learning communities of dance educators in southern California is the geographic landscape of the region.  Already, LAUSD and itinerant dance educators drive hundreds of miles each week just to do their job.  Their hunger for support and collegiality conflicts with their desperate need to spend time at home.  While all educational professionals have similar dilemma’s, most of us do not have to drive 100 miles to meet with colleagues.  The core cadre is exploring ways to use technology to help, and they are trying to alternate host places to make it possible for more to participate more readily.  Another challenge remains job insecurity for all California educators who are living and working in a time of huge budget cuts and a lack of political and social will to do what is right for our state’s children.

UPDATE 10/18/12:  Learn more of their work as they present at this year’s NDEO conference October 25-27 in Los Angeles.

UPDATE 12/11/13: This project developed into a statewide initiative to create MPACT-like, family dance programs led by participants in the original Building Cultures of Dance project.  The Dizzy Feet Foundation funded the project that included 239 family dance programs taught by 6 dance teaching artists coached and mentored by Luna faculty.  More than 2,221 children and families engaged in relationship-based dance over the past year.  Participants reported the following outcomes: increased connection and bond, seeing each other in new ways, the gift of time to play and move together.  Classes were taught in Spanish and English with classes in Marin City including families speaking 7 different languages.  Teaching artists reported increased confidence in the ability to create curricula, engage parents and problem solve with community partners.

“It is surprising to see a class that has made us feel unique each one of us with our children.  I have had the opportunity to get to know my daughter better and understand what she does in her dance.  It is a beautiful experience because sometimes we don’t know how to identify what our children are expressing to us, verbally or physically.  Because of this [experience], I now know this, it was very useful to me to be able to apply this with my daughter and with my other children.  Thank you.”  -mother of 4

“I learned a little bit about the movement of the body, the importance of contemporary dance.” -mother

“It’s really enjoyable that we can let loose here.” -father

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Building Cultures of Dance in Marin City

Outcomes & Process: Beginning January 2011, Luna has partnered with ASI alumnae Erica Rose Jeffrey and the Marin City-Sausalito Parent Center to develop a family dance program for the community. Impact: This program will allow Marin County to build capacity for dance teaching for ALL children. Torri Campbell, a dancer and therapist, is learning to teach parent-child classes and will take over the program in 2012. Other professionals have already expressed interest in the training, expanding the dance resources available in the region.