Luna is a collector and sharer of stories. We see sharing stories from our community and our own learning as a way to uplift dancer and practitioner knowledge. On this page, we invite you to explore stories from the families, children, teachers, and leaders we’ve worked with, and from Luna teaching artists.
Voices of Luna Teaching Artists
Luna’s team past and present share stories and reflections about their work in the field as educators, researchers, artists and advocates.
Pebble in the Pond: Teachers Creating Change
Luna’s Professional Learning alumni colleagues are collectively and cumulatively teaching tens of thousands of children around the globe. We’re sharing their stories about how they continue to positively impact the dance education field, the future, the world.
Rossana Alves
Rossana Alves is known for her warm smile and generous welcome, ideal qualities...
Meg Glaser Terán
Meg Glaser Terán has always loved her teachers. Both in childhood and in...
Tamara Irving
Tamara Irving has an enthusiasm for dance and learning that is contagious. Her...
Cindy Chan
Luna introduced me to the educational potential of dance and allowed me to see...
Jennifer Dennehy
Summer Institute ’14 alum Jennifer Dennehy knows her way around a hoop. A...
Bonnie Lewkowicz
Bonnie Lewkowicz, a long time Berkeley resident and one of the founders and...
M.K. Victorson
“Three years later I landed the job that people told me I would never...
Erica Rose Jeffrey
Erica Rose Jeffrey holds a powerful vision of dance. With degrees in both...
Tom Mayock
“Planting the seeds of a dance education is pivotal for the next generation’s...
Valerie Gutwirth
A veteran dance teacher with 20+ years of experience, Valerie has taught pre-k...
Sonja Travick
Sonja Travick is well-known in Oakland as a leading high school dance teacher....
Laura Richey
Physical Education teacher Laura Richey has found a way to bring creativity to...
Rosemary Hannon
Rosemary first encountered Luna through founder Patricia Reedy when they were...
Paula Mitchell
Grass Valley Elementary School teacher Paula Mitchell had a vision for school...
Rebecca Daly Mezzocchi
When Rebecca first came to Luna in 2009 she was teaching dance in a public...
Ruth Torres Walker
Ruth Torres Walker, Arts Integration Specialists with Los Angeles Unified...
Jakey Toor
Dance educators and artists are impacting the field of arts education in many...
Christina Ayala
Christina Ayala lives and teaches in Oakland, CA. She first learned about Luna...
Rebecca Prather
Fresh out of graduate school in 2012, Rebecca was working at the Larkspur Corte...
Emily Blossom
Luna’s partnership with New Highland Academy began eleven years ago when we...
Annika Nonhebel Presley
When Annika started her new role as Education Director for AXIS Dance Company...
What’s On Their Minds
Luna alums express their thoughts on their teaching practice, what they’re observing and their learning inquiries.
End of Year Reflections, Summer 2020
Luna Teaching Artists reflect on teaching and learning at Luna during 2019-20.
Guest Post: Embodied Poetics – Writing & Dance
by Amanda Chiado, SI 2018
On October 8th I had the great pleasure of facilitating a Practitioner Exchange...
Guest Post: Creating Space for Child-centered Work
Facilitator Victoria Albaracin and participant Aiano Nakagawa reflect on the September 10, 2019...
The impact of the Summer Institute – reflections by the SI 2018 cohort
The 2018-19 Summer Institute (SI) cohort includes 12 dance teaching artists and classroom...
Guest Post: Early Childhood Curriculum Exchange
by Kristin Burke
Some conversation take-aways & tips
As early childhood dance teachers, we find...
Guest Blog: Inquiry-based Documentation
by Lisbeth Woodington
Preparing for the Practitioner Exchange with my Summer Institute colleague Mershon...
Guest Blog: Writing & Dance-Making
by Natalie Ashby
In today’s climate it is essential that young people have the means to speak their...
Guest Blog: Nature-based Dance Curriculum
by Eden Flynn
I recently co-facilitated/participated in a Luna Dance Practitioner Exchange with a small...
Guest Blog: Policing & Releasing the Body
by Emily Ban
On October 9th, a small but mighty group of dance educators gathered at Luna for the...
Guest Blog: Prompting Children’s Reflections
by Mandy Possel
Mandy shares what she learned from co-facilitating our September 2018 Practitioner...
The Relationship Enhancing Power of the Art of Dance
This blog was written by dance teaching artist, Meg Glaser Terán about her experience with family dance....