Dancing Classrooms Northeast Ohio

Dancing Classrooms is not about teaching ballroom dancing. The dance is a tool for getting the children to break down social barriers, learn about honor and respect, treat others carefully, improve self-confidence, communicate and cooperate, and accept others even if they are different.

Dancing Classrooms is a 10-week – 20 session social development program for 5th and 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.

Dancing Classrooms uses a curriculum-based teaching approach to achieve social awareness and build self-esteem. Students are taught the vocabulary of various contemporary social dances in a classroom setting. Each class in the series introduces new steps, reinforcing what has been previously learned through practice and repetition.

Dancing Classrooms instruction is aligned with the Ohio Department of Education's benchmarks for Academic Content Standards in dance and is monitored by independent evaluators and educational liaisons. We follow the highest standards of excellence to ensure the best experience for our students. With the alarming rise of obesity and Type 2 diabetes among school age children, Dancing Classrooms also introduces a healthy and wholesome cardiovascular activity with the potential for lifelong enjoyment.

Our teaching philosophy is one of inside out versus outside in. The program is not just about teaching dance, it’s about teaching pride, confidence and respect. We take the dance that is inherent in students’ bodies and help them to bring it out, not force it in, enabling students to increase their self-esteem as they learn.

Our classes serve a diverse population of children and languages. Classes are conducted in English. All students are welcome; there are no pre-requisites and experience is never required. Dancing Classrooms’ courses culminate in social activities geared toward family members, such as an evening dance for students with their parents, an assembly performance complete with literacy components, or a Ballroom Breakfast.

1. Dancing Classrooms’ mission is to build social awareness, confidence and self-esteem in children through the practice of social dance.

2. Dancing Classrooms is intended to be a community effort.

3. It is dedicated to break down cultural barriers, improve critical thinking and communication skills, empower individuals and strengthen the community.

4. The program is not just about dance – it is transforming kids into “ladies and gentlemen” with a set of behavioral skills and social graces.

5. As a vehicle for teaching civility and respect for self and others the program is an antidote to the violence surrounding our schools and communities.