Everyone has their favorite subject in school, whether it be science, social studies, or math, but how many times do you hear of a student saying that their favorite subject in school is dance. Not often at all. Dance, which also falls under the arts, does not have the presence in public schools that it should have. I have been dancing since I was three years old and I never attended a public school that had a dance program in it. If a child wants to dance they most likely have to go to a dance studio outside of their public school. I had to do that my entire life. The life skills and experiences that I got through dance at my studio should be something that every child can be exposed to and have the opportunity to access. 

What exactly is Dance Education? Well, Dance Education can be defined as “[d]ance in public schools [that educate] students in dance, through dance, and about dance” (PS Dance!). Dance Education first made its appearance in public schools in 1926 (Bonbright).  In this case, a public school refers the grades Kindergarten through twelfth grade. Just based on this simple date above you can see that Dance Education has not been present in our society for a long time. Children, which are any person who attends a public K-12 program, should not only be exposed to their core classes but should also be exposed to Dance Education.

 Dance Education is just as important as the core curriculum in public schools and therefor should have a place right next to the main subject areas. Dance not only connects and relates to the children’s core classes, but it also provides many benefits to children of all different ages and abilities, which in most cases cannot be found in their core classes. 

While Dance Education is currently not a subject or even an elective in most schools, there are public schools that do have Dance Education in their curriculum. “Some 43 percent of children across the country receive some form of dance instruction in school, with 36 percent of them learning dance in physical education classes or in other classes that are taught by volunteers, parents and non-specialist teachers” (Andrews). These statistics seem impressive, but in reality they are nowhere close to where Dance Education should be. Dance being taught in PE classes, but more importantly being taught by unqualified people, does not give children the same benefits that an actual Dance Education class would give them. Schools that do include dance as a class that is equally important as the core ones have shown that there are many benefits. These benefits cover physical, mental, and social aspects of the child’s life. These benefits that children get from dance stick with them and transfer over to their everyday life. 

During a time when children are consumed by computer devices, they do not get enough physical activity. Children can spend hours staring at an iPad screen and playing games. Children should not be consumed with this stuff. Instead they should be outside playing and being active. If dance were to be in all public schools, it would combat this issue along with the obesity in America issue. Dance keeps children active and in physical shape. They gain coordination skills from taking class and it is a great fun workout for children (Caldwell). 

Dance not only helps children be more active, but it also helps them mentally. We were all children once and know that emotions run wild. Dance allows children “to express their emotions through movement, and the focus that dance demands [also helps] them find greater stability in their lives and form stronger self-identities” (Andrews). Core classes do not allow artistic freedom like dance does, therefor children are not getting any sort of release in school. This release and mental shift from their core to dance classes can make a child more focused and prepared for the rest of their day. If students have a positive mentality, their other teachers will likely get more out of their students. 

In addition, Children that attend public schools in poor areas are the ones that gain the biggest metal benefits from dance. Students that may have an unstable environment at home can use dance to express their emotions and release what ever is happening in their household. Dancing also boosts children’s self esteem and self-confidence, which is something that a lot of children struggle with. This struggle stems a lot from social media in today’s society. Dance helps to take away these issues that are becoming more prevalent in children because dance provides an atmosphere where “no matter who you are and what you are there are no differences” (PS Dance!). Having a place where children can freely express themselves and be who they truly are only helps them become the best version of themselves. Dance promotes this idea, which is why dance should be in all public schools, and available to all children. If we can get the best version of each child, imagine what our society as a whole would look like.  

Dance Education also gives children social skills, which are not taught in other classes. Dance allows “students [to] create strong bonds with one another through dance” (Andrews). For example, working together in groups allows children to gain the skills necessary to work with others. In addition, children learn to word their thoughts in a way that is constructive and clearly communicate their thoughts to their other peers (PS Dance!). This benefit they get from their dance class then follows them to their other classes. They now understand how to properly convey their thoughts, which could be used in any other core class. They also learn how to work with other people, which can translate to any core class that involves group work. These social skills that they gain can then be used in their future life. For example, knowing how to work well and communicate well with others is something that is so important for job interviews and a job in general. Dance classes also incorporate many different topics that are present in society today. One dance class in a school created a dance that discussed the issue of bullying in their school and society in general. Doing dances about topics that are present and relevant in the children’s life is important. It keeps them up to date and gives them a different outlet to share their thoughts on these social issues.

These benefits are especially noticeable in New York because it is an area that is focused on the arts. In New York’s public schools, they are teaching dance as a major subject right next to the core classes because “dance touches every part of a child; body, life and heart” (PS Dance!). There is a film that documents four different schools in New York and how the dance programs in these schools have benefited the children that attend these schools. One of the teachers at a school in New York explains how dance can touch all children’s life. He says that a child can find something they like and feel comfortable with in dance. (PS Dance!). 

As shown above, dance in public schools can yield many benefits for children. However, a class would be nothing without the teachers to teach it. Dance teachers, and teachers in general, have to have certain qualities in order to get the most out of their students. If each teacher gave all they have to their students then the student will get something out of the class. Some of these qualities that good dance teachers have are “strong planning and organizational skills along with the ability to stay calm under stress”(Andrews). These skills are all important, but it is especially important as a teacher to stay clam under pressure. Staying calm can be hard in a dance classroom setting because there are so many factors that could cause issues at any moment. In addition, teachers need to “create an organized atmosphere” in a dance classroom. If a teacher is organized it allows the class time to be used in the most effective way. It also allows children to know what to expect and what is required of them (Ps dance teacher). In addition, teachers have “to be able to constructively respond to students’ insecurities or concerns” (Andrews). Dance is something that pushes a lot of children outside of their comfort zones. Being pushed out of your comfort zone can be scary and cause children to have concerns and be insecure. This could cause the child to not benefit as much as he or she could in the class. If a teacher is aware and able to help their students with these two things, it will allow the child to get all the benefits that dance can provide. 

The teacher’s education and background also play a key role on the effect teachers have on their students. With that being said, there is a difference between a dance teacher in a public school and dance teachers in a studio. Public school dance teachers differ because they have students that not only want to dance, but also students that do not want to dance. These teachers then “have to have the skills necessary to deal with disruptive or unmotivated students”. “Only 20 percent of students are taught by instructors who have both an education in their field and a teaching certification.” (Andrews). Having an education certificate along with dance experience gives you an advantage over other teachers because you know how to deal with a classroom setting, while also having the physical dance background needed. It is important to know how to deal with the classroom side of teaching because teachers will encounter children with many different learning styles and abilities. Having this education degree allows the teachers to deal with this broad range and therefore allow each child to get the most out of the class. 

Even though the benefits that qualified dance teachers can have on public school children are immense, there are many people who are against dance, and the arts, being a major part of the curriculum in public schools. Their main argument is that standardized tests are focused on what children learn in their “academic” classes. Critics argue that the arts and dance are focus more on feeling and emotions, both of which are not subjects included on standardized tests (Eakle). Because of critics who believe that standardized tests are more important, there have been “[b]udget cuts and a narrow focus on subjects that are measured on standardized tests [which] have contributed to a vast reduction of public school arts programs across the country” (Torres +). In addition, critics also say that if they were to include dance as part of the core curriculum they would have no way of documenting the growth of each student. 

The whole issue that dance curriculum can not be unified and standardized in any way is no longer valid because there are now standards so that teachers can show improvement of a child and test them in a unified way. As of 2014, dance teachers in public schools use the National Core Arts Standards in Dance. These standards are designed so that the teachers have a set plan of what children in each grade level should be achieving and how the teachers can help them achieve such goals (National). Having these standards allows children of all levels and disabilities to be tracked in a uniformed way. So not only does dance in public schools provide children with benefits that will help them in all aspects of life, but it also now has a set of standards like the core classes. There is now no reason why dance should not be included in all public schools. 

Dance Education is so beneficial to children, which is why all public schools should have it in their core curriculum. Children go through school in order to grow up and enter the real world and hopefully get a job. We should want our schools to be making our children as well rounded as possible, hence why Dance Education should be in every public school. There are so many beneficial aspects that Dance Education has on children that it would be a disservice to not offer it to children. They allow children to grow physically, mentally, an socially. These benefits discussed are so important and impacts children in so many different aspects of their lives. They gain life tools and life lessons that other core classes cannot give them. Dance has helped me in so many aspects of my life and has made me who I am today. If dance was a part of the public schools curriculum it could touch and effect other children’s lives, just like it effected mine. 
