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 never attended a public school that offered a dance program. If a child wants to dance they more likely than not have to go to a private dance studio, which is what I did my entire life. The life skills and experiences that I got through dance should be something that every child is exposed to and has the opportunity to access. 

Dance Education can be defined as a subject in public schools that teaches children the skills and knowledge needed to properly communicate, analyze and perform movement (PS Dance!). Dance Education first made its appearance in public schools in 1926 (Bonbright). Just based on this simple date above you can see that Dance Education has not been present in the United States for a that long. Children need to be exposed to not only their core classes that they are required to take, but also Dance Education. 

 Dance Education is a part of the arts, which is a subject area that is not taken seriously in public education. Dance Education should be in every public school because it connects and relates to the children’s core classes and also provides many benefits to children of all different ages and abilities. 

While Dance Education is currently not a subject or even an elective in most schools, there are some public schools that do have it in their curriculum. It is said that “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). While the numbers seem impressive, this statistic actually supports the idea that Dance Education is not taken as seriously as core classes. While including dance in physical education is great, it does not allow children to get the true benefits that dance has to offer. This statistic also brings up the issue of teacher qualification. Dance teachers should be held to the same standards as other teachers in public schools. They should be required to have a Dance Education degree in order to teach. In contrast to this statistic, the schools that do include dance as a subject right next to the core classes have shown that there are many benefits to doing so. These benefits cover the physical, mental, and social aspects of children’s lives and are also life skills that stick with them through the rest of their lives. 

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 these electronic devices 24/7. Instead, they should be outside playing and being active. If dance were in all public schools, it would help to combat this issue along with the issue of obesity in the United States. Dance keeps children active and in physical shape. They gain coordination skills from taking class and it is a great fun way to get children moving without them even knowing (Caldwell). Weather it be doing an exercise across the floor or exploring an idea in the center, children are more likely than not active for the entire class period. They keep their blood flowing and use their entire body. This makes children work and think in a different way. 

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). Having an outlet for a child to express his or her emotions and feelings is so important, especially during their elementary through high school years. During this time, they go through a lot of changes and usually don’t known how to express how they feel. Expression helps children mold into the unique individual they are, which is why having an outlet is so important (Zitomer). In addition, the core classes that children are required to take in schools do not allow artistic freedom like dance does. While yes there are electives that provide some artistic freedom in public schools, they are usually not require and are not seen as equal in importance to other classes. Without Dance Education in public schools, children do not have a release in their school schedule. This release and mental shift can make a child more focused and prepared for the rest of his or her day. This mental shift also benefits the other classroom settings that children are in throughout the school day. If students have a positive mentality, they will be more focused and ready to tackle whatever the day has in store for them. 

In addition, children that attend public schools in poor areas are the ones that gain the biggest mental benefits from dance. Students that may have an unstable environment at home can use dance as a way to express their emotions and release what ever is happening in their household. Dance also boosts children’s self esteem and self-confidence, which is something that a lot of children struggle with. This struggle seems to stem from social media in today’s society. Dance helps to resolve these issues that are becoming more prevalent in children because it creates an atmosphere where “no matter who you are and what you are there are no differences” (PS Dance! 30:20). Having a place where children can freely express themselves and be who they truly are only enables them to become the best version of themselves. Dance creates this atmosphere, which is why it should be subject in all public schools, and accessible to all children. If we can get the best version of each child, imagine what our society as a whole would look like.  

Social skills are also a huge benefit that children obtain from Dance Education. Dance allows “students [to] create strong bonds with one another” (Andrews). Dance is not an individual activity, in class you learn from observing others and also have to work in groups a lot. Due to this, children learn the skills necessary to work well 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 communication skill they learn then follows them to their other classes. They now understand how to properly convey their thoughts, which is useful in all other classes they take. 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 later on in life. For example, knowing how to work well and communicate with others is something that is important for job interviews and having a job in general. Dance classes also incorporate many different topics that are present in society today. For example, one dance class in a school created a piece that discussed the issue of bullying in their school. Doing dances about topics that are present and relevant in children’s life are important. It keeps them up to date and gives them a different outlet to share their thoughts on these social issues. This discussion of social topics teaches children that it is ok to have an opinion and talk about serious issue, which is something that is important to know, especially in this day and age. 

These benefits are especially noticeable in New York because it is an area that acknowledges the importance of 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! 2:54). 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 explains how dance can touch all children’s life. He says that any 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. A teacher’s education and background play key roles in the effects teachers have on their students. With that being said, there is a difference between dance teachers in a public school and dance teachers in a studio. Public school teachers differ because they not only have students that want to dance, but also have students that are not interested in dance whatsoever. These teachers have to be able to balance not only passionate students, but also students who are disinterested. It’s also important as teachers to “…have both an education in their field and a teaching certification.” (Andrews). Having an education certificate along with dance experience gives the teacher an advantage over others because they know how to deal with a classroom setting, while also having the dance background necessary to teach the curriculum. It is important to know how to deal with the classroom side of teaching because teachers will encounter students with many different learning styles and abilities. 

Having this education degree better prepares teachers to deal with this broad range and therefore allows each child to get the most out of the class. In addition to having both degrees, there are other qualities that good dance teachers have. These qualities include “strong planning and organizational skills along with the ability to stay calm under stress”(Andrews). 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. Teachers also 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!). Finally, 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 hinder the child from getting the benefits the class has to offer. If a teacher is aware and able to help their students through these feelings, it allows the children to get all the benefits out of a dance 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. The critic’s main argument is that standardized tests are focused on what children learn in their “academic” classes. They argue that the arts and dance are focused more on feelings and emotions, both of which are not subjects included on standardized tests (Eakle+Winner 151). 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” (Menezes+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. 

This whole issue that dance curriculum can not be unified and standardized 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 now also 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 recognize its importance and give it the same attention the core curriculum gets. Children go through school in order to grow up and enter the real world. We should want our schools to be making our children as well rounded as possible, hence why Dance Education should be added to the curriculum. There are so many beneficial aspects that children receive from dance that it would be a disservice to not incorporate it. They allow children to grow physically, mentally, and socially. These benefits discussed are so important and impact children in so many different ways. They gain life tools and life lessons that other core classes do not emphasize. 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 affect other children’s lives, just like it affected mine. 
