Creating Balance through Dance
The Young Audiences of Northeast Texas dance program is designed to teach the art of dance to promote creativity, critical thinking, cultural awareness, communication, and achievement in different skill sets. This program currently resides in Winona ISD in middle and high school.
The program provides an opportunity for students to gain dance experience while also developing a positive self-image. “Creating Balance through Dance” uses dance terminology, technique, and choreography as the foundation of this residency. Different dance styles including Pom, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, Ballet, and Drill Team Prep are covered throughout the program.
This program is designed to help students become confident in movement and connect to expressing emotions. Towards the end of the school year, students work in teams to choreograph their own interpretations of all the styles of dance they have learned. Performances during the school year include pep-rallies, half-time performances, parades, and holiday/special events to provide an opportunity for students to share dances with peers, friends, school faculty, and family. The performance aspect of this program helps the dancers to experience what is it like to perform live. In the spring semester during the months of April and May, students will have the opportunity to perform for family and friends on the main stage of the district’s fine arts auditorium. To reward the dance students for their hardwork year round, the students also get to attend at least one live professional dance performance at a local performing arts center.
“Creating Balance through Dance” teaches students that physical activity, creativity, teamwork, and individuality are all things to be cultivated and celebrated within themselves. By building dance classes into their school-day routines, students can clearly see the connections between dance and academics, encouraging them to achieve success in both.
