Ballet Hispánico School of Dance Announces Professional Development for Dance Teachers Best Practices: We Support Learning!

Ballet Hispánico School of Dance announces a week-long summer professional development program for dance teachers, Best Practices: We Support Learning!, July 5-9, 2021, 9am-6pm ET, with virtual and in-person options. To register, visit ballethispanico.org/school/additional-learning/professional-development by June 4, 2021. This program is an opportunity for dance teachers to immerse themselves amongst fellow educators, share best practices, and further their teaching artistry. All educators are welcome, from seasoned faculty to new teachers, community dance practitioners, dance education undergraduates/graduates, dance studio owners, and K-12 teachers.

Guest presenters include Michelle Manzanales, a choreographer and dedicated dance educator of nearly 30 years, co-founder of the Lantinx Dance Educators Alliance, and the Director of Ballet Hispánico’s School of Dance; Frederick Curry, director of the Graduate Ed.M. Program in Dance Education at Rutgers University, assistant editor of Dance Education in Practice journal, and member of the National Dance Education Organization’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access Committee; Rebecca Tsivkin, a graduate and licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance and an Associate of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing; Dr. Diane Duggan, a licensed psychologist, board certified dance/movement therapist and dance educator; Kiri Avelar, a Jerome Robbins Dance Division Research Fellow and co-founder of both Latinx Dance Educators Alliance and ColectivXs; Dr. Alfdaniels Mabingo, a dance researcher, scholar, performer, Afro-opmist and co-founder of Afrika Speaks; Elisa De La Rosa, assistant professor of dance at Texas Woman’s University and the founding artistic director of De La Rosa Dance Company; Thea Grier, who trained with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and holds a Masters in Dance in Education; and Joshua Winzeler, who served as a Ballet Hispánico Company Dancer for six seasons and trained with the Thomas Armour Youth Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and the School of American Ballet under full scholarship. 

Program highlights include: 
Network while nurturing personal and professional relationships with fellow colleagues in the dance field.
Observe in-person and/or virtual class offerings at Ballet Hispánico headquarters, led by seasoned School of Dance faculty addressing varied age groups and dance genres.
Discuss and reflect on class observations and presentations with an emphasis on application for each teacher’s individual practice.
Examine Early Childhood curricular bridging points and other developmental benchmarks for instruction. 
Exchange ideas about online and hybrid learning models and experiences.
Engage with Ballet Hispánico pedagogy and curricular design through the lens of culture and repertory.
Interact with tools for social-emotional learning and addressing the diverse student-learner.
Challenge narratives of collective dance histories and dance archives through plática as critical pedagogy.
Identify cultura and other teaching identities, and their implications for pedagogical practices.
Financial Aid Scholarships available! (*Special discounted price offers for NDEO members).
Receive a Certificate of Completion!

Tuition for In-Person Attendees: 
In-Person: $525
 
Tuition for Virtual Attendees: 
Virtual: $435
 
Financial support is available for our Professional Development participants. E-mail the School of Dance at school@ballethispanico.org for more information. Professional Development will be offered in-person and virtually. Registration is limited for both options. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only residents of the tri-state area (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut) are permitted to attend the in-person program. Students outside of the tri-state area may not attend the in-person program. The virtual program is open to students in any location. Ballet Hispánico is unable to provide housing for those participating in the in-person program.

“COVID-19 may be keeping us home right now, but it does not stop our desire to be creative and connect. We are excited to be able to provide an option to attend our professional development program online, ensuring that our community can stay connected, dancing, and learning,” said Michelle Manzanales, Director of the School of Dance, Ballet Hispánico.

Ballet Hispánico remains committed to continue closely monitoring developments of COVID-19 along with the safety and health regulations mandated and suggested by our local, state, and national government. Plans are in the works and will continue to evolve as more information becomes available.

The Ballet Hispánico School of Dance is a leading center of excellence in dance education—serving over 1,000 students and celebrating 50 years of dance and culture—and offers accessible, high-quality dance training to students of all levels ages 2 through adult. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance, it empowers students by offering a holistic approach to movement discovery, including pre-professional training and classes for the novice dancer. Through its pre-professional program, the School trains eclectic, versatile dancers who stand out in a competitive professional environment for their mastery of the classical ballet tradition, contemporary techniques, Spanish Dance, and performance skills. Dance training also goes beyond the classroom through cultural enrichment activities at venues across NYC, giving students a comprehensive view of the dance community at large. 

About Ballet Hispánico
Ballet Hispánico is the nation’s renowned Latino dance organization and one of America’s Cultural Treasures. Ballet Hispánico brings communities together to celebrate and explore Latino cultures through innovative dance performances, transformative dance training, and enduring community engagement experiences. Founded in 1970 by National Medal of Arts recipient, Tina Ramírez, the organization emerged during the post-civil rights movement on New York’s Upper West Side, providing a safe haven for primarily Black and Brown Latinx youth seeking artistic sanctuary during New York City’s plight in the 1970s. The need for place, both culturally and artistically, led families to find Ballet Hispánico. The focus on dance as a means to develop working artists, combined with the training, authenticity of voice, and power of representation, fueled the organization’s roots and trajectory. With its strong emphasis on dance, achievement, and public presence, the organization has flourished in its three main programs: its Company, School of Dance, and Community Arts Partnerships. The organization serves as a platform for historically omitted and overlooked artists providing them with increased capacity, voice, and affirmation. Over the past five decades, by leading with Latinx culture at the forefront of performance, education, and advocacy, Ballet Hispánico’s mission is a catalyst of change and possibility for communities throughout our nation.