from the editor


and to become better citizens. It is affirmingwhen a national study supports your espousals.


I Linda James


ANationalEndowment of theArts (NEA) study published inMarch 2012 entitled, TheArts and Achievement inAt-Risk Youth: Findings fromFour


Longitudinal Studies, contains research showing that arts activities, whether in school or after school, narrowthe achievement gap among students.


NEAChairmanRocco Landesman in his introductory note to the studywrites, “Studentswho have arts-rich experiences in school do better across-the-board academically, and they also becomemore active and engaged citizens, voting, volunteering and generally par- ticipating at higher rates than their peers.”


It is heartening to learn that the number of public schools offering dance instruction is increasing.OnApril 4, 2012, theU.S. Department ofEducation released the results of the FastResponse Statistical Survey’s (FRSS)Report onArtsEducation.Although the findings reported in the study showthat only three percent of pub- lic elementary schools and 12 percent of secondary schools offer dance instruction, these findings are higher than the 1995National Center forEducation Statistics study and the 1998National Assessment ofEducational Programs studies that reported that less than one percent of the nation’s public schools offered dance instruction.


ABetterPlace


f you are likeme, you can often be heard avow- ing that arts education enables students to express themselves, to succeed in their studies


When Imoved toDallas in 1981, therewere only three schools in theDallas Independent SchoolDistrict (DISD) that offered dance. I amproud to report that 25 schools in the district nowprovide dance instruction.While the number ofDISDschoolswith dance programs is small in comparison toDISDschools providing instruc- tion inmusic or visual art, dance education is improvingwithin the district—slowly, but consistently.


Onewould be hard-pressed to identify the factors that have led to the strengthening of dance not only in our public schools but also in our community.North Texas dance faculty in public schools, pri- vate studios, colleges and universities are among the finest teachers in the country.Certainly the caliber of dance training provided in the region is evidenced by the skill of our talented young dancers.


The number of dance organizations in theDallas/FortWorthmetro- plex that have celebrated 30, 40 and 50 year anniversaries is impres- sive. The artistic leadership that generated a thriving dance commu- nity hasmeaningfully nurtured the social fabric of our lives.


DallasMayor,MikeRawlings, values not only the power of the arts to express our deep or hidden consciousness; he also acknowledges the ability of the arts to generate economic activity. Mayor Rawlings’Business/Arts Initiative partners theCity ofDallas’ Culture and LibrariesCommitteewith theBusinessCouncil for the Arts to encourage a larger portion of the private sector to become sustainers of our cultural community. Through this collaboration, MayorRawlings hopes tomakeDallas a better place.


page 4


May 2012 www.thedancecouncil.org


DANCE!NORTHTEXAS


a publication of the dance council of north texas vol. 15 •


no. 2


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