The Dance Program at P.S. 506 recognizes that all students have the right to an arts education as a fundamental part of their basic education. It enables students to discover their own innate capacity for communicating ideas, thoughts, and feelings through dance, recognizing dance as a powerful educational device for meeting the physical, intellectual, emotional, and social needs of all students. As a participant in the Dance Program, each student understands the value and importance of group work and cooperation.
The goal of the Dance Program at P.S. 506 is to cultivate learners who can demonstrate through the aesthetic process of dance-making (choreography) that they are able to master their own learning experiences by engaging in meaningful and sequential dance learning, which promotes interaction with peers, the community, and their environment. The goals and indicators of the curriculum are arranged sequentially for all grade levels to include creative work, dance forms and techniques, dance history, performance and production, aesthetics, and criticism.
Students in grades Kindergarten through Grade 5 embody the artistic roles of dancer, choreographer, performer, researcher, and dance author. They learn about many forms of dance, including creative movement, modern dance, ballet, jazz, tap, ballroom, hiphop, and folk dance. During each academic year, the students present at least one informal showing of their work and one formal performance at one of the monthly themed school wide assemblies. Students also have the opportunity to participate as a member of the Technical Crew learning about lighting, sound, prop management, and stage management.
The Dance Program is aligned with the N.Y. State and National Standards in Dance, with the New York City Blueprint forTeaching and Learning in the Arts (Dance), and with theoretical and practical applications of the work of dance master, Rudolf Laban. The Dance Program has been the recipient of the Capezio Ballet Makers Grant two years in a row(2007-2008 and 2008-2009) and has participated in the "City Center Young People’s Dance Series" with the internationally-renowned Ailey II and Taylor 2 dance companies.