Culture through Ballroom Dance

Artistic and Educational Standards

Our ballroom dance instructional program meets both the Missouri Show Me Standards and various National Standards. (see below) The column to the right has additional information that may be needed for grant applications. The dance Instructors' qualifications are listed below that.

MISSOURI "SHOW ME" STANDARDS

You can find information on the official Missouri Show Me standards for "Dance" on this webpage - http://dese.mo.gov/standards/finearts.html

The Show Me Standards are listed here in Italics with "how our program meets those standards" in blue.

1. process and techniques for the production, exhibition or performance of one or more of the visual or performed arts.

Dance components and techiques are taught enabling the students to perform the art of ballroom dance.

2. the principles and elements of different art forms

The basic elements of ballroom dance are taught.

3. the vocabulary to explain perceptions about and evaluations of works in dance, music, theater and visual arts

Dance vocabulary is taught, as well as how to recognize and move in time with various cultural styles of dance music.

4. interrelationships of visual and performing arts and the relationships of the arts to other disciplines

Dance students are taught not only how to perform the steps, but also how to make them look visually artistic incorporating the cultural style of each particular dance. Another discipline ballroom dance relates to is how math relates to music. The students learn how to recognize and move to the musical counts of various dance music including half counts and quarter counts.

5. visual and performing arts in historical and cultural contexts

As the students learn each dance they will also be taught how the dance relates to the culture from which it originated, such as,

Tango is from Argentina
Rumba is from Cuba
Waltz is from Austria
Merengue is from the Dominican Republic
Swing is from the USA, etc.

NATIONAL STANDARDS

You can find the National Standards Guide from the Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), 3rd Edition in the following PDF file.

http://www.kcya.org/documents/NationalStandardsGuide.pdf

Under "Dance" our structional program meets standards 12.3, 12.4, 12.5, and 12.7 necessary in a lead and follow dance.

Under "Music" our program at least partially meets standards 13.1 and 13.6 as the students are taught how the dancing relates to music of various cultures.

Under "Behavioral Studies" are program meets standards 1.6 and 1.9.

Under "Geography" our program somewhat relates to standard 4.3

Under "Life Skills" our program meets standards 7.2 as ballroom dancing is often a social or group activity; 7.3 as it requires active listening in order to learn in a group from the instructors; 7.4 as eye contact and body position is used in leading and following; 7.6, the leading and following necessary to execute the dance requires the concentration of mental and physical energies; and 7.7 regarding personal decisions, which are necessary in a lead and follow partnership dance.

MORE NATIONAL STANDARDS

"Consortium of National Arts Education Associations" can be found on the following page.

http://www.pecentral.org/lessonideas/dance/dancestandards.html

Our program meets the following standards.

1. Content Standard: Identifying and demonstrating movement elements and skills in performing dance

2. Content Standard: Understanding the choreographic principles, processes, and structures

4. Content Standard: Applying and demonstrating critical and creative thinking skills in dance

5. Content Standard: Demonstrating and understanding dance in various cultures and historical periods.

7. Content Standard: Making connections between dance and other disciplines (such as music and math - dancing in time with music requires some basic understanding of how math and music are related)

GRANT APPLICATION INFORMATION

There are several sources for grants that could assist in funding a ballroom dance program for your school. One possibility would be the Missouri Arts Council.

http://www.missouriartscouncil.org/

In addition to information about the artistic standards, you may be asked the following questions on grant applications. (answers are in blue)

1. "How will your project be evaluated?"

We measure results by observation as well as feed back from both students and teachers. In addition we may offer testing or and many schools have participated in a research surveys.

2. "Who makes the artistic decisions for the program"

"Culture through Ballroom Dance," who supplies the teaching artists.

www.cultureballroomdance.com

(the two primary dance instructors are Dr. Will Adams and Paula Marie Daub)

3. "Why does the community need this project"

In addition to enriching the community by expanding the art of ballroom dancing to the younger generation, the children also learn valuable social skills helpful in relating to society in general.

4. Missouri Arts Council grants require there to be a performance for an exposure group.

Each May the Kansas City Missouri School District student ballroom dancers give a public on stage performance as part of the district's All City Performing Arts Festival. See the "News and Events" page on this site.

Other exposure groups that would qualify would be parents and others attending a school carnival, or other events sponsored by the school. Senior Citizen centers are another good place to take the students for a public performance as the seniors make great audiences.

5. How do we measure results?

Instructors, as well as classroom teachers, observe that each student is getting the steps. We leave no student behind. We also just results by student feedback and sometimes research surveys. In addition, students have the opportunity to perform before a public audience and we just results by the audience response. If further measures are requested, a formal dance test can be given.

Qualifications of Dance Instructors

Dr Adams and Paula Marie Daub have been the Kansas City Missouri School District's primary ballroom dance instructors since the Winter Semester of 2006. They have also been teaching ballroom dance for PE credit at William Jewell College for many years.

Dr. Will Adams

Has been teaching dance since 1974 for area colleges and school districts. Holds bronze and silver medals and dance certificates from Brigham Young University dance workshops.

Paula Marie Daub

Has been teaching ballroom since 1992 for area colleges, school districts, and other venues. Received much of her training from Walter's Dance Center in Kansas City Kansas, as well as from other nationally prominent dance instructors. Holds several dance trophies and awards.

Other available instructors are owners of recognized Kansas City Ballroom Dance Studios experienced in teaching, ballroom dance competitions and events.

Note:

If you need assistance in answering any questions on grant applications, please feel free to contact our primary dance instructors, Dr. Will Adams and Paula Marie Daub (see our contact us page), both are also officers and board members of "Culture through Ballroom Dance."