Conference Schedule

The objective of this workshop is to demonstrate how yoga can serve as a vital tool for teaching dancers that self-care is not a luxury but a superpower—one that supports resilience, longevity, and well-being in the dance field. Too often, dance training emphasizes physical mastery while neglecting the soft skills and wellness practices that sustain a long, healthy career. This session reframes yoga and DEISJ-informed pedagogy as practical strategies to address that gap. We begin with a facilitated group discussion, inviting participants to share the physical and mental health challenges they or their students encounter—stress, burnout, body image, injury recovery, or performance anxiety. These reflections situate the work in real experiences and highlight the resilience dancers must cultivate to survive and thrive. Participants will then be guided through a short, accessible yoga sequence, designed in response to the issues surfaced in discussion. The class concludes with a moment to reflect: How do our bodies and minds feel after this experience? The workshop closes with a collective dialogue on how these tools can benefit dance students and how yoga-infused, student-centered practices can be translated into participants’ own educational environments. By grounding the work in self-awareness, empathy, and adaptability, this approach challenges conventional models of dance training that privilege virtuosity over holistic development. It extends current research in embodied pedagogy, wellness, and social justice, and offers concrete, transferable methods for fostering access, representation, and inclusivity. Ultimately, this workshop equips educators with strategies to empower dancers not only as performers, but as whole people prepared for sustainable, impactful artistic lives.

In Building Bridges: Student Voice Through the Arts, participants will learn how they can use the arts to build strong connections for their students across content areas and within their communities. This hands-on workshop explores how integrating dance and movement with core academic subjects can create a student-centered and culturally responsive learning environment. Drawing on the principles of the EL Education model, we will demonstrate how to build authentic, standards-aligned curriculum that empowers students to make connections between their academic learning, their community, and their own lives. We will explore how a school can build a culture where "everybody dances," not just in an elective, but as a vehicle for accessing and expressing knowledge. Participants will leave with a customizable structure they can apply to their own classrooms, using dance to explore topics like geometry, literary devices, or community service projects. This workshop provides a hands-on exploration of arts integration through a student-centered lens. It begins with a gallery walk to activate participant curiosity and prior knowledge, followed by a brief overview of our curriculum's foundational principles. The core of the experience is a "Student Hat" journey, where participants are guided through a movement-based exploration of a specific topic, such as the solar system's gravitational push and pull. Interspersed throughout are check-in points to anchor the experience and facilitate reflection. The session concludes with a closing circle where participants reflect on how to apply the model to their own classrooms, followed by an honest discussion about the challenges and successes of implementing arts integration. The workshop will also include a collaborative brainstorm, testimonial from our schools’ teachers, and video examples of student work, such as site-specific performances at MLK Park, to demonstrate how these principles build bridges within the community.​​

This workshop highlights an innovative studio-based creative dance track developed at the 92NY Harkness Dance Center using the Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) Model. Rooted in DEL’s student-centered, concept-based pedagogy, this track empowers young dancers to explore, create, and connect in ways that position dance as both a transformative art form and a lifelong practice. Designed as a sequenced progression of classes, the track is developmentally responsive and inclusive, supporting children as they grow from their earliest movement experiences through the discovery of their artistic voices. It also provides space for dancers who may not thrive in traditional technique classes but who love to dance and make dances. By centering creativity, collaboration, and reflection, the DEL approach ensures that every student—regardless of background, ability, or preferred learning style—feels valued and engaged. In doing so, the program reflects dance as both a window into the world and a mirror of students’ own diverse identities and experiences. Participants in this session will experience sample activities inspired by the creative track and engage in discussion about how the DEL Model can be applied in studio settings to elevate and empower young dancers. Together, we will consider how studio-based programs can embrace student-centered learning, foster creativity, and build inclusive communities where dance education thrives as a force for connection, expression, and social change. By sharing this model, we aim to inspire educators to design programs that not only strengthen dance technique but also cultivate the imagination, resilience, and collaboration skills that extend far beyond the studio.