Last year, Luna helped bring art to 18,000 children and 250 artists,
teachers, and social service providers. In thirteen years, we have
grown from a local children's dance program to a nationally recognized
dance education organization, providing services to children and the
adults who impact their lives - parents, teachers, social service
providers, dancers, and artists. Dance educators from across the country
and abroad have attended our professional development workshops. Teachers
have witnessed the power of dance to heal individuals, families, and
communities. Adults who know how children can be transformed through
dance have come to us seeking support as they develop their dance
education programs.
I feel that I have been on a journey in
the past ten years in the public school system. I came in very passionate
about helping each child discover who they are and find their place
in the greater community. Then I moved in to focusing on curriculum
and imparting knowledge to children. This week (at Luna's Summer
Institute) I saw how far I drifted and why I have less a sense of
fulfillment from being a teacher. It was so powerful for me to be
with this group ... dancing with children brings joy and self-awareness
into our being. What's more important than that?
-Christine Polifka, 1st grade teacher
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