Click here for a list of our 2009-2010 Community Partners

Children's Dance Foundation's Community Partnership Program provides dance classes to more than 1,500 children each week at more than 25 social service agencies, child development centers and schools in Birmingham.ÂCDF’s vision is grounded by a commitment to empower all children through dance. CDF embraces this important work with the disenfranchised and underserved, providing classes to organizations that serve these students regardless of their ability to pay.

All of our classes are participatory and meet at program sites for a considerable length of time – most receive our classes all year . More than 50% of all our partner sites do not pay any fee for our classes and must be fully sponsored by Children’s Dance Foundation through contributions and grant awards. The other half of our partner sites pay a portion to CDF toward the actual cost of services they receive. The balance of the cost must then be secured by grants and contributions.

Of the dozens of partner sites that CDF serves each year:

• 1/3 serve special needs, at-risk or disadvantaged children
• 3/4 serve pre-kindergarten children

All children are in need of the same things: a positive, consistent, nurturing and creative experience. Our dance classes provide just that in addition to being a healthy, physical, participatory activity.

 

Research shows that children in early childhood are sensory, motor, and concrete thinkers who learn best from processing information physically through bodily movement and through their senses. U.S. Education needs early childhood programs that use dance and creative movement to teach academic skills.
- From the National Dance Education Organization

Within the Community Partnership Program, there are two main elements of service:Â

Movement to Music (community-based) is a CDF-developed dance curriculum for pre-K children and those with special needs. Live music as an essential element to the experience. Classes are taught by a professional dance instructor and musician. Age and developmentally appropriate classes use dance as a creative vehicle to build developmental skills and self-confidence. Through this curriculum, children are led to body awareness, translation of sounds, directions, rhythms, and to use their imagination.

Lesson plan content such as the rainforest, the zoo, seasons, holidays, counting, and stories, are all enriching and inclusive for boys and girls alike to explore ideas, acquire skills, and dance together. Using a theme, our typical lesson plan includes an entrance, circle time, a focusing activity, rhythm activity, locomotor activity, imagination activity and a closing. Our dance classes are an integral part of our partner sites’ curriculum and are eagerly anticipated by the students and teachers alike.

Dance Fundamentals (school-based and community-based) is a CDF-developed curriculum for Grades K through 8 based on the Alabama Course of Study in Dance and Creative Dance for All Ages by Anne Green Gilbert. Classes are creative and non-competitive.

Students learn movement skills; create movement phrases; develop strength, flexibility and endurance and learn larger concepts through the elements of dance. A typical lesson plan includes a discussion of the day’s focus, a warm-up, improvisation activities, and time to cool down and reflect. These classes are a fun, creative and promote a healthy lifestyle.