Dance Makers in the Schools

Movement Research teaching artists, who have strong backgrounds in education, encourage students to approach dance as artists and explorers, using movement as a means to question and create. Students experience a fun, physical class while developing their own creative identity and working collaboratively with their peers on projects that may culminate in school-wide performances and screenings of student work on video.

Dance Makers in the Schools began in 1993 largely as a result of the initiative of individual artists and teachers. Starting in 2008, under the leadership of Executive Director Barbara Bryan, Movement Research prioritized enhancing the program and building stronger connections within the East Village/Lower East Side neighborhood among school and artist communities. Since 2008-09, the program has more than doubled in size; it has grown from annually serving roughly 195 students in 3 partner schools to over 475 students in 8 schools, as of 2015-16. In keeping with its mission statement, Movement Research has empowered individual artists and teachers to guide the growth of the program with their creativity, thoughtful inquiry and knowledge of the community.

• The Neighborhood School (PS 363) – East Village
• The Earth School (PS 364) – East Village
• Children’s Workshop School (PS 361) – East Village
• East Village Community School (PS 315) – East Village
• Lower East Side Preparatory School (M515) – Lower East Side
• University Neighborhood High School (M440) – Lower East Side
• Girls Prep Middle School LES (M330) – East Village
• Yorkville Community School (M151) – Yorkville
• Brooklyn Prospect Charter School (K707) – Kensington, Brooklyn
• PS 86 The Irvington (K086) – Bushwick, Brooklyn
• IS 347 School of Humanities (K347) – Bushwick, Brooklyn

To learn more about becoming a partner, please contact dancemakers@movementresearch.org.