Before or after 'health' class?
Right on the heels of the finale of "Dancing with the Stars" where clothing was nearly optional and some of these moves could have resulted in much more than first prize comes this press release from Metro Nashville Public Schools.
Ballroom Dancing Among Physical Education Choices
In Some Metro Nashville Public Schools
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 8, 2005) – Students in five Metro Nashville public high schools can foxtrot, rumba, cha-cha, and tango their way through physical education classes this upcoming school year thanks to a partnership with The American Dance League of Tennessee, Inc. (ADLT).
The Dance League’s professional instructors will start providing free ballroom dance lessons this fall, teaching classes during regular school hours. These will be integrated into the physical education curriculum as an option to other athletic courses. The program will also extend to after-hour instruction for students interested in advanced and competitive ballroom dance classes.
“We are always looking for ways to make physical education more interesting for students,” said Scott Brunette, MNPS athletic director and PE coordinator. “We want to instill the importance of a healthy lifestyle -- and ballroom dancing will definitely assist with that effort.”
ADLT focuses on grades 6-12, but will work specifically with high school students in Nashville. The program will be piloted at Maplewood High in August and extend to McGavock High, Nashville School of the Arts, Pearl-Cohn Magnet High and Whites Creek High by the end of the 2005-06 school year.
(snip)
I'm all for encouraging lifelong physical activity but somehow I think the teens will be anticipating more Kelly & Alec than Fred & Ginger.
2 comments:
Yaaaaaaay! As a fellow dancer, participating more in the Lindy Hop, social scene in Nashville, I want to commend the powers that be! I personally went to Mc Gavock HS but didn't get into R-e-a-l dancing until a year later. Oh, how much more fun prom would have been if we actually knew what we were doing!!!
I think, that once these kids get a mental grasp on how cool dancing is, they will take every lesson they can get and beg for more. I sure would have. When these kids see that they can dance to everything from Ricky Martin to Shakira to Country, maybe they'll start going to places to dance instead of "goodness knows what". Let's teach our kids to have some good clean fun!
BTW- If anyone knows how to get in touch w/ this organization, let me know, please. I'd love to help bring some culture to my Alma Mater.
crazyhorse634@hotmail.com
Blessings,
M. Bailey
Here’s the original press release. Check with Woody.
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Woody McMillin
Public Information Officer
615-259-8404 (office)
615-566-5369 (cell)
Ballroom Dancing Among Physical Education Choices
In Some Metro Nashville Public Schools
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 8, 2005) – Students in five Metro Nashville public high schools can foxtrot, rumba, cha-cha, and tango their way through physical education classes this upcoming school year thanks to a partnership with The American Dance League of Tennessee, Inc. (ADLT).
The Dance League’s professional instructors will start providing free ballroom dance lessons this fall, teaching classes during regular school hours. These will be integrated into the physical education curriculum as an option to other athletic courses. The program will also extend to after-hour instruction for students interested in advanced and competitive ballroom dance classes.
“We are always looking for ways to make physical education more interesting for students,” said Scott Brunette, MNPS athletic director and PE coordinator. “We want to instill the importance of a healthy lifestyle -- and ballroom dancing will definitely assist with that effort.”
ADLT focuses on grades 6-12, but will work specifically with high school students in Nashville. The program will be piloted at Maplewood High in August and extend to McGavock High, Nashville School of the Arts, Pearl-Cohn Magnet High and Whites Creek High by the end of the 2005-06 school year.
The ADLT was established in March 2005 and is a not-for-profit corporation created to introduce ballroom dance as a sport and art form to public school youth.
Metro Nashville Public Schools provide a range of educational opportunities to nearly 72,000 students in Nashville and Davidson County. The governing body for MNPS is the Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County Board of Public Education, a nine-member group elected by residents of Metropolitan Nashville. For more information, please visit www.mnps.org.
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