D.A.R.E. America

and CityDance Ensemble

D.A.R.E. Dancers:

Fighting Drugs and Violence in Washington, D.C.

D.A.R.E. America is thrilled to be working with CityDance Ensemble in its effort to start a new venture in the fight against drugs and violence in our communities and schools through dance. CityDance Ensemble, a resident company of Joy of Motion, was the first professional company hired as "D.A.R.E. Dancers" to kick-off the program in its pilot phase. Due to the company's diversity, experience and enthusiasm with working with inner-city youth, as well as their technical training in many styles of dance, D.A.R.E. America is very excited to have CityDance on board.

In September of 1999, D.A.R.E. America hired Jill L. Roberts to direct a nation-wide effort to bring dance, as an athletic, creative, fun, and healthy art form, to schools as a positive alternative to drugs and violence. The first year of the D.A.R.E. Dance Program, the year 2000, will run as a pilot program to test results in three different cities, in schools where the D.A.R.E. curriculum is taught. The cities involved in the pilot program are New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. CityDance Ensemble, along with two other D.C. dance companies, will head-up the effort in the Washington D.C. area. D.A.R.E. will look to see how schools in different city and suburban locations adapt to the program and show positive results in doing so. In addition, D.A.R.E. will evaluate which styles of dance are most desired by students, the level of interest shown amongst students of the middle school age, and if there is a strong interest amongst students who experience the D.A.R.E. Dance Program to apply for scholarship at a local studio.

In this new venture students will have the opportunity to learn many styles of dance; including, hip-hop, jazz, modern and tap, by professional and professional track dance companies, called D.A.R.E. Dancers. CityDance Ensemble, predominantly a modern company, is well suited for this venture as their dancers have the ability to perform and teach ballet, modern, jazz, hip- hop and tap. Students who undergo the program will have performance opportunities within their schools, the community and possibly even large-scale D.A.R.E. functions.

The details of the D.A.R.E. Dance Program are as follows. Directors will be contacted and hired to take an assembly-type program out into a local school as D.A.R.E. Dancers. These positive roll models will discuss and demonstrate fun alternatives to drugs and violence, and other themes consistent with the D.A.R.E. in-school curriculum (in which students will be undergoing simultaneously). In addition, the dancers will perform at least one choreographed piece, show students various forms of dance through demonstration, and invite students to participate by stretching and dancing with the dancers on the stage. The professional dance company will then invite students to register for a free, 10-week, after-school dance class series taught by a company member. This after-school dance program will become part of the D.A.R.E. +P.L.U.S. (Play and Learn Under Supervision) after-school curriculum.

If there is strong interest amongst one or more students after the 10-week program, they may apply for scholarship at a local studio. CityDance Ensemble has already begun to work through several phases of the curriculum. D.A.R.E. America has hired CityDance Ensemble to bring up to five programs to the Washington D.C. area within the 2000 year.

Their first program took place on January 28, 2000 at Deep Creek Middle School in Baltimore County, Maryland. Other D.C. programs follow in February of 2000. In addition, CityDance, along with some of the students they teach, may perform as D.A.R.E. Dancers at D.A.R.E.'s National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee in July, 2000.

- Jill L. Roberts
Dance Program Director
D.A.R.E.America

© 1996 D.A.R.E. America. All Rights Reserved. D.A.R.E. and the D.A.R.E. logo are trademarks of D.A.R.E. America.
PO Box 512090 Los Angeles, CA 90051

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