DEL’s Dance for Early Childhood Curriculum encourages learning through play, providing a stimulating, multi-sensory, and nurturing community for diverse young learners to discover their innate movement capacity.
In this 6-week asynchronous course, participants will learn to create developmentally appropriate dance lessons for children ages 3-7 years old.
This course will cover the following topics: applied Laban Movement Analysis and guided exploration, dance-making, interdisciplinary lesson themes, dances from around the world, and early childhood techniques and strategies.
$335 until Mar 17 / $370 after
Must register by Wednesday, April 3, 2024.
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Online programs:An access link will be emailed to you after purchase.
Deborah Damast (BFA Dance, SUNY Purchase, MA Dance Education, NYU, DEL Certificate) is Associate Professor and Program Director of Dance Education at NYU Steinhardt where in addition to teaching, she is Artistic Director of concerts, Kaleidoscope Dancers, and the Uganda study abroad program. Deborah is the Past-President of the New York State Dance Education Association, has served on the boards of NYSDEA, NDEO, Dance Education in Practice Journal, and Peridance Contemporary Dance Company and is a member of the NDEO Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access IDEA committee. She is on faculty ...
Deborah Damast (BFA Dance, SUNY Purchase, MA Dance Education, NYU, DEL Certificate) is Associate Professor and Program Director of Dance Education at NYU Steinhardt where in addition to teaching, she is Artistic Director of concerts, Kaleidoscope Dancers, and the Uganda study abroad program. Deborah is the Past-President of the New York State Dance Education Association, has served on the boards of NYSDEA, NDEO, Dance Education in Practice Journal, and Peridance Contemporary Dance Company and is a member of the NDEO Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access IDEA committee. She is on faculty at LREI/Little Red Schoolhouse, Dance Education Laboratory, and The Yard and has directed programs at Peridance, Steffi Nossen, Harvey School Cavalier Camp, The Yard Kids Do Dance, OBT Exposed, Deborah facilitates Professional Learning for teachers through the NYC Department of Education, 92Y DEL, and PKFCC Pre-K for all and has contributed to the NYC Blueprint for the Arts, Dance and the DEL Early Childhood model. She has presented at numerous conferences and festivals including at NDEO, NYSDEA, ACDFA, CUNY, Kymabogo Music Education in Uganda and her choreography has been shown at over 40 venues in NYC including Ailey Citigroup, Peridance, World Financial Center, Riverside Church, Judson Church, Symphony Space, Cooper Union, 92Y, 14St Y, Skirball Theatre, and internationally in Japan, Uganda, Korea, Italy, and Canada. Deborah has taught for the Education Departments of Oregon Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet and has written curriculum for Peridance, Paul Taylor American Modern Dance, DEL, NYCB, and the NYC DOE. Deborah is a recipient of the 2009 NYU GSU Star Faculty Award, the 2010 NDEO Outstanding Dance Educator Award: Higher Education, and the 2020 Dance Teacher Magazine Award for Higher Education. She participated in Motion Capture studies at NYU, collaborated with Music and Music Technology, and at NYU was a co-recipient of grants for Dance Literacy and Data Literacy, Professional Development, and the 2020 Diversity Innovation grant. Deborah is thrilled to return to facilitate another workshop at DEL with colleagues and collaborators from Uganda and the United States.
DEL Dance for Early Childhood (Asynchronous)
Teaching the Nutcracker: Fostering Student Creativity and Inquiry
Daria Fitzgerald (M.A., Dance Education, New York University, Professional Dance Teacher Certification, New York State) teaches dance classes through 92NY’s Nursery School, Parenting Center, and Harkness Dance Center. As a Pre-K Create coach and facilitator at 92NY’s Dance Education Laboratory, Daria supports New York City 3-K and Pre-K teachers in developing skills and knowledge to facilitate the implementation of high-quality and sustaining dance education practices. Daria is the assistant director of Kids Do Dance at The Yard and was the lead curriculum designer for The Yard& ...
Daria Fitzgerald (M.A., Dance Education, New York University, Professional Dance Teacher Certification, New York State) teaches dance classes through 92NY’s Nursery School, Parenting Center, and Harkness Dance Center. As a Pre-K Create coach and facilitator at 92NY’s Dance Education Laboratory, Daria supports New York City 3-K and Pre-K teachers in developing skills and knowledge to facilitate the implementation of high-quality and sustaining dance education practices. Daria is the assistant director of Kids Do Dance at The Yard and was the lead curriculum designer for The Yard’s Making It program in Martha’s Vineyard schools. Daria is also a teaching artist in New York City Public Schools and the JCC. She has guest lectured at New York University and is an associate director of the Arnhold NYU Steinhardt/Global Visiting Scholar Summer Workshop. Daria has presented professional development workshops through Dancing Classrooms and The Lawrence Arts Center. She regularly presents her research and pedagogical practices at the National Dance Education Organization’s (NDEO) annual conferences. Previously, Daria served as a member of NDEO’s Development Committee and as NDEO’s Graduate Student Representative to the Board of Directors. Daria curates an Instagram that features books to use in dance class @booksfordancing.
Erin Lally (M.A.) is the Director of the Dance Education Laboratory at the 92Y. For over fifteen years, Erin has taught dance in public schools, studio, and community settings, sharing her love of dance with children, educators, and families. For five years she taught with Luna Dance Institute in Berkeley, CA where she served as the Family Services Manager, specializing in family dance classes and working with parents and children in the reunification process. Erin is the former Education Director of RIOULT where she led DanceREACH, RIOULT’s education outreach program. Erin was also a ...
Erin Lally (M.A.) is the Director of the Dance Education Laboratory at the 92Y. For over fifteen years, Erin has taught dance in public schools, studio, and community settings, sharing her love of dance with children, educators, and families. For five years she taught with Luna Dance Institute in Berkeley, CA where she served as the Family Services Manager, specializing in family dance classes and working with parents and children in the reunification process. Erin is the former Education Director of RIOULT where she led DanceREACH, RIOULT’s education outreach program. Erin was also a founding member and Dance Specialist at Bronx Charter School for the Arts in the South Bronx, NY where she created the dance curriculum and was the dance educator for grades K-5. Erin has served as a teaching artist for New York City Center, American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Hispanico, and American Repertory Ballet Company. Erin holds certificates from the 92Y’s Dance Education Laboratory, the Language of Dance (LOD), a BFA in modern dance performance at the University of the Arts, and a M.A. in Dance Education at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. Erin is the recipient of the 2021 Outstanding Leadership Award from the New York State Dance Education Association. Erin is the current dance teacher for the 92Y’s Nursery School dance program and teaches family dance classes in collaboration with the 92Y’s Parenting Center. Erin believes in the power of dance to build relationships and foster community. She is thrilled to lead DEL at 92Y, making the mission of Dance for Every Child a reality. Erin loves her family dance parties with her two children, taking delight in their choreographic skills and beautiful expression.
Dawn DiPasquale (MA Dance Education,NYU) is a former Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance and Musical Theater at Wichita State University, teaching modern, musical theater and tap dance. She is a PreK-5 Creative Dance Teaching Artist in NYC public schools for 92NY School Engagement in the Arts and NY City Center Theater. She is a facilitator, curriculum writer, video liaison, mentor and project manager for several DEL programs including Tracing Footsteps, DEL Dance and Literacy, DEL Institute and Summer Intensive, and the Create Professional Learning Series for 3K and Pre-K NYC DO ...
Dawn DiPasquale (MA Dance Education,NYU) is a former Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance and Musical Theater at Wichita State University, teaching modern, musical theater and tap dance. She is a PreK-5 Creative Dance Teaching Artist in NYC public schools for 92NY School Engagement in the Arts and NY City Center Theater. She is a facilitator, curriculum writer, video liaison, mentor and project manager for several DEL programs including Tracing Footsteps, DEL Dance and Literacy, DEL Institute and Summer Intensive, and the Create Professional Learning Series for 3K and Pre-K NYC DOE educators. She has presented virtual and in-person sessions for DEL at Jacob’s Pillow and NDEO National Conferences.
As a choreographer for Musical Theater, Dawn has worked with composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz on productions of Children of Eden at Paper Mill Playhouse (Recording, RCA Victor) and North Shore Music Theatre, as well as a revival of Working at the Long Wharf Theatre directed by Christopher Ashley. Other venues include Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera, Folly Theatre of Kansas City, Music Theatre of Wichita, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, and the College of Charleston. Her work has also been staged at Music Theatre West and The University of Michigan. As a dancer, she has performed at DTW, PS 122, Circum-Arts, Riverside Church, Gowanus, Green Space, Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, NYC Fringe Festival and at the Strada Facendo in Pisa, Italy. She is a grant recipient from The Kansas Cultural Trust/ Koch Foundation and is a proud member of SDC (Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers).
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