2021-619-E-Arts Commission-North Carolina Arts in Action-Restart the Arts

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Provide a brief description of your pre-pandemic core arts-related programming or offerings. Far more than just another dance education program, NC AIA motiv ates children to believ e in themselv es, prov ides a professional env ironment with professional expectations and the nurturing and encouragement to dev elop a personal standard of excellence. For some students, their participation changes the trajectory of their liv es. Committed to serv ing all children and with a focus on at-risk and underserv ed children, NC AIA has continued its commitment to serv ing 14 Durham, Orange, and W ake County schools and its 1400 fourth grade students. Since 2005, NC AIA has reached ov er 10,400 NC students through direct instruction. Teachers report that students who struggle in a traditional classroom gain confidence and increase their ability to focus. NC AIA’s highly trained instructors create an atmosphere of both mutual support and high expectations. As one teacher wrote in her ev aluation, “Students who struggled academically were able to “shine” in Arts in Action. This self-esteem that had been lacking started to spread into their academics, and they no longer gav e up easily or considered themselv es unable to do assignments.” Our Saturday LEAP program fulfills a community need for children in underserv ed schools to hav e exposure to the arts in an env ironment that is all inclusiv e. Arts in Action programs utilize the unique National Dance Institute teaching paradigm. This model captures children’s innate lov e of mov ement. Students, who hav e nev er before been exposed to dance instruction, learn that mov ement + music + ideas + teamwork can be made into a dance that tells a story. Arts in Action’s highly trained instructors create an atmosphere of both mutual support and high expectations. Although NC AIA’s program focuses on an entire fourth grade lev el, who are ages 8 to 10, the residency supports community building. Teachers of the Title 1 Schools in W ake, Durham, Orange or Chatham county where our program operates participate in a curriculum mapping session before the residency starts to implement curriculum tie-in opportunities. The entire school and community, including parents and friends, are inv ited to the culminating large-scale performance ev ent. Our demographics are 53% are Hispanic; 38% are Black; 5% are W hite; 1% are American Indian, 2% two or more races. Qualifying for the Federal free/reduced lunch program are 83% of the students. Our program begins with students learning the structure of dance and how to prepare and focus mentally. Students learn to listen and count music. Physical activ ities and games use the specific pedagogy that promotes self-discipline and teamwork. Next they study basic choreography, seeing how indiv idual steps are linked to produce a whole more powerful than its parts. In the final portion of the LEAP program, they learn how dance used with storytelling, culture, tradition and fine arts builds community and civ ic pride. The LEAP program culminates in sev eral performances throughout the Triangle community. DocuSign Envelope ID: 1681A9E1-F01B-474E-8571-49803695781C