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Principal praises dance teacher Nicole and credits 'dance collaborative' with bringing dance to younger students
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Summary
An unnamed principal commended Nicole, a dance teacher with 29 years at the school, for creating a dance collaborative that used seed grant money to bring dance instruction to two elementary campuses after students said they lacked dance exposure before high school.
An unnamed principal at Abie Miller commended Nicole, a dance teacher, for founding a “dance collaborative” that expanded dance instruction to lower grade levels after a grant-funded pilot. "So I've actually had the pleasure to work with Nicole for the last 29 years," the principal said, noting Nicole's long tenure and the observable classroom structure she models.
Nicole described how the program started after outside funding ended and a partner offered more support. "What's the need? And every single 1 of them said, well, we didn't get to do anything in dance until we got to high school. So could we figure out some type of project that would allow dance to be offered in the lower levels? And so that is really how the dance collaborative was born," Nicole said.
The principal said Nicole's classes are fast-paced and highly structured and that other teachers observe her class to learn classroom management techniques. "So it's actually really, really fun to watch Nicole instruct a class because it is fast paced and ongoing. And while they're actually doing something, she's correcting. ... Her interaction, you know, is playful, fun, it's supportive," the principal said. The principal added, "At the same time, she tells them how it is."
Nicole recounted how she did not originally plan to be a dance teacher but took the role after college and stayed. "I thought, I'll I'll work here for 2 or 3 years, and then I'll move on and do something else. But 29 years later, I'm still here, so I think this is the something else," Nicole said.
According to the remarks, seed money from an outside partner was used to start work with two elementary schools; principals at other campuses later asked to participate after hearing about the results. The principal said the program has been "transformative for their campus," and emphasized that arts instruction builds work ethic and other skills that carry beyond performances.
No formal action, vote, or ordinance was recorded in the provided transcript excerpts; the comments appear as part of recognition and program description during the meeting.
