Bringing dance into Bronx classrooms

NEW YORK – It’s not too often you see students away from their desks and up on their feet. However, Accent Dance NYC is making that happen by bringing the arts to schools in underserved communities.

The program, born in 2018, has reached more than 1,000 elementary-aged children in the Bronx across about a dozen schools.

“Dancing really gives children the opportunity to develop their kinesthetic learning and also provides opportunities to embrace the art culture,” Vanessa Veerasammy, a first-grade teacher at P.S. 55 told FOX 5 NY.

Typically, instructors would come to the classroom. Accent Dance program director Mara Driscoll said she has had to pivot the learning model due to the pandemic.

“We created this virtual educational performance as a way to overcome many of our current limitations and boundaries,” she said.

The students watch an instructional video and learn to “dance” their way through New York City’s diverse neighborhoods, picking up unique dancing styles like salsa, ballet, and even break-dancing.

“In a borough like the Bronx, we meet students who are from all over the world, different cultural backgrounds, who speak different languages,” Driscoll said. “Our programming is meant to really meet those students and allow that range of students to identify with our work.”

The first graders at P.S. 55 are also taking home some valuable life lessons, such as practice and perseverance.

To learn more about Accent Dance NYC, visit accent.dance.