At SEALL Academy PS/IS 180, in Brooklyn, New York, students learn fluency and Flamenco dancing as they flourish both academically and creatively.

by Denise Henry

When K-5 students at SEALL Academy arrive at school, they can travel the world through dance in their new studio. Thanks to the Dancing in the Classroom residency, students learn how to dance the Fungalafia (Africa), Flamenco (Spain), Bhangra (India), Yanko (China), and Bomba (Puerto Rico).

“The students have an outlet, not just academics, but can also flourish through the SEALL philosophy of Students Educationally Enriched As Learning Leaders,” says Principal Angelo Sacco. “We nurture the whole student because each and every individual is unique.”

Every student that enters the dance studio is encouraged to take small steps to help them build confidence in their abilities and find the freedom to express themselves. In an effort to find fun, educational enrichment opportunities that speak to the uniqueness of each student, Principal Sacco and the PTA members drew inspiration from the middle school activities.

“We had a lot of enrichment for our middle school,” says Principal Sacco. “The PTA asked about offering something more for our younger students. A lot of students and low income families could not take their children to such things as dance.”

A dream and a plan was put in motion and this past summer a ribbon cutting ceremony, attended by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, revealed the beautiful SEALL Academy dance studio.

“I think the dance studio itself is even better than going to private lessons,” boasts Principal Sacco.

When you step into the dance studio, quotes adorning the walls encourage students to let go and move their bodies. Students are taught dances that embrace the beautiful cultures in the world. Whether the dance involves stomping their feet, waving their hands, or holding their head high, these dances show students how to be bold and make their presence known. These positive enrichment activities keeps students engaged and helps them to grow as thoughtful leaders and learn about people and cultures outside of their Brooklyn neighborhoods.

But for many students, the pure joy really comes from just moving and dancing to get out all of that youthful energy!

Inspirational dance quotes adorn the walls of the studio.

“There are a lot of moves,” says 2nd grade student Timur. “Fungalafia and Flamenco are my favorite. Dancing makes me feel happy. It gives me more energy and I get out a lot of energy.”

His classmate Marta agrees.

“When I’m dancing I feel that I have so much energy that I can dance all day,” says Marta, also in the 2nd grade. “My favorite dance is the Fungalafia because there are so many cool moves and I can express myself and be creative.”

Letting students shine in the classroom as they practice reading, and cheering them on as they learn how to dance, are all part of SEALL’s vision of supporting the entire student. Recently, there was a special dance showcase for the end of the unit where parents came to see the children perform.

“The K, 1, and 2nd grade showcase ended the fall residency. Now grades 3-5 will begin the ballroom residency,” Principal Sacco says. “We get costumes for performances from theater and through the after school Community Based Organizations (CBO,) we get help with making costumes.”

This community effort to bring joyful enrichment into the lives of these students is possible through organizations like Dancing in the Classroom which provide the dance instructors.

“We have different dance instruction for the younger K-2 students. They follow a curriculum and they cover specific dances. We have ballroom dancing and we have cultures aligned to dancing. Eventually there will be a library so the curriculum is tied into the lesson,” says Principal Sacco. “Students will be doing a read aloud lesson based on the culture and the dance.”

For the students at SEALL Academy, this beautiful dance studio is an important space where they can learn, laugh, and most importantly just dance.

“It gives me a sense of pride that the students are able to really enjoy dance,” says Principal Sacco. “The dance studio is something that I would love to see lasting a long time. It will be here for groups of students and serve as an outlet for them to be excited to come to school.”

The students love that their dance studio gives them the freedom to express themselves through movement.