From the ballroom to the classroom: Dancing Classrooms on NBC

Posted on February 17, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Watch video of Dancing Classrooms on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams as covered by Anne Thompson in her February 17, 2012 “Making a Difference” report.

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Team colors set for Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh May 5 ballroom competition

Posted on February 22, 2012 by | 1 Comment

We’ve chosen the colors for the 10 schools who will compete in Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh’s Colors of the Rainbow semi-final team match.

The ballroom dance competition takes place on Saturday, May 5 beginning at 10 a.m. at Pittsburgh Allderdice High School. As always, the event is free and open to the public.

Here, our rainbow of fifth-grade teams:

Yellow: Pittsburgh Allegheny K-5
Blue: Pittsburgh Arsenal K-5
Magenta: Pittsburgh Banksville K-5
Purple: Pittsburgh Carmalt PreK-8
Aqua: Pittsburgh Concord K-5
Red: Pittsburgh Dilworth PreK-5
Emerald: Good Shepherd School
Orange: Pittsburgh Linden K-5
Green: Pittsburgh Phillips K-5
Indigo: Pittsburgh Roosevelt PreK-5

Mark your calendar for May 5 and watch for updates on Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh’s upcoming Colors of the Rainbow team match, sponsored by Mercy Behavioral Health.

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More from NBC News: dancing gives focus outside of academics

Posted on February 18, 2012 by | Leave a comment
NBC Nightly News

Image via Wikipedia

As part of her February 17, 2012 report on Dancing Classrooms for NBC Nightly News, reporter Anne Thompson talked with Jean-Marie Kennedy, a teacher at the Walter Francis Bishop elementary school in New York, about the poise, confidence, and good manners children learn through ballroom dance.

Read Thompson’s reporter’s notebook here and scroll down the page to watch an additional video clip about Dancing Classrooms.

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Tonight: Dancing Classrooms on NBC Nightly News

Posted on February 17, 2012 by | Leave a comment

This just in:  Tonight at 6:30 p.m. EST, a segment about Dancing Classrooms is scheduled to air on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.

Check your local listings and watch to see if you spot any children from Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh.

We’ll post a link to the segment — if available — after it airs.

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Happy Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 14, 2012 by | Leave a comment

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Behind the scenes at Colors of the Rainbow

Posted on February 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

What happens before our ballroom dancers take the stage? Here’s a look behind the scenes before Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh’s most recent Colors of the Rainbow team match.

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Meet Gena Melago, our newest teaching artist

Posted on January 27, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Please join us in welcoming Ms. Gena Melago to the Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh team of teaching artists.

Gena Melago, teaching artist for Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh, at the January 7 Colors of the Rainbow team match (©2012 Archie Carpenter)

Ms. Gena has been dancing since she was five years old. At a young age, she focused on ballet and jazz. While attending Moon High School, she fell in love with Latin dance.

Since 2000, she has studied with Terry and Rozana Sweeney at Art and Style Dance Studio on Pittsburgh’s South Side. Ms. Gena has danced competitively  Continue reading →

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Dancing Classrooms life lesson: respect

Posted on January 26, 2012 by | Leave a comment
trust and create

Denise Carbonell via Flickr

By Kimberly Flaherty

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to me.”  ~ Aretha Franklin

Respect.

We know it when we see it.

When we respect ourselves and others, it shows… in our attitude,  in our words, and in our behavior. We may smile a little more. Others may notice us walking a bit taller. Continue reading →

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Much more than dance: a brief history of Dancing Classrooms

Posted on January 24, 2012 by | 1 Comment

People often ask us, “What’s  the story behind Dancing Classrooms?” and “Why would schools make a ballroom dance class mandatory?”

So, we thought our readers may want to know a little more about the history of the program. Continue reading →

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Everybody dance now: highlights from Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh’s semi-final competition

Posted on January 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Watch highlights from Dancing Classrooms Pittsburgh Colors of the Rainbow team match held on January 7, 2012. Let us know what you think by leaving a comment here or on YouTube. We appreciate your opinion.

Click here to see more of our videos.

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