Statements

Mission

To educate and empower young girls of color through exposure to the art of dance.

Background

Dancing Through the Curriculum (DTC) began in 2013 and was awarded 501(c)3 status on the 14th day of August in 2014. The organization was founded by Dr. Ashley Mushamba, a former dancer and public school teacher, with a vision to find ways to integrate dance into the classroom learning experience. After implementing dance integrated lessons in her classroom and experiencing success, Dr. Mushamba began training teachers on her method at her school, Park Avenue Elementary. Due to the high interest among students and families, an after-school program was started at Park Avenue Elementary which included homework help and dance. This after-school program has since developed into Dancing Through the Curriculum's 4.0 Movement Studios. 4.0 Movement Studios provides dance instruction in the areas of ballet, creative movement, tap, jazz, acro, danceline, hip hop, and African, and contemporary to girls between the ages of 2 to 17. In addition to dance 4.0 infuses academic support and social emotional learning opportunities such as monthly girls nights and STEAM activities. Partnerships with organizations such as the Nashville Predators, Tennessee Arts Commission, Metro Arts, Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation, Middle Tennessee State University, Community Foundation, and Murfreesboro City Schools have allowed DTC to reach desired goals and overcome challenges.

Impact

Education is a fundamental right and our job is to provide creative opportunities that engage youth in the learning process. Dancing Through the Curriculum uses the art of dance to empower youth in the classroom and on the dance floor. We target young girls of color in under-served communities who struggle in the areas of literacy, math, or science. Dancing Through the Curriculum's programs include opportunities for every participant to increase their understanding of Tennessee academic and dance standards (Raising the Barre), self (Girl Empowerment), and dance (Community Dance Division). For the past 8 years, Dancing Through the Curriculum has expanded to reach over 400 young girls attending Title I public schools and/or those residing in under-served communities. We have been invited to appear on Channel 5 due to our community impact and continue to see an increase in enrollment each semester, indicating a community interest in our services. Classes include ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, acro, danceline, African, and hip hop. These classes are held after school at selected school sites, local community centers, and 4.0 Movement Studios. Our goal is to continue to increase the enrollment of young girls who have not experienced technical dance training by 25% in the next year. In addition to our classes, we successfully provide exposure to dance from the African diaspora. Our participants traveled to New York during 2016 to study with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Dance Theater of Harlem and to Collage Dance Collective in Memphis, TN during 2017. In the future, we plan on attending the International Association of Blacks and Dance and continuing to explore dance in all colors.

Needs

Dancing Through the Curriculum needs help in the following areas: 1) $32,200 to pay for dance teachers for the 2021-2022 season 2) Volunteers to assist with dance classes and performances. 3) Videographers and Photographers to help increase our presence on social media outlets and the web. 4) Professionals in the fields of law, accounting, public relations, arts administration, business, and arts administration to join our board of directors. 5) Individual donors/Corporate partners who are willing to donate to support our cause and/or sponsor dancers.

CEO Statement

'Where would I be if it were not for dance?' As the founder/executive director of Dancing Through the Curriculum (DTC), I realize the importance of dance as an art, confidence builder, and way of expression. Growing up in a single-parent household, with odds against me, I was able to encourage myself through the art of dance. Although my mother realized my interest in dance, she often struggled to pay studio tuition costs for my ballet lessons. As a result, I began to take classes strictly through my public high school. These high school dance classes kept me from dropping out of school and boosted my confidence in myself and my situation. From the moment a walked across the stage at my local high school, I knew I wanted to provide the same experience for underserved youth in my community.After volunteering my time at a local Boys & Girls club and teaching for Metropolitan Nashville Schools for six exciting years, I founded Dancing Through the Curriculum (DTC). DTC provides enriching experiences for youth attending "highly diverse" or "high risk" public schools. We offer academic tutoring and various disciplines of dance at discounted rates. The goal is for all students to be afforded quality dance instruction and academic support. Our participants work toward meeting their academic goals, while becoming more knowledgeable about the performing art of dance. We believe true education includes movement and the arts. I look forward to expanding DTC's vision of "educating, exposing, and empowering" students by implementing programs in schools serving "high-risk" populations across the state of Tennessee. My dream is to provide meaningful dance and academic instruction, so that students can become successful inside and outside the classroom. Dance is more than movement. Dance includes critical thinking skills, self-expression, confidence building , team-work, endurance, and attitude. 'Let's all dance!"

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Arts, Culture & Humanities  - Dance
Secondary Category:	Youth Development  - Girls Clubs
Tertiary Category:	Education  - Primary & Elementary Schools

Areas Served

TN - Rutherford

TN - Davidson