Past projects 7
Folkloric Dance Costumes
Funded Jan 29, 2024Thank you so much for making this project possible! My students were so excited to open the boxes and see the beautiful costumes. They even more excited to try them on, of course. My students told me they love the skirts especially because of how they catch the air when they turn.
The blouses are very nice quality and the embroidery goes well with all the different colored skirts. These skirts and blouses will be used for years to come during Hispanic Heritage month for various traditional dances including merengue, cumbia, and folkloric dances.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Supan
Gotta Dance
Funded Nov 22, 2023The tap shoes you helped me purchase have already been put to use. In December, several of my 7th grade classes collaborated on a tap dance called "Hot Chocolate," using the song from the film "Polar Express".
I have also used tap shoes with 8th grade as well, and I plan to do a tap unit with 6th grade classes in the spring.
My students absolutely love the way tap shoes create rhythms and music through dance. It really brings them together as a community since they have to work together to make the rhythms.
I know these shoes will be used for generations to come.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Supan
This classroom project was brought to life by Con Edison and 2 other donors.Baile! Dance Skirts for Folkloric Dance
Funded Sep 29, 2022Thank you so much for your gift that helped us purchase folkloric skirts for my students! We were able to use them for our Hispanic Heritage Month celebration this year in October. I used the skirts for 2 different 8th grade classes. Students wore the folkloric skirts for a Mexican folkloric dance called "Los Machetes" and also for a Dominican merengue dance. The looks on my students faces when I opened the box and showed them the skirts was priceless. I included a picture from the day one class first tried on the skirts in our classroom. The dancers learned how to tie the sashes on each other and how to make the skirts catch the air in various traditional steps.
My students were so proud when they walked on stage in those authentic skirts. And it was particularly meaningful to them because they felt they were truly representing their own culture. These skirts are meaningful both for performers and for students who did not perform, but got to attend the celebration, since they could feel the respect being shown for their cultures.
I know we will be using these skirts for years to come. They are vibrant colors that really pop on stage, and they are clearly high quality.
Thank you again! Your generosity will touch so many students this year and for years to come.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Supan
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Classroom Supporter and one other donor.Hear the Dance: A Dance Class Sound System
Funded Nov 18, 2019Our new stereo system is sleek and compact and produces beautiful sound quality!
Before this system, we used a small portable speaker which did not produce great sound, or we tried a big system that had a very loud hiss, even when there was no music playing. Now students can focus on dancing without distraction from poor sound.
The system has a bluetooth function that lets me play music directly from my phone so I can teach from all over the room and interact with students more closely.
Our school will also be able to use the sound system for performances anywhere! We are already planning some events around the building that are only possible because this system is both portable and high quality.
Thank you again for your contribution to this project!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Supan
This classroom project was brought to life by PLUS1 and Beast Coast and 6 other donors.OMMM Yoga Mats
Funded Aug 31, 2018When the yoga mats arrived my students were so excited to use them. It was very hard for me to tell them we had to wait until our yoga unit began.
Doing yoga has helped my students so much in terms of their focus, and their sense of community in dance class. Each student gets to work on his or her own mat, so students have a sense of place and belonging just through the physical location of their mats. My students' have loved the quiet and peace discovered through inner focus. One of the most important goals I have for my students is to help them discover the power of their own minds over their physical abilities. Yoga is a huge part of attaining that goal.
My students have also really enjoyed exploring partner stretches on the mats. This work is helping build relationships between students and creating a community that sees the value of physical awareness, inner focus and collaboration.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Supan
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 12 other donors.Costumes for Our Ballet Company
Funded Mar 29, 2017Thanks to your generous donation, our ballet company was able to perform our "Tango" piece in beautiful new costumes. When the dancers first opened the packages their eyes lit up with excitement.
We had to hold a photo shoot right away.
Once they had gotten over the initial burst of energy, I noticed a huge difference in how they were performing the piece. The tango requires a sense of pride and confidence, and wearing these gorgeous costumes helped students experience that feeling in a way that carried over into their performance.
The students in the ballet company have already shared with me some of the ideas they have for how we will use the costumes this coming year. I am excited to help take the group to a new level of professionalism, and your gift was an important piece in this process.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Supan
This classroom project was brought to life by Aspect Ventures and 6 other donors.Balance Pods
Funded Aug 31, 2016Dear Donors;
My dance classes have used the Balance pods as an engaging and tactile addition to our warm up. The pods are great way of grounding students to their assigned spots. The first moment I brought out the pods I heard students gasp with excitement. They were eager to experiment with different ways of using them, even while seated in their spots. While I had planned to have students step onto the pods almost immediately, I realized that the class was really interested in finding their own ways to use the pods. Several students spun the pods like tops, while others just wanted to explore the spiny nubs with their fingers, or balance them upside down.
Soon we were ready to try different kinds of balanced shapes on them. We have been working on different body shapes so it was wonderful to see students able to hold their bodies still in various shapes on top of the pods.
We have also used the pods as an obstacle course, creating a visual line to follow in creating balances, following a specific path through the space, and pacing our steps for each pod. I am eager to see what additional strengths these pods will develop and what creative experiments my students will come up with.
Thank you all so much for making this project possible!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Supan