What is Academics in Motion: Freese and how did it come about?

The Academics In Motion Program was originally developed through a partnership with Freese Elementary’s Arts Magnet coordinator Mary Pat Hutt, Paloma Patterson (former Education Director and current Executive Director for Malashock Dance) and Molly Puryear (former Teaching Artist and current Education Director for Malashock Dance).  The program is designed to provide integrated dance classes to this under-served, primarily low-income, ethnically diverse group of students.  We are able to provide the classes at Freese Elementary free of charge to the students, removing financial and transportation barriers that often prevent students from taking dance lessons.  We have been able to provide professional teaching artists who could develop curriculum that integrates California Visual and Performing Arts standards with the students’ academic curricula strands for 3 consecutive years.

What are the aims/plan for this program?

Our aim was to provide quality dance instruction that would breathe life and creativity into the classroom,  increase the cognitive, social, and artistic growth of the students, and provide opportunities for integrated classes where multi-modal learning approaches are utilized.

Improvement noticed in the class by other school teachers and dance instructor?

Classroom teachers have witnessed improvement in attendance and test scores, shy children coming out of their shell to become expressive movers, and an increase in students’ awareness of their body language and posture. 

"I have noticed the students making connections and relevant applications between the arts and their science, math, and language arts curricula.   I have noticed increased social cooperation and self esteem in students who rarely feel successful in other academic settings.  When the barrier of language is taken out of the equation, we see children that often struggle to communicate verbally suddenly become animated, expressive and quite focused." - Molly Puryear, Education Director Malashock Dance and Facilitator of this program

“The Malashock dance classes challenge our students to express themselves in new and dynamic ways. They are given the opportunity to grow in independence while simultaneously learning the value of interdependence as well. Those lessons will serve them well throughout their lives, whatever paths they might travel.”

-Mary Pat Hutt-Arts Magnet Coordinator at Freese Elementary

A comment on the experience from Malashocks’ perspective:

“This program has been one of the most moving and powerful experiences of my career!  The dedicated and invested administration and faculty have demonstrated their commitment to educating the whole child; valuing the many different ways that students connect to the arts and to academic curricula.”  - Molly Puryear

Is it continuing? What is the future of the relationship with Freese and Malashock?

The program will continue next year, serving 280 first, third, and fifth graders for 10 weeks each. This year, Julianne O’Brien Pedersen will be the teaching artist, bringing over 15 years of experience to the program!

How does someone get in touch to book a program at their institution?

Please visit http://malashockdance.org/outreach-programs for more information about helping to support the program, and for more information about all of Malashock Dance’s  thriving Education Outreach programs or contact Education Director, Molly Puryear to book a program at your school or institution Molly@malashockdance.org