Gender Inclusivity in the Dance Classroom Online Course

Value: 3 hours of professional development (CPD) credit.

Gender Inclusivity in the Dance Classroom Online Course is an online professional development course intended to teach K-12 dance educators about teaching practices that respect diversity, enable participation, remove barriers, and ensure the classroom is a safe space for all students. It addresses the need for teachers to be more inclusive in their language, practices, and teaching methods to best support all students.

This online course consists of five modules to give district coordinators, school administrators, and their teachers and staff the tools to implement inclusive teaching practices into their dance curriculum. It is flexible, allowing for school districts to deliver the modules either in person or online in a group setting led by a facilitator. The modules can also be completed individually so that teachers can work on professional development as it fits into their schedule.

Gender Inclusivity in the Dance Classroom includes practical application exercises and reflection prompts. A brief quiz ends each module, and a comprehensive quiz demonstrates evidence of learning upon completion of the course. Finally, a downloadable certificate of completion can be submitted to the facilitator or administrator for professional development credit. This course is worth three contact hours.

Audience

Resource for K-12 dance or arts coordinators, K-12 dance educators, freelance dance educators, studio owners and teachers, directors of education and engagement at professional dance companies, and teachers of dance for all abilities and disabilities.

Introduction
Module 1. Foundational Definitions and Title IX Policy
Module 2. Creating Safe Spaces
Module 3. Examining Gender Stereotypes
Module 4. Dress and Performance Considerations
Module 5. Resources to Support Representation and Celebration
Wrap-Up and End of Course Quiz

Lindsey Bauer, MFA, (she/they) is a queer dance artist, dance educator, and arts advocate. A teacher leader in the Connected Arts Network, Lindsey coleads a professional learning community where participants build their capacity to address equity, diversity, inclusion, and social-emotional learning. Lindsey has worked as the lead dance teacher at Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School for 13 years, teaching technique and choreography, serving on leadership committees and production teams, and being the advisor for the National Honor Society for the Dance Arts. Making sure that all students feel welcome and making dance accessible are of the utmost importance in Lindsey’s practice.

Lindsey is the co–artistic director of Elm City Dance Collective, leading the organization in providing dance experiences in the community of New Haven, Connecticut, and beyond. Lindsey joins the faculty at Towson University in the master of arts in dance education program this year.

Lindsey was a panelist in the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) webinar “Disrupting Gender Assumptions,” which led to the further sharing of research in dance education communities at Towson University, Central Connecticut State University, the National Dance Education Conference (Denver, Colorado), the virtual summer NDEO conference, and the New York State Dance Education Association (NYSDEA) conference. Lindsey holds a BFA from Towson University, an MFA from Arizona State University, and a certificate in diversity and inclusion from Cornell University. Lindsey is on Facebook and Instagram and promotes work through those social media platforms.

Natalie Swan, MEd, (she/they) is a queer artist and educator teaching dance for grades preK-5 in Brooklyn, New York. Natalie is a certified childhood, special education, and dance educator who completed studies in dance, dance education, interdisciplinary arts for children, childhood education, and special education. In their current school, Natalie collaborates with the school librarian to facilitate a weekly book club, called the Be-YOU-tiful Book Club, focusing on reading and responding to books on gender diversity and inclusion, diverse family structures, and celebration of uniqueness and differences.

Natalie was a panelist in the NDEO webinar “Disrupting Gender Assumptions” and was interviewed on the Dan Talks podcast (“Gender Inclusivity in Classrooms With Natalie Swan”), both regarding gender inclusion in an elementary school setting. In previous collaboration with Lindsey Bauer, Natalie presented at the New York State Dance Education Association (NYSDEA) and National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) 2023 annual conferences, delivering sessions titled “Breaking the Gender Binary in Dance” and “Leading the Way for Gender Inclusive Dance Spaces,” respectively. Natalie is an alumna of SUNY College at Brockport and of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. A member of the United Federation for Teachers, NDEO, and NYSDEA, Natalie actively promotes work through Facebook and Instagram.