DEL Dance and Literacy Curriculum Project

Thanks to a generous grant from the New York Community Trust, DEL aims to combat the literacy deficit among NYC students through the creation and dissemination of a new DEL Dance Literacy Curriculum.

DEL’s curricular model emphasizes integrated arts learning and dance literacy through the application of the Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) framework as an expansive movement vocabulary enrichment tool. Further, DEL’s student-centered curricular model includes movement exploration and dance-making opportunities that reinforce literacy principles in an integrative and collaborative manner.

This DEL Curricular Project launched in 2023 and includes: 

• The design of two new curriculum modules for grade bands PreK, K-2, 3-5, and D75 (K-2, 3-5), which integrate dance and literacy standards.
• The design and implementation of professional learning workshops for K-5 dance educators, PreK classroom educators, and K-5 classroom teachers who utilize an integrated arts focus.
• The design and dissemination of a Dance Literacy Family Guide (dual language).
• The creation and dissemination of a Dance Literacy Teacher Toolkit (dual language) for teachersto augment the DEL Dance Literacy Curriculum.
• The implementation of a coaching model to support PreK-5 educators.