Renewal of purpose
The light is changing. Since the Winter Solstice, we’ve had a chance to reset, to renew our purpose, and to take a collective breath. This year provides opportunities to birth new ideas and plant new seeds. Hope is in the air.

Luna is launching a two-year initiative to reflect on what makes us who we are, rigorously re-examine our work through the lens of social justice, and transform our organization into a new iteration filled with possibility. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation gifted Luna with an Adaptation Grant, designed to situate arts organizations in an ecosystem of uncertainty, creativity, and social justice from a position of strength and resiliency. It isn’t enough to survive the pandemic, it is time to take stock and commit to renewal.

Examining the past, we are heartened to find so many examples of our Theory of Change in action—our core values manifested in dancing children and empowered teachers. Read more on our staff’s perspectives of children’s creativity, our adaptation project, and our board’s intentions for next-gen Luna.

Happy New Year!

Patricia Reedy, Director of Creativity & Pedagogy
Nancy Ng, Director of Creativity & Policy
Luna's Theory of Change in Action
While sheltering in place, Luna’s work continues on many levels. Heather is teaching dance classes at Grass Valley Elementary in Oakland—all students kindergarten through fifth grade, general ed and special ed, receive dance classes twice a week. Jochelle continues to lead our Professional Learning department where Luna continues to engage with approximately 300 teachers. Early Childhood Education (ECE) will be a major focus for PL in 2021. Supporting parents, healing trauma, and lifting up ECE teachers is work deeply rooted in Luna’s social justice endeavors. Assessing where she is most effective, Nancy has modified her state and national board service work to developing the National Guild for Community Arts Education’s racial equity work. We are grateful to the many fall 2020 donors who are sustaining Luna’s efforts this year.
Adaptation & Transformation
When the Hewlett Foundation offered Luna the opportunity to participate in their Adaptation initiative, we were ready because we had just completed a strategic plan that emphasized flexibility as we step into an unknown future. Our plan outlined three main goals for the next two years: 1) complete a capital building campaign and purchase our own building, 2) transform our Professional Learning department into a full-service Creativity Research Center, and 3) create a new infrastructure that will support goals one and two. Funding from the Adaptation grant allows us to flesh out the plan over the next few months and implement it over the next two years.

Our first 100 days begin by taking stock of our contribution to education and the arts through inquiry circles, interviews, surveys, and examination of our work to date. We’re asking creative thinkers across disciplines to dream with us about what Luna can be in our fourth decade. Along the way, we plan to share our discovery process with you—our friends and constituents. As a learning organization, we feel it crucial to be vulnerable and transparent as we take steps in new directions. Stay tuned. 
A Message from Luna's Board President
Yesterday, I joined millions of people around the world, and watched the inauguration of this country's new President and Vice President. Bedecked in pearls, teary eyed, and pinching myself, I breathed deep sighs of relief. The violence that I had feared did not interrupt the beautiful voices lifted in song, and a stunningly inspirational reading from a 22 year old Poet Laureate, and the oaths taken. My celebratory mood was marked by a feeling of lightness and hope. Without creeping into the territory of naïveté, I felt like positive societal change, despite many continuing obstacles, is possible. I don't believe I was alone in that feeling.

The words spoken by the new President, VP and Poet Laureate entreated all citizens to contribute to change launched by the election through individual efforts to create the world where everyone's dreams are valued and encouraged. They urged us to be bold, resilient, humble and fearless in helping to achieve that.

It struck me that what's being asked of us in the context of nation's divisions and inequitiesto be resilient, humble, and fearlessis aligned with the longstanding vision of Luna Dance Institute. In all the years I've been involved in some way with Lunaparent, volunteer, donor, and particularly now as President of Luna's Board of Directorsmy support of this organization supports this greater call to make my own contribution, paving a path toward creativity, equity and respect for all children, families, and teachers.

In 2019 Luna's Board of Directors embarked on an initiative to clarify and then strengthen the board's role of supporting Luna's Executive Directors and staffand through them to the community Luna servesthrough the lens of equity and anti-racism. While equity has always been at the core of Luna's mission, programs, and Theory of Change, it is an exciting time for the board to take stewardship of these values at the leadership level. It is exciting to witness board members articulate this kind of accountability and hold one another to living these values.
 
By renewing my own commitment to Luna's work as a Board member and donor, I can respond to yesterday's hopeful entreaty from our new national leaders, and from my own heart.

Denise Oldham
21 January 2021