Developing leadership
during uncertain times
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The inequities and injustices that continue to be revealed in our social and education systems demand change. Our field of dance education needs courageous and creative leaders who are grounded in their values, to advocate for dance and children, and galvanize us all to teach for change.
Luna invests in dance practitioner leaders, supporting them to imagine possibilities and strengthen their voices through our Professional Learning workshops, Leadership Institutes, Your Turn initiative, Practitioner Exchange facilitation, coaching, and alumni mentorship. Luna faculty are encouraged to publish and present about their teaching inquiry, sit on regional and statewide commissions, and participate in collegial arts and education communities to challenge and inspire their leadership potential. As we share what we learn from teaching, we foster collaborative exchange and help advance our field.
In the stories below, read about dance leaders in action, and how they are igniting change.
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A conversation on education,
leadership & values
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In a casual conversation blog, former Director of Community & Culture Cherie Hill and Professional Learning Manager Jochelle Pereña investigate their roles as artists, educators and leaders, and how their roles and values intersect.
Here's an excerpt:
"One of the aspects I am grateful for at Luna, is the opportunity to grow in leadership. When I attended the National Guild for Community Arts Education Leadership Institute in 2017 I discovered core values. That first year I chose family, well-being, and love as my top values. The next year I added service. These values are still my core, and I often reflect on how to live them and allow them to inform my work and leadership."
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Working with Summer Institute alumni
as they step into new levels of leadership
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While Summer Institute (SI) participants study with Luna for one year, we commit to supporting them for the length of their careers. These two SI alumni are returning to Luna for further inquiry and development in their dance ed leadership. |
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Samad Raheem Guerra, SI '19, joins Luna as an Alum Fellow. As a dance teaching artist and performer with CONTRA-TIEMPO URBAN LATIN DANCE THEATER, Samad participated in Luna's training-the-trainer's program, Your Turn, and in the Summer Institute. He writes:
"Over the span of a year, I received one-on-one support from Dr. Reedy who encouraged me to pursue my passion for teaching, as well as develop new and exciting ways to center creativity in my lesson planning and curriculum; joined a community of passionate educators, change makers and critical thinkers; and had the invaluable opportunity to practice teaching and receiving feedback in a safe and caring environment."
Through his Luna fellowship, Samad will continue his investigations of creativity, critical pedagogy, and leadership to support him in his new role as the Director of the World Dance program at San Francisco's Ruth Asawa School of Arts.
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Alisa Rasera, SI '02, Luna's former Professional Learning Manager and Education Director of AXIS Dance Company, returns to support Luna's special ed and inclusion inquiry. She will reevaluate and redesign our Professional Learning inclusion curriculum and online training modules, and guest teach during our Summer Institute. Alisa will also facilitate Practitioner Exchanges on teaching special ed/inclusion dance online. This October, in collaboration with Luna colleagues, she will present a workshop, "Dismantling Ableism through Dance Education", at the National Dance Education Conference.
While a teaching artist at Luna, Alisa led inquiry projects investigating teaching dance in middle school special needs classrooms, which supported our faculty in developing inclusive practices and advocacy. We look forward to continuing to learn with and from her as she leads our field in making dance accessible for all.
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Summer Institute alumni do amazing things in their communities as teacher leaders. Read more about them here.
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Where can YOU stretch yourself as a dance leader? Sharing stories of the impact of dance on you or your students in blogs, social media, or conversation. Joining local or national arts advocacy organizations like Create CA or Americans for the Arts. Connecting with a fellow dance teacher to collaborate and support each other through peer leadership on issues that matter to you. These are all powerful ways to impact our field, and in turn, impact your own teaching. The very process of talking, writing, connecting with others about what we do helps us reflect and see our teaching from different perspectives. The very act of advocacy can be a learning and teaching experience that manifests real change.
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