Pones is committed to providing trauma-informed arts education to youth of all ages and experience levels. Students participating in our hands-on, active, and creative classes have the opportunity to absorb and retain knowledge in a new and exciting way. Through arts education, students can improve their presentation abilities, increase collaboration with others, develop creative problem-solving capabilities, and gain confidence in themselves. Also, non-performers and experienced dancers alike will benefit from the physical fitness of dance and learn how to productively focus their energy. Furthermore, Pones’ youth focused programs include trauma informed care, social emotional learning (SEL) outcomes, such as setting and achieving positive goals, and feeling and showing empathy to each other, which benefit every participant in the program.
We offer a rich variety of programs, such as in-school artist residencies, after-school enrichment, assembly presentations, and unique arts integration classes. These classes are excellent choices for small or large groups, clubs, community centers, library events, in-school field trips, indoor or outdoor activities, and special events.
DANCE 101: EXPLORE YOUR EXPRESSION
Curriculum: Dance, Social Studies, English/Language Arts, Social Emotional Learning
Dance 101 invites every student to move, create, and connect while discovering the foundations of dance in an engaging, hands-on experience. Designed for all skill levels, this workshop brings curriculum to life through movement, making concepts more memorable for kinesthetic learners while supporting social-emotional growth. Students explore recreational, cultural, and social dance styles while building confidence, creativity, communication, and critical-thinking skills. With no special shoes or prior dance experience required, this flexible workshop can be tailored to any grade level, theme, or curriculum area.
Dance 101 will help students:
Learn through movement by connecting physical activity to classroom concepts and strengthening retention.
Explore culture and creativity through a variety of recreational, cultural, and social dance styles.
Build confidence and self-expression while developing a positive relationship with their bodies.
Strengthen collaboration and communication through interactive partner and group activities.
Develop critical-thinking and wellness skills while discovering a fun, active way to stay healthy.
Example: Students learn the tools of dance – Body, Energy, Space, and Time – through interactive activities while physically experiencing what it might feel like to become the water cycle. Students can then use these dance tools to abstract the movements of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, transpiration, infiltration, and collection into an 8-count and create collaborative choreography. By feeling these scientific processes in their own bodies and exploring them through dance styles such as hip hop, ballet, or contemporary dance, students may develop a deeper understanding of the water cycle and remember the concepts for years to come.
Recommended Grades: K-12
Maximum Audience: 30
Length: 60 minutes
Cost: $145/class, $290/ 2 classes, $435/ 3 classes, $580/ 4 classes, etc.
Max # Sessions per Day: 5
Dancing On The Globe
Curriculum: Dance, Social Emotional Learning, Social Studies
Take students on a movement-filled tour around the world without ever leaving the classroom! Dancing on the Globe introduces students to cultures, traditions, and communities through the universal language of dance. Through interactive movement experiences and original choreography, students explore how dance reflects the history, values, celebrations, and identities of people around the globe. Students may experience styles such as Kakilambe, Salsa, and Bollywood, while discovering that movement can connect us across cultures and continents.
Dancing on the Globe will help students:
- Think globally by exploring cultures and developing cultural empathy.
- Build dance skills through accessible choreography ranging from basic to intermediate movement.
- Get moving while developing coordination and healthy movement habits.
- Express creativity through improvisation, choreography, and collaborative movement experiences.
- Connect learning by using dance to reinforce social studies and SEL concepts.
Example: Students travel to Cuba through movement, discovering cultural details such as: the popularity of soccer, the colorful classic cars seen throughout the country, and the important role of music and dance in celebrations. After exploring these connections, students will learn basic Salsa steps, rhythms, and partner movements, using choreography and creative movement to experience how dance reflects a culture’s identity. Students then reflect on the cultures they explored and consider how movement traditions connect to their own cultural identity, experiences, and sense of belonging.
Recommended Grades: 3–12
Maximum Audience: 30 students
Length: 60 minutes
Cost: $145/class, $290/ 2 classes, $435/ 3 classes, $580/ 4 classes, etc.
Maximum Sessions Per Day: 5
Dancing Through The Ages
Curriculum: Dance, History, and Social Studies
Invite your students on a high-energy journey through history – one dance step at a time! In Dancing Through the Ages, students explore iconic recreational and social dances from the 1920s through today, discovering how dance reflects the people, events, and culture of each era. Through movement, choreography, and discussion, students build connections between the past and present while developing confidence, creativity, and empathy. This interactive class brings history to life in a way students can experience, remember, and enjoy.
Dancing through the Ages will help students:
- Step into history by exploring dance styles from the 1920s, 1950s, 1970s, and beyond.
- Make meaningful connections between historical events, cultural perspectives, and today’s dance trends.
- Build confidence and communication skills through movement, collaboration, and self-expression.
- Develop empathy and critical thinking by considering how dance can reflect different communities’ experiences and perspectives.
- Move, create, and have fun while discovering an exciting way to stay active and healthy.
Example: Students learn how the Charleston grew out of jazz music during the Roaring Twenties, a time of Prohibition and women gaining the right to vote, while exploring everyday life through popular inventions, events, and figures of the era. Students then learn and perform basic Charleston steps, as a solo dancer and with a partner, connecting the movement to the culture of the 1920s.
NOTE: This workshop can be a survey of different dance styles or focus on any time period. We recommend 1 dance style per session. Please let us know preference when scheduling the program.
Recommended Grades: 3-10
Maximum Audience: 30
Length: 60 minutes (3-4 day workshop)
Cost: $145/class, $290/ 2 classes, $435/ 3 classes, $580/ 4 classes, etc.
Max # Sessions per Day: 5
Hip Hop and Collaboration
Curriculum: Dance, Social Emotional Learning
We use hip hop as a tool to discuss and discover how empowerment and collaboration are valuable parts of being a young person. How do these ideas go together? Hip hop thrives on collaboration and our focus will be on celebrating and uplifting one another.
Hip Hop and Collaboration will help students:
- Empower themselves and others
- Collaborate and communicate with others
- Creatively express themselves
- Build self confidence Discover a fun way to stay healthy
Example: Each week we will focus on building up our peers through dance. We will discuss supporting one another and its importance. Then we will start to build a dance about these compliments. Using the tools of dance and collaborative skills, we will create original choreography as a group.
Recommended Grades: 4-12
Maximum Audience: 30
Length: 60 minutes
Cost: $145/class, $290/ 2 classes, $435/ 3 classes, $580/ 4 classes, etc. (recommended 2 workshops minimum)
Max #Sessions per Day: 5
Arts and Advocacy
Curriculum: Dance, English/Language Arts, Social Emotional Learning, Theatre
Students will use the art of movement to advocate for changes they want to make in their lives and communities. Students are transformed into performance artists through a fun and exciting workshop led by professional dancers. They will engage their creative sides and think critically about issues and topics relevant to their own lives while creating, rehearsing, and performing an original piece all their own.
By the end of the program students will have learned:
- Basic theatre and dance concepts
- Effective communication
- Collaboration
- How to stand up for what they believe in / become an activist
- Catharsis through expressing their beliefs and ownership of their convictions
- A creative modality through which to communicate, different from lecture
Students will perform their work as empowered individuals, and create something completely unique, meaningful, and fun.
Example: A class of eighth grade students voices a list of issues that are significant to them: acceptance, recycling, college, sports, and school uniforms. Collectively, they select ‘sports’ as the topic to focus on for their production. Specifically, they have noticed that extracurricular sports are too expensive to participate in once travel costs, uniforms, equipment, and fees have been calculated. They investigate ideas that will make sports more affordable so that everyone who wants to participate is able to do so. In small groups they utilize provided composition worksheets to guide their examination of how to create positive change in sports. The students are challenged to funnel their discussion into action by creating a piece that uses multiple art forms – theatre, dance, spoken word, visual arts – to express their ideas. Students perform their original work for their peers at the end of the workshop.
Recommended Grades: 6-12
Maximum Audience: 30
Cost: $145/class, $290/ 2 classes, $435/ 3 classes, $580/ 4 classes, etc.
Music and Emotions
Curriculum: Dance, Social Emotional Learning
In Music and Emotions, students discover how music and movement can help them understand, express, and navigate their emotions. Through engaging dance activities and a variety of musical genres, students will learn foundational dance principles while exploring how different sounds, rhythms, and movements can make us feel. The class encourages students to express themselves creatively, build confidence, and discover healthy ways to communicate emotions. How are you feeling today? Let’s dance it out!
MUSIC AND EMOTIONS will help students:
- Express themselves through music, movement, and creative choices.
- Explore emotions in healthy and non-verbal ways.
- Develop empathy and understand how others experience emotions.
- Connect music and movement by exploring rhythm, energy, and mood.
- Build confidence and dance skills through collaborative activities.
Example: Each week, students will explore different emotions through music and dance. They may respond to fast, energetic music with movements that express excitement, such as jumping, spinning, or moving quickly, and use gentle, flowing movements to express calm or peacefulness while listening to slower music. Students will discuss how music influences their movement choices and how it can help us recognize and express emotions. Through these activities, students will develop their understanding of the tools of dance: Body, Energy, Space, and Time.
Recommended Grades: PreK-5
Maximum Audience: 30
Length: 60 minutes
Cost: $145/class, $290/ 2 classes, $435/ 3 classes, $580/ 4 classes, etc.
Max # of Sessions per Day: 5
Moving with the Movies
Curriculum: Dance, Social Emotional Learning, Social Studies
Bring the excitement of dance and film into the classroom! In Moving with the Movies, students learn exciting dances featured in Bollywood films, Disney musicals, and classic Hollywood while exploring how movement can reflect different time periods, cultures, and perspectives. Teaching dance from movies brings familiar music, characters, and choreography into the classroom, making learning engaging, accessible, and fun. Students will leave with a deeper appreciation for different perspectives – and a fun, active way to express themselves and move with others.
Moving with the Movies will help students:
- Explore dances from Bollywood, Disney musicals, and classic Hollywood films across different time periods and cultures.
- Think critically about different perspectives and develop empathy through movement and discussion.
- Build communication, collaboration, and self-confidence through group dance activities.
- Use dance as a creative way to express emotions, ideas, and individuality.
- Discover how movement can support physical wellness while making learning fun and engaging.
Example: For example, after watching Zootopia, students could learn and perform a short version of the film’s energetic dance sequence while discussing how the characters’ movements reflect their personalities, biome, and the world they live in. They could then work in groups to create their own Zootopia-inspired dance that communicates a character’s perspective, building empathy and confidence through movement.
Recommended Grades: 3-12
Maximum Audience: 30
Length: 60 minutes
Cost: $145/class, $290/ 2 classes, $435/ 3 classes, $580/ 4 classes, etc.
Max # Sessions per Day: 5
Music Video Maker
Curriculum: Dance, Social Emotional Learning
Star in your own Music Video! First learn the basics of dance and vote on a theme and song. Then create a storyboard and film original choreography to be edited into an original music video.
Example: Start by learning the basics of dance and abstracting an 8 count. Then vote on a theme for the music video such as community change, a specific curriculum topic, or spreading joy. Each session participants will create and film original choreography, which will be edited into a music video.
Recommended Grades: 4-12
Maximum Audience: 30
Length: 60-120 minutes
Cost: $145/class, $290/ 2 classes, $435/ 3 classes, $580/ 4 classes, etc. (required 1.5 hours minimum, recommended 2-8 sessions) + $50 video editing fee
Max #Sessions per Day: 5
¡Vamos a Bailar!
Curriculum: Dance, Social Emotional Learning, Social Studies
This dance program is designed for Spanish-speakers and non-Spanish speakers alike. 90% of instruction will be in Spanish with the ability to adapt for how many speakers are in the room. This class will focus on: Empathy-building for non-Spanish speakers and increased inclusion, accessibility, and comfort for Spanish speakers. Physical activity to integrate language learning with cultural, physical, and social aspects.
Excellent for Kinesthetic learners, who prefer to learn by doing, with plenty of hands-on experience and the ability to become more connected to the information through infusing tactile experience. Cultures around the world, introducing students to different dance styles, cultures, stories, and rhythms. We will ‘visit’ Spanish-speaking countries via our dance journey.
Recommended Grades: K-6
Maximum Audience: 30
Length: 60 minutes
Cost: $145/class, $290/ 2 classes, $435/ 3 classes, $580/ 4 classes, etc.
Max #Sessions per Day: 5
Party Animals Residency
Curriculum: Dance, STEM
In this class, we will investigate animals based on how they move. This program can be one to 10 sessions long. We’ll explore the different animal classifications in a dance performance of the animal kingdom. Students will explore and learn about each set of animals. From the page to the stage, the students will understand each grouping both mentally and physically. The class will culminate in a group created dance inspired by the animals within each classification.
Example: Using the principles of dance students will explore movements of animals such as Protozoa/Flatworms, Echinoderms/Mollusks, Arthropods, Reptiles, Fish, Amphibians, Birds, and Mammals. Students may create choreography based on the animal movements and even perform for family and friends!
Recommended Grades: K-6
Maximum Audience: 30
Length: 60 minutes each workshop
Cost: $145/class, $290/ 2 classes, $435/ 3 classes, $580/ 4 classes, etc.
Max #Sessions per Day: 5
Stories in Motion Residency
Curriculum: Creative Writing, Dance, English/Language Arts, Theatre
We all have stories – good, bad, and everything in between – but the common thread with our stories is that they define us. Through storytelling and movement, we will explore what it is to bring our stories to life. No writing or dance experience necessary—just a willingness to share and explore movement. Over the course of 8 weeks, students will write their own stories, fiction or nonfiction, and turn those stories into movement storytelling.
Example: Week 1: Brainstorm about story potentials through movement and writing. Week 2: Solidify story ideas and begin crafting an outline. Week 3: Write out the story. Week 4: Finalize stories and share with other students. Weeks 5-7: Start putting together the movement version of the stories. Week 8: Review stories and perform for the class, and potentially family and friends.
Recommended Grades: 4-12
Maximum Audience: 30
Length: 60 minutes each workshop
Cost: $1160 for 8 weeks
Max #Sessions per Day: 5
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