Dance Arts of Bowling Green, established in 1966 by Martha Madison, has been providing a high quality of professional dance training to the city of Bowling Green for 54 years. The Dance Arts faculty and staff are not only passionate about the art form of dance, but just as importantly the individual, group and community development through education. Dance Arts students gain valuable life skills and experiences that will play a positive role in shaping their future and their love for the arts. Dance Arts Faculty believes that dance education includes not only physical aspects, but intellectual and emotional fitness as well.
Multiple studies show that learning in the arts enhances learning in other subject areas and contributes to a student’s overall development. In addition to the skills taught in the individual art disciplines – dance, visual art, music and drama – the arts provide students with unique opportunities to work collaboratively, to develop creative and critical thinking skills, to solve problems and develop innovative solutions.
Dance Arts’ students learn:
● Dance technique and style
● Poise and artistic presentation
● Correct body placement and alignment
● Anatomy in relation to dance
● Physical balance and flexibility
● History of dance and ballet
● Dance terminology
● Music education
● Musical rhythm
Through their education of expression and the curriculum, Dance Arts’ students have an increased potential to gain:
● Improved comprehension/concentration abilities
● Communication skills
● Emotional, intellectual and creative development
● Physical fitness and strength
● Commitment to set goals and the value of personal challenge
● Responsibility and integrity
● Experience being a team player
● Being a part of a tightly knit and supportive artistic community for students and for parents
● Experience coping with demands and expectations
There are some terms in the dance school industry to describe student class levels that are not used at the Dance Arts School.
● We do not have recreational students. We have students enrolled in the Core Curriculum.
● We do not have competition students. We offer performance level classes enrolled in our Community Performance Troupe and Dance Company.
● We do offer a pre-professional level, SoKY Dance Ensemble
Dance Arts does attend Dance Competitions. Competition is inherent in the drive of sports. Dance is a sport.
● Through attendance at competitions, students can develop drive to compete, to learn to do well, to develop healthy personal or peer competition, to be better, to learn more from others, to strive to obtain a reward – which is what competition is – be it a skill, level, routine or trophy.
● There is nothing wrong with healthy competition to motivate and encourage drive or success, however, a toxic competition mentality is not what we do.
-by Martha Madison
About the Author: Martha Madison began her career as a dance educator in 1966. She studied dance at Western Kentucky University and the University of South Florida. She is certified through Dance Educators of America Teacher Training School and is currently director of Dance Arts Bowling Green.
