Dancing Classrooms Colors of the Rainbow Team Match

By Ember Reichgott Junge and Andrea Mirenda, Co-Presidents of Heart of Dance

Elegance. Self-confidence. Pure joy. Nervousness. Respect. Teamwork. All of that was front and center December 11, 2016 at the Heart of Dance Colors of the Rainbow Team Match in Bloomington, MN. Inspiring fifth-grade students from ten Twin Cities schools rocked the ballroom with Tango, Swing, Merengue, Rumba and other dances. Every student received a medal, and every school a trophy. Parents, families, and teachers braved the snow to cheer them on, filling every seat in the house. The photos and quotes below tell the story—every team is a winner!

A parent told Teaching Artist Heather Johnson: "It was hard, but there was no way I wasn't getting him here! He's never been this excited about anything before!"

"I have never seen him smile so much. He has been trying to teach everyone, including his little sister," said another parent.

"I have decided that when I grow up, I'm going to be a professional dancer. Now, I'm going to have to practice all the time," a fifth-grade participant told his Teaching Artist on Sunday.

"I'm nervous, but I practiced hard and I think I can do this," said another student.

"It's okay that we didn't win. What matters is that we had fun, we worked hard and we learned how to be better teammates. It matters that we were respectful ladies and gentlemen," said a student from Athlos Leadership Academy after the placements were announced. “His classmates all stood there and agreed with smiles on their faces,” said Teaching Artist Jessica Smith.

The Colors of the Rainbow Team Match is the exciting finale of the ten-week in-school residency of Dancing Classrooms, the social and emotional learning program in 31 sites around the world, brought to Minnesota by Heart of Dance, a Minnesota nonprofit. Last fall, prior to the Team Match, over 600 students in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Brooklyn Park participated in 26 classrooms, showcasing for their families and schoolmates their new dance skills and related curriculum work like essays, artwork, and research into the cultural origins of the dances. Dancing Classrooms starts all over again with new classrooms for spring semester.

Would you like to bring Dancing Classrooms to your Minnesota school? Fifth and eighth grade classrooms are now eligible! Contact Ember Reichgott Junge at emberrj@heartofdancemn.org.

Would you like to be a volunteer Classroom Assistant? Contact Dede Ouren at dede.ouren@gmail.com.

Would you like to audition to be a Teaching Artist for Heart of Dance next year? Contact Andrea Mirenda at andream@heartofdancemn.org.

There are many other ways to support Heart of Dance! Check out www.heartofdancemn.org for photos, videos, and lots more that will put a smile on your face.