September 25 - December 17, 2023

Professor: Marty Sprague

Tuition: $520 member / $595 non-member

12 Weeks; 3 NDEO-Endorsed PDCs

Registration Deadline Thurs. Sept. 21

Register Here

Dance Integration is an exploration of arts integration into core academic subjects through use of the creative process as a method for developing movement, dance phrases, dances, and entire units of study. This course helps dance educators (teaching artists, K-12 educators, studio teachers, instructors at company schools, university professors along with their pre-service student teachers) integrate dance across the curriculum through: understanding the creative process (from concept, investigation and exploration through selection, development, refinement and exhibition); creating dance making activities and lessons; designing and assessing integrated projects; understanding the use of different teaching styles, and selecting and adding appropriate national, state, or local standards, and applicable 21st Century Learning Skills. The content of this course is also useful for teacher preparation programs and professional development (for dance and non-dance educators). 

Book required: Dance About Anything by Susan McGreevy-Nichols, Marty Sprague, and Helene Scheff (exerpts provided in the course modules).

Questions about this Course?  Email opdi@ndeo.org

"Very rich in ideas and different platforms for increasing creativity."

"I love that I created some activities and lessons that I will use in my arts integration classes. I especially enjoyed feedback and conversation with the other students that were taking the course."

"I now feel better equipped as an integrated arts teacher. I love the reference materials. The professor was extremely thoughtful in her feedback. I wish I could collaborate with her on a daily basis!!!"

"I received many resources that help articulate the creative process for my future students. I also was able to refine my own creative process and learn alternative methods for choreography and teaching choreography. I really liked the multitude of resource/forms and activities to inspire creativity!"

"It really broadened my knowledge of dance education. I hope to take this into my district, where dance is not always offered."

Marty Sprague has over 45 years of experience in dance education (early childhood through higher education), holds an MA, in Dance Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a BFA in Dance from Boston Conservatory. Sprague taught dance at Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex High School in Providence, Rhode Island and was an instructor and Clinical Supervisor for Roger Williams University Education Department. She has been involved in program, curriculum, professional, and policy development. She has written and reviewed standards at the district, state and national levels. Marty is co-author, with Helene Scheff and Susan McGreevy-Nichols, of six dance text and resource books (including online content for the textbook). Marty has served on the editorial board for Arts Education Policy Review and JODE. She served on the Dance Writing Team for the NCCAS Dance Standards. Currently, Marty is a course writer and an instructor for NDEO’s OPDI, a Moving For Life Certified Instructor (pending), and is President of Dance Alliance of RI. She has joined the Rhode Island Arts and Health Network Steering Committee to advance the role of Arts in the well-being of all Rhode Islanders. Marty teaches OPDI-112 Implementing the National Core Arts Standards in Dance; OPDI-115: Dance Integration: Re-envisioning the Creative Process; OPDI-M13: Modern Dance Theory and Composition; OPDI-M18: Intro to Choreography in Dance Education: A Process to Teach Students How to Create Dances, and OPDI-M19: Dance Stagecraft and Production.

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