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HomeOPDI-115: Dance Integration: Re-envisioning the Creative Pro

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About OPDIRegistration Info
 

OPDI-115: Dance Integration:
Re-envisioning the Creative Process 

Fall 2021 Semester - September 27 to December 19
$520 Tuition | 3 CEUs | 12 weeks 

Course Description
OPDI-115: Dance IntegrationDance 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 available on NDEO online store at www.ndeo.org.

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How to Enroll in the Course

1) Complete the OPDI Application if you have not previously done so

2) Sign up for an NDEO Membership if you are not a current member.

3) Register and Pay for the course - Go to www.ndeo.org and login to your individual NDEO Membership with your user name and password. Then navigate to the Profile link in the drop down menu under your name top right corner. Once in the Profile section you will see a link to Access OPDI. Click on that to see the list of courses open for enrollment. Click on the Enroll icon for the course you want to register for. Follow the prompts and pay the tuition by credit card at the end.  If you have questions please email opdi@ndeo.org.

Professor Bios


Susan McGreevy-Nichols is the Executive Director of the National Dance Education Organization and a national arts education consultant. Susan provides professional development in assisting teachers in designing and documenting student work that meets standards and in helping teaching artists understand educational reform efforts and how to make their work in schools more relevant to reform. She coaches districts in Los Angeles County as part of the Arts for All initiative and in Northern California in Alameda County as a part of the county’s initiative Revitalizing Classrooms Through Arts Learning: Strategic Plan. These initiatives provide strategic planning, technical support, curriculum development, assessments, survey development, and data collection. She supports districts in identifying local advocates and strategies for providing equity and access to the arts. Susan founded and directed the dance program at the renowned Roger Williams Middle School in Providence, Rhode Island from 1974-2002. Every student at the school participated in a program that treated dance as a core subject and emphasized the creating, performing and responding processes as they link to the arts and other disciplines. She is the developer of a cutting edge reading comprehension strategy that uses text as inspiration for original choreography created by children. In 1995, Susan was honored as the National Dance Teacher of the Year. Susan co-founded the Professional Development Institute (PDI), a partnership with Rhode Island College that offered teachers the dance education course work needed to obtain state dance certification. She also collaborated on developing and coordinating Alameda County’s Arts Integration Specialist Program (CA). Susan is the co-author of five books: Building Dances (1995), Building More Dances (2001), Experiencing Dance (2004), Dance About Anything (2006) and Exploring Dance Forms and Styles (2010). 

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. 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.

Student Testimonials


"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."