Bronx Studio School for Writers & Artists
School Description
"Our mission is to provide students of all academic abilities with the intellectual and social tools to lead alert, literacy-rich lives. Our project-based curriculum is designed to prepare students to become globally-minded activists with a sophisticated understanding of the political, cultural, economic and social forces that have shaped their communities and the world around them. Our faculty and partners work tirelessly to ensure that our school is a learning environment open to all students, regardless of academic ability, and that every student is prepared for college and the world beyond. We value academic challenge, social justice, individualization, and high-quality teaching."
Contact Information
Website: schools.nyc.gov/SchoolPortals/08/X269/default.htm
Principal: David Vazquez- dvazque4@schools.nyc.gov
Additional ETA Contact: Anna Tabet, Assistant Principal- anna.tabet@bsswa.org
Four-Year Plan Goals
Goal One: To design and construct a dynamic, high school dance program “from the ground up”
Approach
Goal One: ETA makes investments in the non-consumables required for the program: costumes, shoes, and audio-visual equipment to be used for performances and in-studio documentation. Simultaneously, the dance teacher self-assesses in which areas she needs pedagogical support, and ETA supports those areas by paying for guest artist residencies that provide specific technique training and choreography for students as well as model dance-specific classroom management best practices for the teacher.
Arts Partnerships
Goal One: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater conducted long-term classroom residencies focusing on technique and teaching choreography.
Outcome
Goal One: The dance program will continue into the future, using well-documented curricula that incorporate varied techniques and attracting a continuously strong base of students who opt-in to the electives. Regular dance performances for the school and family community will continue to strengthen the culture for dance and the arts at the school.
"Our partnership has broadened our understanding of what a dance department will look like at our school. It has provided the resources to develop our staff and exposed our students to dance in New York City.
"Dance is not for everyone but after exposing every 9th grader to a short dance class, we have 25 students who now choose to continue in dance each year."
Four-year Plan 2012-2016.