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logologologo
  • Theory of Change
    • Advocacy
  • What We Do
    • For Children
      • Early Childhood
      • Studio Lab
      • Teen Choreo Lab
      • Summer Dance Camps
    • For Parents
      • MPACT
      • Early Childhood
    • For Artists & Educators
      • Professional Learning
      • Building Cultures of Dance
    • With Schools & Organizations
      • Building Cultures of Dance
      • Professional Learning
      • MPACT
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  • Theory of Change
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    • For Children
      • Early Childhood
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      • Teen Choreo Lab
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    • For Parents
      • MPACT
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    • For Artists & Educators
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      • Building Cultures of Dance
    • With Schools & Organizations
      • Building Cultures of Dance
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Take Action

Nominate a teaching artist or ally for at TAG award

Celebrate teaching artist innovation by nominating an arts educator you know for the annual Teaching Artist Guild awards! Not everyone gets to see the creativity and integrity that teaching artists bring to the classroom – here’s a place to amplify these stories. Nominations are accepted until March 23. Details here.

Luna Development
March 22, 2023
Announcements

Advocacy Spotlight – Prop 28

With Prop 28 bringing more funding to California, lots of conversations are happening about how that money could and should be spent to grow the arts in schools. Join in to learn more about this funding, and to advocate to ensure that dance is considered in the planning. As a dance educator, your voice is vital so that dance is not overlooked.

Here are some resources to discover more:

“Can $1 billion fix the problem?” article about Prop 28 and teaching artists by Elissa Miolene

Helpful info about Prop 28 from LA County Arts Collaborative

Advocacy 101 webinar – learn how to advocate for the arts to elected officials

Hosted by Americans for the Arts & Arts Action Fund

March 29, 12pm Pacific

And save the dates for:

CA Arts & Culture Summit

Hosted by Create CA & Californians for the Arts

April 17 & 18 in Sacramento

Prop 28 Mini Conference – free

Hosted by Arts Education Alliance of the Bay Area

May 11 at Oakland Museum of CA

Inspired to try some small advocacy actions?

Share your story of the impact of dance education or spread the word about arts education inequity with Create CA

Luna Development
March 22, 2023
Take Action

CSU East Bay Dance Teacher Credential Program – Application OPEN

Prop 28 brings long-awaited funding to CA arts education programs, and now is the time to train dance educators to develop those programs in schools. Did you know that CSU East Bay holds the first dance teacher credential program? The application portal is open now through April 1! Discover more here.

Luna Development
March 20, 2023
Announcements

Summer Institute 2023-24 applications due April 10th!

Are you a dance teaching artist ready to take your practice to the next level? Or a seasoned PK-12 teacher ready to infuse dance into your curriculum? Are you longing for community and creativity to revitalize your teaching, and rediscover the artist in you? Check out Luna’s Summer Institute, a unique yearlong professional development experience celebrating the art of dance teaching. Find out more and request an application, available March 1, here.

Luna Development
March 10, 2023
Leap Land Soar

LEAP LAND SOAR Blog

Capital Campaign Page

International Women’s Day (Luna’s Birthday)

March 8, 2023

“You are about to enter the wild west of commercial real estate!” This is a direct quote, from an arts colleague executive director, and the first entry in the “Space & Capital Campaign” journal I started January 6, 2015, seven years ago, when Luna decided to pursue a capital campaign, and search for a building that we could manifest into a community home for dance education.

Eight years later,  after attending 100+ capital campaign meetings, viewing 30+ properties in Berkeley, meeting with owners of two other potential properties that fell through, raising $1.3M, and losing our leased space due to a global pandemic—Luna signed the deed to 931 Ashby in West Berkeley on March 31st of last year. It has been a wild ride, and the twists and turns of this ride continue, as we enter the renovation process.

Luna’s building is across the street from Urban Ore, a block from Berkeley Bowl West and KALA Art Institute, and near the 580 freeway. It is the perfect property for us! Roomy enough now with space to grow, since the building also came with a restaurant tenant.  The entire three-floor building is 9,910 square feet. After moving nine times in 31 years—I am grateful we will have a place to call home, a place where children, families, artists, and teachers can come to belong in a thriving learning community centered on the art of dance.  Once the renovations are complete we will have two large dance studios, a library, offices for Luna staff and teaching artists in residency, a creativity research center on the top floor, and an elevator. 

Last year at this time, we launched a successful advocacy campaign, requesting $150K from the City of Berkeley to support ADA access. An elevator, accessible restrooms, and ramps to the dance studios are all part of the architectural designs for this space. We continue to be grateful to the city council members who approved our request, and to all of you in our community who wrote letters, sent emails, and showed up at a multitude of meetings until the final budget request was approved on June 28, 2022. Installing an elevator is a gargantuan project. Never in my wildest dream when I began my career as a dancer 30 years ago did I imagine I would be considering elevator design, the cost of elevator installation (approximately $250K), and the structural relationship between the elevator, elevator room, and the roof of a building.

As we renovate Luna’s forever home, there are times when it can seem a bit daunting, especially since renovating a building of this magnitude and financing a project of this size is new and unchartered territory for me. However, when I envision in my mind’s eye–children and families laughing and dancing in one studio; a rehearsal in full progress in another studio; teachers in our creativity research center engaged in honest conversations about equity and dance pedagogy; friends old and new greeting each other, collaborating and connecting in this dance space Luna is manifesting—I am less daunted. I am inspired by what I see, and by the potential of what will be created with and by the community in this dance space.

We are in the process of having architectural plans approved by the city this spring, and then construction will commence. While we are under construction, come dance with us at a pop-up family dance class; or if you are an artist or teacher attend a professional learning activity or use these curricular resources. We plan to open to the public at the end of this year. I look forward to dancing with you at our grand opening.

In community,

Nancy

Luna Development
March 8, 2023
Take Action

Present at NDEO – Share your learning

Sharing what you do helps push our field forward! Consider presenting your story, class or inquiry at the National Dance Education Organization’s fall conference, Teaching is Leading. Proposals accepted until March 15. More details here.

Need help writing your proposal? Sign up for a free consult!

Luna Development
February 15, 2023
Announcements

Announcing the new bell hooks Dance Education Scholarship

Prop 28 brings long-awaited funding to CA arts education programs, and now is the time to train dance educators to develop those programs in schools. Did you know that CSU East Bay holds the first dance teacher credential program? The application portal is open now through April 1!

In recognition of this moment, Luna is honored to create the new bell hooks Dance Education Scholarship to support a CSU East Bay Dance Teaching Credential student. The scholarship includes partial tuition funds, 6 hours of coaching with Luna faculty, and a copy of Body, Mind, Spirit in Action, ed. 2 by Patricia Reedy. QBIPOC and teachers from marginalized communities are encouraged to apply.

Discover more about CSU East Bay’s dance teacher credentialing program here. Applicants can indicate that they’d like to be considered for the scholarship during the program application process.

Luna Development
February 15, 2023

Mailing Address:
1831 Solano Avenue #7788
Berkeley, CA 94707

Physical Address:
931 Ashby Ave
Berkeley, CA 94710

Say Hi

administrator@lunadanceinstitute.org
(510) 883-1118

     

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