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

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.

Are you passionate about creativity? Do you thrive in a collaborative, grassroots environment where everyone pulls together to create equitable change? Do you value details, organization and clear communication? If you seek to apply your skills in service of social justice through the art of dance, Luna Dance Institute might be the place for you!

Luna seeks to hire a Programs Assistant to support the Director of Programs in registration, promotion, record-keeping and organization, and communication. This position begins at 10 hours/week (March-August), expanding to half-time September 2023. With some exceptions, work may be completed remotely while Luna’s Berkeley studio is being renovated. 

Luna is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We seek to expand our capacity to serve by hiring faculty from previously underrepresented communities and diverse backgrounds.

Compensation: $25/hour 

Deadline to apply: March 8, however this position will remain open until filled

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.

Maker educator and Luna alum Paula Mitchell joins The Dance Inquiry Podcast to tell the story of the dance program at Luna’s partner school Grass Valley Elementary. This is Part 2 of the conversation, focusing on how dance supports the culture of community, inclusion, belonging, and making at Grass Valley.  Listen here.

Come dance with us outdoors in community while our studio is being renovated! Our family dance classes are a fun way to shake up your Saturday mornings. We’re offering classes all year as pop-ups in Berkeley parks. Discover more about these free classes here.

Young children learn in an embodied way, and can explore early concepts in Math, Science and Social-Emotional Learning through creative dance. This year we’re offering 3 Zoom workshops that dive into that potential, and offer opportunities for teaching artists and classroom practitioners to share experience and discover collaboratively. Check them out!

Dance & Math – December 3, 1-4pm

Dance & Social-Emotional Learning – February 11, 1-4pm

Dance & Science – March 4, 1-4pm

We are honored to be featured in this article by Rachel Howard in the SF Chronicle. Rachel spent several days visiting our programs and interviewing our leadership team, and celebrates our work in her writing. Read the full article here.