PROPOSAL FOR TRIAL

DANCE CLASSES at
BOSTON LATIN SCHOOL

Prepared by
Leila Erbay
BLS Senior

January 5th, 2014

1

Table of Contents
Content

Page

SUMMARY
3
PROPOSAL
...
THE PLAN ...
.. 5
STEPS TO INITIATE PROJECT

FUTURE STEPS
6
THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE
INVOLVED

PRELIMINARY CALENDAR OF
PROJECT..
2

POSSIBLE COMBINATION OF PHYSICAL

EDUCATION SECTIONS OF DANCE
CLASSES.
11
OPTIMAL DAYS FOR TRIAL CLASSES
.. 13
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
...

14

CONCLUSION
.. 15
CONTACT INFORMATION
.. 15

SUMMARY:

This project was generated in the new senior

Capstone at Boston Latin School class during the
2014-2015 school year. It seeks to discover ways of
implementing dance into Boston Latin Schools
physical education curriculum. While physical
education provides students the time to exercise, this
project plans to discover if dance can provide students
alternative approach to completing the exercise
requirement as well as evaluate dance as a form of
physical education in terms of the student bodys
satisfaction standards.
The main questions this proposal seeks to answer
are:
Can dance be a tool, a supplementary option
to the current physical education curriculum
to increase student satisfaction and
engagement in gym class?
How will the student body respond to trial
dance classes?
This proposal presents the project that will answer
these specific questions as well as further questions
that arise.

Dance is a powerful form of expression as well as

an interactive way to exercise. While dance studios
are available around the city, having the time and
ability to access these studios poses a problem to
some students. By initiating this project, students will
be exposed to dance styles that they otherwise may
not have had the opportunity to be exposed to, learn
how to express their ideas through the movement of
their bodies, and engage in a different form of
exercise.

PROPOSAL:
Despite the fact that Physical Education (PE)
is a required class for public school students, many
young people have an aversion to the traditional
forms of exercise found in many PE curriculums. I
hope to use dance instruction to change the way
students view PE class, exercise and their well-being.
Dancing is rigorous physical activity equivalent to the
activities done in the current physical education
classes. Not only is dance an intense form of exercise,

but it brings an array of benefits to physical activity

and wellness. Dance embodies exercise, fun, and
education. Students learn to engage with and respect
each other as learned through partnered dance;
moreover, dance encourages students to increase
their appreciation of art culture, music and
movement.
I propose that dance be incorporated into the
physical education and wellness program in Boston
Latin School to study the benefits dance on the
student body. For my study, I propose offering a
month-long series of the trial dance classes in three
separate gym classes at Boston Latin School.

The PLAN
The plan for this project will take the form of this
sequence of events:
1. Identify the current student attitudes towards
physical activity in

PE class; identify student access

to dance studios; determine how dance instruction in

PE class could be used to strengthen the existing
curriculum and add accessibility to dance studios.
2. Incorporate trial dance classes in three
separate gym classes for a

month-long period of

time.
3. Evaluate the results to determine if dance
instruction is an effective supplement to the current
physical education classes at

Boston Latin School.

STEPS TO INITIATE PROJECT

What I have completed to this date:
1. Gathered literature through research about
dance, wellness and incorporation of dance into
physical education.
2. Attended Boston Latin School Health and
Wellness Council

meeting.

3. Discussed this project with Assistant

Headmaster, Cynthia

Webb.

4. Met with Zakiya Thomas, Boston Ballet

Education Community

Initiatives Chair to discuss

this Capstone project and

engaging various

dance teachers from Boston Ballet School in

facilitating dance classes

at BLS.

5. I have begun to get in contact with various

dance teachers to

determine the feasibility for

dance teachers to come and teach the

trial dance

classes.
FUTURE STEPS
1. Contact and meet with Boston Latin School
physical education

teachers to discuss options for

incorporating dance into three sections

of physical

education classes.
2. Plan schedule with Boston Ballet School Team
of Dance Teachers:

when they will be able to teach

classes, what one day a single class

will look like.

3. Hold a meeting with Boston Ballet School Team,

BLS Administration, and Physical Education teachers.

4. Set up a questionnaire for all grades of

students to gather

information about their

experiences in PE, what they like, what they

do not

like, what would they like to learn, what activities they

would

like to do in gym class.

5. Standard survey will be given to students after

they have taken regular PE class as well as film
current gym classes before trial dance

classes

begin.
6. Interview physical education and wellness
teachers, members of the

wellness committee and

inquire about their perception of the PE

curriculum

and their thoughts on incorporating dance into the

program,

ask about the challenges, benefits,

transition, as well as students,

parents and

administrators.
7. Choose three classes (one section of PE class
for each grade level)

for trial dance classes: one

7th grade, one 9th grade, and one 10th grade as

my focus groups to implement

the trial dance

classes. Types of dance that can be incorporated

into the curriculum: Jazz, African/Haitian, Modern,

and Hip-Hop.
7a. I will choose one section out of all the 7th
grade gym

classes from one teacher and

this one section will be the focus

group that

represents the entire 7th grade. This section will take

part in the

trial dance classes. For

example, I decide to choose

Mr. Butlers

section 11, 7th grade gym class. I will only follow

this section.
8. Hold trial dance classes during the end of
January into
2/27/15).

the month of February (1/26/15

This time

frame may be longer than

needed, only considered in case of

scheduling

issues. During this month, I will film some of the

dance

classes to capture participation as well as

satisfaction.
8a. I will be evaluating student response to
teacher in terms of

gender of student and

gender of teacher, effect of dance on

student

stress level, and other factors that will alter response

to

dance classes.

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9. Have the students fill out a third questionnaire

about the dance

class they had taken; what they

like, what they do not like and what

would they like

to see; if they would be more enthusiastic if they

were to take dance for PE instead of the standard
PE class.
10. Evaluate the results of the project With the
final surveys and

reviewing the video footage, I will

present the data to a group of

teachers and

specialists at Boston Ballet School, as well as the

Administration at Boston Latin School to
determine if implementing a greater and stronger
dance curriculum in BLS physical education is
worthwhile.
10a. I plan to schedule a meeting between
dance specialists

advocating for dance in

gym classes, such as teachers from

Boston

Ballet School as well as other dance teachers in the

Boston area, and the BLS Administration
to discuss the

feasibility and plan to

implement dance in BLS.

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THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE INVOLVED

This project requires the aid of many specialists,
those who teach dance for a living, people who
organize events and activities such as these trial
classes, as well as the cooperation of the physical
education teachers and the BLS administration.
Those who will play active roles in this project:
1. Leila Erbay

Boston Latin School Senior,

Originator of this

Capstone

Project
2. Cynthia Webb

Boston Latin School Assistant

Headmaster,

Head of Physical

Education Department at BLS

3. Zakiya Thomas

Boston Ballets Director

of Education and

Community

Initiatives
3. Team of Dance Teachers

Boston Ballet School

Dance Teachers (This is

not yet

clear who exactly the teachers will be,

but a team of teachers will be from Boston
Ballet School).

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4. BLS Phys. Ed. Teachers

Mr. McDonough, Ms.

Jamal, Mr. Butler, Mr.

Holland

(Depending on the three classes that

will be chosen).
PRELIMINARY CALENDAR of PROJECT

13

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Possible Combination of Physical Education Sections for Trial for

Dance Classes
POSSIBILE SCHEDULE A
DAY

HR
7:45 am

7:51 am
R1
7:55 am Holland -10

Sect 11
8:55 am
R2
8:59 am
Jamal 7
Holland 9
Sect 22
Sect 12
9:44 am
R3
9:48 am McDonoug
Jamal 7

h9
Sect 21
10:33
Sect 21
am
R4
10:37
McDonoug
am
h - 10
11:22
Sect 31
am
R5
11:22
am
12: 38
pm
R6
12: 42
pm
1:27 pm
R7
1:31 pm

2:15 pm

Jamal 9
Sect 71

Butler 7
Sect 42

Holland
10
Sect 22

Butler
7
Sect 12

Holland
10
Sect 62

Jamal 7
Sect 32

Holland
10
Sect 21

Jamal 9
Sect 71

McDonoug
h-9
Sect 42

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POSSIBILE SCHEDULE B
DAY
HR
7:45 am

7:51 am
R1
7:55 am

8:55 am
R2
8:59 am
9:44 am
R3
9:48 am

10:33
am
R4
10:37
am
11:22
am
R5
11:22
am
12: 38
pm
R6
12: 42
pm
1:27 pm
R7
1:31 pm

2:15 pm

Holland - 10
Sect 11

Holland
-7
Sect 31

Holland
10
Sect 22

Jamal 7
Sect 22

Holland 9
Sect 12

Jamal 9
Sect 71

Holland
9
Sect 43

Jamal 7
Sect 32

McDonough
9
Sect 21

Jamal 7
Sect 21

Butler
7
Sect 12

Holland
10
Sect 62

McDonou
gh-9
Sect 42

McDonough
- 10
Sect 31

Holland
10
Sect 21

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The difference between these two schedules provided is

in the DAY 5 Schedule: Page 11 shows gym classes from
Mr. Butler, Mr. Holland, and Ms. Jamal, where as Page 12
shows gym classes from only Mr. Holland.
These two schedules show all the possible days on which
the dance teachers could take over the classes. However,
this does not mean that they will be taking over all
classes on each day. What is likely to happen, for
instance, is that the dance teachers will take over the
Day 1 classes provided. They will only teach those three
sections and only when the schools schedule cycles onto
Day 1. In essence, from the end of January to the end of
February there will only be four trial dance classes in total
because of the cycle of the schedule.

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QUESTIONS to CONSIDER
As this project begins to take shape, if it is approved
by all, there will be questions to arise. Here are some
of the concerns and/or questions that have already
been pose:
1. Will the dance teachers and physical education
teachers be able to accommodate the possible
schedules provided?
2. How will the schedule be altered if snow days
occur?
3. When are the MCAS and POC tests going to be
taking place? Will
the MCAS and POC tests affect
the students ability to participate in the trial dance
classes?

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4. Will the dance teachers be provided

compensation? Are the dance
teachers willing to
participate in this project voluntarily?
5. How will Leila Erbay be able to videotape as
well as survey the gym classes even though she has
classes of her own? Will someone be willing to
videotape and hand out surveys for Leila Erbay when
she is unavailable?

CONCLUSION
This project is designed to assess the possibility of
incorporating dance into the current physical
education curriculum at Boston Latin School. It is in no
way intended to offend or question the ability of the
BLS physical education staff nor the quality of the

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current physical education curriculum. Rather, this

project seeks to discover the students access and
exposure to dance classes as well as determine if
dance is a feasible form of exercise for a public school
physical education curriculum.
Dance is a powerful form of expression. It gives
everyone a sense of connectedness and brings people
closer together. Students may not have the ability or
time to access a dance studio. Incorporating dance
into physical education curricula offers students the
exposure that they may not have otherwise, provides
an engaging and educational opportunity, and
encourages creativity and respect between peers.
Hopefully, this trial class can initiate a greater discuss
between the dance world and public school physical
education.
CONTACT INFORMATION
LEILA ERBAY, Originator of this Capstone Project
Primary Email: Leila.erbay@gmail.com
Primary Cell phone: (617) 835 9680
Homeroom: 103
JUDI FREEMAN, Capstone Teacher
Primary Email: Freemanjud@gmail.com
Capstone Room: 307
JEFF MIKALAITIS, Capstone Teacher
Primary Email: jmik76@gmail.com
Capstone Room: 307

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MARGARET MCKENNA, Capstone Mentor

Email: mmckenna5@bostonpublicschools.org
Room: 419A

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