Dance

Established in the Fall of 2022, the Durham Charter Arts Program including our accomplished Dance program, endeavors to provide students with an exceptional, intensive, and fun Dance program that benefits their learning and leads to new opportunities for growth.

Collaborating with community partners and families, we enrich and enhance the quality of life in Durham by offering exceptional Dance experiences for performers and audience members alike.

The Durham Charter Arts Program is funded in part thanks to a generous donation from The Kenan Family Foundation.

METHODOLOGY

Students are trained in technique, expressive movement, performance, and professionalism with an emphasis on technique. Our schedule is uniquely crafted to allow for daily practice in grades 6-8 and High School.

Performance opportunities include:

Recitals and school events
Field Trips
Opportunities to choreograph
College/audition preparation
Better Grades: Research indicates that students with high arts and dance involvement achieve higher test scores in reading and math.
Brain Function: Synchronizing music and movement activates the brain's sensory, motor, and reward circuits, enhancing sequencing and problem-solving skills.
Learning Integration: Many educators now use dance as an kinesthetic tool to teach challenging concepts like geometry, physics, and programming

Ife Presswood, Teacher, Choreographer, and Assistant Director of Arts

Ife Presswood, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, began her dance training through the North Carolina Performing Arts Academy at age seven. Her training continued through college (Fayetteville State University/Duke University) with technique focus in traditional West African, Contemporary, Horton Modern technique, Hip-Hop, and Dance making/education.

In her professional career, Ife has danced with multiple companies including KOFFEE Modern Dance Company, SHAE Movement African Arts and 4Thirty-Two Dance Company, where she also served as a choreographer. In 2017, she started her own dance company and currently serves as a professor of practice at Duke University.

Ife's educational and choreographic methodology focuses on engaging dance praxis and practicum as a means of exploring individual, communal, and cultural identity and expression- she believes that dance creates space for a deeper experience of self and community!