ASAP’s Philly Dance Program
Philly Dance is designed to increase the number of dance opportunities
available to students in grades K-12. ASAP annually provides over 60 dance
opportunities for Greater Philadelphia's students-including tap, ballet,
hip-hop, Modern dance, Latin dance and African dance. More recently ASAP
has become concerned with the increase in youth obesity and the reality
that the arts have been downgraded and often foreclosed from the school
curriculum. A recent grant from the Annenberg Foundation has allowed
ASAP to expand offerings of dance annually for three years and to identify
organizations that offer after school dance for kids.
ASAP’s Yoga Youth Program
Yoga is one of the most successful fitness opportunities ASAP offers
to Philly's youth. Since June 2002, ASAP organizes over 40 yoga clubs
each year for Philadelphia students. Through funding from the Annenberg
Foundation and a generous non-profit discount for the cost of instruction
from Yoga Child, a local yoga studio-ASAP has been able to offer yoga
to more students in the neediest communities. Zephania, a 5th grader in
ASAP's first ever all-boys yoga club at Belmont School in West Philly
, said that he enjoys the class because it helps him "relax and rest himself."
Zephania's teacher noticed that his behavior has improved and he listens
better in class.
Benefits of Dance & Yoga
It is ASAP's intent to advocate for dance and yoga programs and highlight
the important role that dance and yoga can play in the lives of youth.
Dance and yoga have many benefits that apply both on and off the dance
floor or the yoga mat, and have an immediate and long-lasting impact,
including:
- Promoting health—dance is a great cardiovascular
workout, and both yoga and dance build muscle strength, enhance motor
coordination and increase flexibility;
- Transforming the way kids feel about exercise—developing
a long-term positive attitude on staying fit and healthy;
- Developing essential social skills through
interactions with other students—respect, patience, teamwork and civility;
- Relieving stress and providing relaxation
while having fun;
- Building self-confidence, particularly through
public performance;
- Strengthening self-discipline and concentration;
- Providing a sense of accomplishment—creating
goals and achieving them;
- Expanding self-awareness—fostering individual
creativity and improving self-expression; and,
- Exposing kids to different cultures and beliefs.
Further, research demonstrates a link between participation in the arts
and improved educational achievement. According to Americans for the Arts
(2007), a leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America,
“The arts serve as a critical component to a complete education and are
proven to increase student academic achievement. Young people who consistently
participate in comprehensive, sequential, and rigorous arts programs are:
- 4 times more likely to be recognized for
academic achievement
- 3 times more likely to be elected to class
office within their schools
- 4 times more likely to participate in a math
and science fair
- 3 times more likely to win an award for school
attendance
- 4 times more likely to win an award for writing
an essay or poem.”
To get started or receive more information click here,
or contact Rachel Utain-Evans at rutainevans@phillyasap.org
or 215-545-2727 x 13.
Click here to view dance and yoga funders