The Role of Teaching Artists Beyond Instruction

Democracy Dies in Darkness

Teaching artists do far more than provide instruction in an art form.

By Erica Rosenfeld Halverson, The Hechinger Report

The Hechinger Report covers inequality and innovation in education to show the public how education can be improved and why it matters.

As a student, you might find yourself in unexpected situations during arts instruction. I recall a day when, instead of dancing, I was chatting incessantly. This led my teacher to place me under the piano, encouraging focus away from distractions. From this unique vantage point, my view was exclusively of other students’ feet. Sneakers and socks moved fluidly across the floor, while gliding heels lifted and landed in synchrony with the rhythm.