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Carolyn Adams and Julie Adams Strandberg have spent their lifetimes honing both the art and craft of teaching dance. Their unique pedagogical styles meet the ever-evolving needs of their students and reflect their shared belief that dance is a cultural treasure and a birthright for all. Julie and Carolyn have long recognized that dance teachers are the conduit through which students and dancers of every age, level, and ability have access to that treasured birthright, and they know firsthand that bearing the title of dance teacher is both a privilege as well as a great responsibility. This understanding is the catalyst for our latest endeavor: the Pedagogy Preservation Project.
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Developing resources that model excellence in teaching
Our vision for the Pedagogy Preservation Project is to highlight masterful dance teachers who have honed their craft to such a degree that others can learn from their mastery. Carolyn and Julie are the inaugural teachers featured in the project, however we hope to continue this work to include other teachers in the future. Our current goal is to capture and share Julie and Carolyn’s years of experience and knowledge in dance education through documentary-style videos and compiled writings of their reflections, findings, and insights over the course of their lives’ work. We will also produce recordings with full breakdowns of exercises from their classes with demonstrators ranging in age and background.
Sharing a time-tested, effective practice with ranging populations
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The Pedagogy Preservation Preservation Project will function as a model and a resource for others to build from, offering a unique tool for the studio, classroom, personal study, and lifelong learning settings, both now and for future generations. Although the project centers around pedagogy, it is not only dance teachers who will benefit from it. Carolyn’s and Julie’s educational philosophy and approach cross into areas of life that extend far beyond the studio, and one goal of the project is to create concrete and accessible resources that can reach a multitude of populations, from teachers to performers, dance experts to those unfamiliar and curious to learn about dance.
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Your gift will support...
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The development of Carolyn's and Julie's Class resources will take place over several phases (listed below), some of which have already been funded, but many of which need further financial support. Additional funds are needed for: editing captured video footage, producing a music soundtrack, developing context materials to accompany video resources, documenting Julie and Carolyn teaching their full classes, and supporting the launch of initial distribution and roll out. We hope that you will contribute to this important endeavor and help bring these important, finely-constructed classes to all types of learners far and wide!
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Project Details
Phase 1: Research & Planning ($25,000) - Completed June 2024
- Planning meetings, focus groups, and interviews: began summer 2017 at the New York State Summer School of the Arts in Saratoga Springs and continued through the COVID period
- Sketching out the class structure/content: 2021 Providence summer retreat
- Honing the class structure/content and planning for documentation: 2021-2024
Phase 2: Documentation of Interviews & Class Instruction ($52,500) - Completed August 2024
Two video shoots during summer 2024:
Two video shoots during summer 2024:
- Shoot 1: Recorded interviews with Carolyn, Julie, and several of their students; occurred July 14 at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School (ECFS) in Riverdale, NY where Carolyn and Julie attended middle and high school; ECFS generously donated the use of the space for the documentation, as well as studio space to rehearse for the upcoming class instruction shoot.
- Shoot 2: Recorded step-by-step breakdown and run-throughs of class exercises; occurred August 21-24 at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY.
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Current Activities in Need of Funding ($122,500)
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Photos and video credit: lisa nevada