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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Dionne Figgins, Artistic Director of Ballet Tech Foundation
3:05:09
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Dionne Figgins, Artistic Director of Ballet Tech Foundation, testifies about the importance of arts education in NYC public schools, highlighting Ballet Tech's successful model of integrating dance education with academic studies. She emphasizes the positive impact of arts education on students' academic performance, life skills, and future careers.
- Ballet Tech Foundation has reached over 950,000 students with tuition-free dance programming since 1978
- The foundation operates a NYC Public School for Dance (grades 4-8) in partnership with the Department of Education
- Ballet Tech students consistently outperform citywide averages on state tests and have diverse career outcomes
Dionne Figgins
3:05:09
Okay.
3:05:09
Hello, everyone.
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Thank you all so much for having us today.
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My name is Dion Figgins.
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I'm a professional performance artist with over twenty five years of experience in New York City, and I'm the artistic director of Ballet Tech Foundation.
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Our mission is to introduce New York City public school children to the beauty, integrity, and joy of dance, which we have been doing since the founding of our school in 1978.
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We have reached over nine hundred nine hundred and fifty thousand students with our tuition free programming, giving students from every neighborhood in our city the opportunity to participate.
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Since 1996, Ballet Tech Foundation has operated the fourth through eighth grade New York City Public School for Dance in partnership with the New York City Department of Education, and because of this, we are uniquely positioned to speak about the importance of the New York City government's support of arts education and the impact it has on the children of our city.
3:06:04
Through this private public partnership, our students receive a robust academic education provided by the Department of Education integrated with intensive dance training provided by Ballet Tech Foundation.
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It has been proven that arts integration in education contributes to the development of life and career skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication that are vital to the cognitive and expressive demands of the twenty first century.
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Because of our school's model, students who may struggle academically but do well in dance have shown the ability to transfer learning and dance to other areas and demonstrate academic improvement over time.
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Our students' state test scores consistently far exceed citywide averages, and graduating eighth graders are regularly accepted into public arts high schools, distinguished ballet academies, and public high schools with strong academic programs.
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Under one roof, our students develop the skills to succeed in whatever direction they choose because of their dual dance and academic education.
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Our alumni, one of which is with us today, Our have gone on to become professional dancers in renowned companies such as New York City Ballet and Martha Graham, and have also pursued careers as lawyers, EMTs, chefs, and professional soccer players.
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Investing in arts education is critical to the development of our city's children.
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The success of our students, many of whom would not have had the opportunity to learn dance without Ballet Tech's tuition free programs, have been made possible by the city government's support, and we urge the city council to prioritize universal access to arts education so that all of New York City's children can experience the same benefits of a robust arts education.
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I'm joined here today by one of our students and one of our alumni who will also give their testimony.
3:07:57
Hello.