Luna Dance & Creativity

I worked for Luna Dance & Creativity from 2008-2012 as a Teaching Artist and Family Services Manager. Luna walks their talk, living their missions to bring creativity, equity, and community to every child's life through the art of dance. During my time at Luna, I was mentored on how to teach relationship-based dance to families, with a focus on moms and children who are reunifying, and using dance as a vehicle for play and bonding. This important work greatly informed my teaching practice, and I continue to apply these skills in my work today as the Director of the Dance Education Laboratory at 92NY. I continue to reply on Luna as experts in professional learning and early childhood dance, and feel grateful to collaborate with them often. At this past National Dance Education Conference, DEL and Luna sat on a panel for Early Childhood Dance, sharing how our organizations create a cultural for Early Childhood Dance. Luna Dance & Creativity is an EXCELLENT nonprofit!

Luna Dance & Creativity has been nothing short of transformative for my teaching practice as a full-time dance educator. The professional development programs led by Patricia Reedy and Nancy Ng have significantly enhanced the way I approach dance education for my kindergarten through third grade students. Luna’s training helped me develop more dynamic student-centered movement lessons and guided me toward a more reflective teaching practice. Their focus on cultivating inclusivity and creativity has transformed how I think about teaching dance; allowing me to create a safe environment where every child feels seen and heard. Since applying Luna’s techniques to my program, I’ve noticed my students are more challenged, engaged, and connected with each other. They are developing as brave, expressive learners. Luna’s dedication to dance education makes them an invaluable resource for teachers. I feel incredibly fortunate to have benefited from their generous expertise and thoughtful care.

I support Luna because as someone who has had a lifelong love for dance, I want to support Luna in helping introduce this joy to children in a meaningful, impactful way. They've done an excellent job.

Since the early 2000s, my relationship with Luna has remained steadfast, transcending geographical boundaries between Hong Kong and the United States. Luna has been a constant source of inspiration, support, and encouragement throughout my journey as a dance educator. I regard Luna as both a mentor and a dear friend. I contribute to Luna's donation campaigns annually, driven by my belief in their vision, appreciation for their significant contributions to dance education and creativity, and respect for the expertise and passion of their core members.

I have been following Luna’s growth since moving to the Bay Area in 2002. Their contribution to the lives of children and families, educators, the national dance community, and educational policy is impressive--and has ever-expanded due to their enthusiastic vision and dedicated work. Beyond Luna’s workshops, institutes, and community events, they also graciously host free monthly consultations for professionals. This service is invaluable, especially as many dance professionals are often quite isolated, serving as the only dance educator in their school system, or as the director of individual dance companies or studios, etc. As a colleague, I’ve had several professional consultations over the years to support me in my role as a dance educator and Director of Embodiment in Education™, a professional training program for dance and movement educators. In these meetings, Directors Patricia Reedy and Nancy Ng have drawn upon their life-time of professional expertise, offering valuable advice I’ve found to be both practical and inspiring. Luna also offers an extensive library of professional books and resources, and I was inspired to contribute a copy of my book, The Embodied Teen, to their efforts. Luna thrives through community, and offering this type of collegial support is one more testament to their dedication to the well-being and growth of our national dance community. Thank you, Luna!

Luna Dance & Creativity is an amazing organization -- truly one of a kind. I danced in their teen program many years ago and it was a formative experience that provided me with opportunities to create, collaborate with others, and build confidence. A few decades later, I'm astounded to see how much Luna has grown and the wide-reaching impact it has made by bringing dance education to tens of thousands of young people locally, statewide, nationwide, and even globally. Luna is so much more than a dance institute. It is a community, a movement, and a platform to lift up kids and youth to realize their full potential, achieve self-determination, and be changemakers in their communities. Thank you Luna for all you do!

Luna centers creativity and community. As a participant in the Summer Institute, I had the opportunity to, “play, move, and love” with artists and dance educators from around the country. The gorgeous new facility provided a home for exploration that has since extended beyond the walls to WhatsApp messages and zoom calls. The support for dance educators through providing experiential learning is a treasure!

"I work at BORP Adapted Sports & Recreation as a Program Manager. I give to Luna because as a former dancer and dance teacher with AXIS Dance Company, I love their mission and believe that the arts have a way of diminishing our differences as humans. "

Luna Dance and Creativity holds a unique perspective on dance learning as a fundamentally creative act. After a recent visit to their new home, I was deeply impressed by their commitment to both teaching and ongoing research. Beautiful and accessible dance spaces offer soaring hope for the future of a holistic approach to dance learning through the immense curiosity and authentic movement responses of children. I wish I lived in the area to take full advantage of this amazing community of expert teachers and empowered learners.

Catherine Gallant, dance artist and educator, NYC

My preschool-aged son attended Luna dance and later I attended parent-child Luna classes with my daughter. For my son this was an opportunity unlike any of his other activities, to express his story in his own way, using all the floor space and his whole body to respond to rhythm and prompts, but not prescribed choreography. It's a real brain-body awakening and empowering experience for self-expression. My daughter and I got to make shapes and explore ideas and movements together as a pair, but with her in the lead. A real trust and attachment-building experience with fun and laughter.

I have had the oppoortunity to work with Lunda Dance Institute for the past 20 years. Luna has consistently provided amazing dance experiences for youth as well as professional learning opportunities for teachers in our community. Luna has assisted us with the creation of a comprehensive K-12 dance framework providing sequential dance instruction for our students. They have truly made a significant difference for the students and teachers they serve in some of the most challenged schools in our district.

I had the honor of being a Luna Summer Institute recipient for 2022-2023, receiving an incredible week of PD and a transformative year of mentorship and teacher leadership development in my role as a public school dance teacher in LA.

Of all the PD opportunities I’ve experienced in my 16 years as an educator, Luna is by far the most meaningful to date. Patricia, Nancy, and Jochelle are a dream team of compassionate, creative, and diversely experienced dancers, teachers, scholars, and advocates for ALL children to have access to meaningful creative dance experiences.

Luna empowered me in my authentic self to own what I do, apply action based research to expand myself with self-identified goals, and ignited my leadership to present for the first time at NDEO (National Dance Ed Org) with a movement workshop that demonstrates how we can bridge creative dance and cultural forms in the public school classroom.

Thank you Luna Institute for ALL that you do!

My relationship with Luna Dance Institute began when I received professional development training with them as a dance teaching artist with San Francisco Ballet. The training that I participated in with Luna changed me as a teaching artist. I was introduced to a new way of approaching creative dance with young people. I looked forward to our professional development sessions with Luna because their trainings left me feeling more equipped to provide meaningful, developmentally appropriate lessons to my students.

I began to take advantage of other training opportunities with Luna. One of the most influential training experiences was my participation in Luna's Summer Institute. I gained skills to foster creativity in my students and received personalized coaching that took my teaching skills to a new level. I learned from and collaborated with classroom teachers and teaching artists from around the country. Luna provided this opportunity free of charge, which was amazing. I wouldn't have been able to participate if I had to pay for the experience.

I also participated in the Teacher As Creative Practitioner Scholar course on Creativity. This was another extremely valuable experience that contributed to my personal and professional growth. This course challenged me and changed the way that I looked at creativity and the art of teaching creative dance.

I began working with Luna as a teaching artist. One of the best things about teaching with Luna is the support and accountability that come with the teaching opportunity. I was never without a mentor to help and encourage me. I was constantly being offered opportunities to grow and develop as a professional. I always felt supported as an individual as well.

My involvement with Luna has been an incredible, positive influence on my journey as a teaching artist. Not only can I point to Luna's involvement in every major area of my growth as a teaching artist, I can say that my partnership with Luna carried me through the difficulties of being a dance teaching artist during the pandemic. I am incredibly appreciative to Luna for the thoughtful way that they support artists and students throughout the Bay Area and reaching far beyond.

Luna Dance Institute has been an invaluable resource for my teaching practice in Oakland Unified School District (OUSD). Their commitment to supporting educators like me through a range of initiatives, including teaching practitioner workshops, summer institutes, one-on-one mentoring, and professional development, has truly transformed the way I approach dance education.

One of the standout features of Luna is the personalized attention they offer. Through their one-on-one mentoring program, I've had the privilege of working closely with Patricia Reedy. Her guidance and expertise have not only enhanced my abilities as a teacher but also provided me with a unique perspective on mentorship. In fact, I'm now serving as a mentor for several Luna Institute Dance teachers, and I can directly attribute my success in this role to the mentorship I received from Patricia and Luna Dance Institute.

Luna Dance Institute goes above and beyond by offering resources and training to both local and international dance teachers. This commitment to sharing knowledge and expertise is invaluable. The networking opportunities provided by Luna have been a significant asset to my professional growth, allowing me to connect with peers and gain insights from a diverse community of dance educators.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Luna's work is their close relationship with OUSD. Luna has not only established itself as an essential partner in the district but has also been instrumental in crafting a blueprint for dance programs in Oakland public schools. Luna teachers work hand-in-hand with OUSD to create and implement successful dance programs, which can then be handed over to OUSD credentialed dance teachers. This collaborative approach ensures the sustainability and quality of dance education in public schools, setting the groundwork for successful programs and fostering positive relationships with OUSD staff and classroom teachers.

Luna Dance Institute is a beacon of support, inspiration, and collaboration in the field of dance education. Their dedication to enhancing the teaching practice of educators and their innovative approach to building strong relationships with public school systems make them an outstanding Non-profit and community that nurtures and empowers dance educators.

There is a lot to love about Luna! Luna is grounded in the understanding that at it's core, liberation is rooted in agency and freedom in our bodies and that ALL children deserve opportunities for creativity and movement as an integral part of development. Luna's powerful work in educator pedagogy is of course relevant for teachers of dance, but it moves beyond that audience and supports classroom teachers, mental health workers, and parents to find joy and connection with young children. As a board member and longtime witness to the power of Luna's work, I am particularly excited by its acquisition of a permanent home and what will be made possible by having a physical space dedicated to creativity, child development, and community building through movement and dance.

My first wonderful memories of Luna Dance were with a small group of four year old's who LOVED wearing their sparkly leotards and tutus to dance at the studio on Park Blvd, Oakland, in 1993. I was their teacher and remember feeling their "joy" (as well as my own) as they "floated" and "twirled" around the room. Thirty years later, the ECE department at the Marin County Office of Education decided we needed to bring JOY into programs for the early care and education professionals and children in the P3 and Teaching Through the Arts initiatives. Our ECE department's vision is "co-creating early learning environments that are free from bias" which aligns with Luna Dance Institute's mission to "bring creativity, equity and community to every child's life through the art of dance". That Nancy Ng, was a contributor to the Visual and Performing Arts section of the California Department of Education's Preschool Learning Foundations, helped make the case for including dance, music and movement into our professional development activities for the next seven years. Luna Dance Institute has brought their Literacy, Movement and Dance with a developmental and equity lens to early care and education professionals throughout Marin County sharing books such as DANCE!, with Bill T Jones, Rap A Tap Tap, SWING, Opposites, and Barnyard Dance - to name a few. When the pandemic first forced us into our homes Luna Dance met us there. We danced in our kitchens and living rooms, laughing together and finding joy during the darkest times. We continue to experience joy with each course, workshop and institute and we continue to learn how to support ALL children in our early learning and care environments. This weekend we danced together at our Early Learning Summit at the College of Marin. We moved our tired bodies and engaged our brains, we laughed out loud, we let go of all inhibitions and we bounded as a community and ended our day feeling informed, invigorated and joyful. I have watched Luna Dance Institute's expansion with awe, pride and such gratitude for their vision and all that they bring to our communities. I cherish the relationships we have developed and the rich, open conversations and friendships that are nurtured by our shared passions: equity, creativity, freedom of expression, education, research, dance, community - and joy.

I met Patricia Reedy as a fellow dancer and got to really understand the depth of work and knowledge Luna provided while we were both teaching at Mills College. Luna was pivotal in helping me start a dance program at Oakland Boys & Girls Club, offering free dance classes to its members. What struck me is how ahead of their time they were in dance education and family wellness. When I had my third child, Luna offered MPACT classes. My husband and I participated with my 2 year old daughter with other families and learned so much in how caretakers and children can connect through movement, weight sharing and partnering. Dance was not just for training, it was for embodiment and connecting. I remember Nancy Ng saying, "Even if your child is in the corner running around, they are still participating and learning in their own way!" That stuck with me as I continued to work with children, teens and adults as a dance educator - something that classrooms situations don't always allow for. Through the equity lens, access to dance allows young children of all abilities to express themselves and learn to self regulate, so that they can learn and have agency in how they interact with this massive world. Now, as a Luna board member, I am hoping to bring Luna's name through the tunnel to Contra Costa and have elementary classroom teachers trained in dance education, increasing exposure to dance at a younger age. I am truly excited to see how over 30 years, their hard work, research and outreach has found them a permanent home in Berkeley. I look forward to serving on the board the couple of years and being part of the growth of Luna Dance Institute.

It is an honor and a privilege to write a few words of support for Luna Dance Institute, a small, powerhouse non-profit organization, a treasure, a leader in the field of dance education for children and adults alike.

I first encountered Luna when I was engaged in the design and implementation of arts education programs in the non-profits arts sector. Immersed in innovative pedagogies and seeking additional inspiration and affirmation from programs founded in the deep knowledge of the childhood development journey, I was excited to discover Luna. I was especially intrigued by the organization’s solid commitment to ‘defend and further children’s freedom through the art of dance.”

Some years later I sought out Luna Dance Institute because their philosophy and approach to “systemic change in arts, education and social justice” was aligned with the North Star vision of the SFUSD Arts Education Master Plan of which I was the Implementation Manager (2006-2018). The dream for equity and access to arts education, including quality dance education, belonged to multiple stakeholders representing the San Francisco Bay Area. Luna’s practice-to-policy focus and quality research in its Professional Development Institute exemplified for me the best in Action Research. In the early years of the plan’s implementation and ongoing, Luna Dance Institute was instrumental in providing mentorship and support to dance teachers and teaching artists through their Summer Institute and multiple workshops throughout the year. A number of SFUSD dance teachers benefited from Luna’s superb mentorship. I still remember with pride and joy the dance performances of elementary school students (many taught by educators mentored by Luna) at the annual SFUSD arts festival celebrating students’ creativity at the Asian Art Museum. I, too, continued my own life-long learning through inspiring dance workshops taught by Luna’s visiting dance instructors or teaching artists.

Luna Dance Institute was also incredibly instrumental through their ongoing advocacy and policy work in making the dance credential a reality in California, bringing their expertise to professional gatherings of the National Dance Association and local Arts Education conferences, including SFUSD’s professional development workshops for dance teachers seeking to create a sequential dance education experience for SFUSD students.

I am currently a volunteer member of Luna’s Capital Campaign Committee and continue to be impressed by the incredible expertise and knowledge of the leadership team and their solid attention to quality and rigor in the Luna Dance Institute curriculum. The curriculum not only guides Luna Dance Institute teaching artists in their work, but is a resource for dance educators around the country. My understanding is that it has also become foundational to another local gem in dance access to public schools students that was critical to providing access to dance to SFUSD students, the SF Ballet’s acclaimed DISC (dance-in-schools) program. I am thrilled to be aware of this partnership between the two sides of the Bay.

Finally, as a newly minted Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement trainee practitioner, who is deeply invested in making movement accessible to all humans, I am even more passionate about Luna’s contribution to society, the health and well-being of children and their families as well as the hope and dignity afforded to dance educators and teaching artists, whose work makes life meaningful and joyful for children in public schools. Movement is medicine and embodied knowledge a portal to an integrated self, allowing not only for the flourishing of creativity but for aliveness and presence that lead to a more empathic and participatory citizenry. I have been overjoyed to see families I know attend Luna’s free, family pop-up series in libraries and parks, a reminder of the importance of movement in public spaces where we are invited to learn and play, leap and soar together as a community.

Luna was my first introduction to non-profit work centering children and dance. Through my experience engaging with their community and programs the biggest takeaway is how highly people speak of Luna's impact on their lives. Whether people are starting to engage in family dance classes, or took a workshop with Luna years ago, everyone's faces light up with excitement and positive stories at the mention of Luna. I am grateful to have connected with an organization that brings such thoughtfulness to growth, connections and the communities served. I am continually inspired to use the power of dance and creativity in my artistic endeavors and everyday life because of Luna!

I was on faculty at Luna Dance for seven years. During that time I had the pleasure of working with brilliant teaching artists to develop myself into the leader I am today. I received the best professional development and was coached through many opportunities to expand my inquiry into dance education. Because of everything I learned at Luna, I was able to find a home teaching at an elementary school where I continue to develop a school-wide dance program that centers student agency and creative possibility. Thanks Luna!

As the former Director of Quality Enhancement & Professional Development for Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) in Oakland, CA, I can say firsthand OUSD's preschoolers engaged in healing centered, trauma responsive, and liberated dance experiences. The preschool teachers acted as communal dance facilitators and conveners who artfully aligned the culture of dance with OUSD's play-based curriculum approaches. Many of California's school districts that serve globally majority children of color have experienced their visual and performing arts programs being completely eliminated or grossly under-resourced. Thankfully, Luna became OUSD's lifeline and extension of learning to fill that gap. Luna has inspired past and future dancers starting with OUSD's youngest children/students and their families. Luna dancers are more attuned with their bodies, feelings and range of emotions. They beam with confidence, creativity, a newfound love, and discovery for movement that translates to improved classroom learning and peer connection. The partnership with Luna and OUSD continues. And, now as one of Luna's newest Board members, I look forward to cultivating and creating access to dance-equity opportunities for all children, especially those historically marginalized, yet most at-promise.

Luna Dance Institute and the Professional Learning programs have been enormously impactful in my life. Luna provides so many opportunities to learn and implement curriculum that supports developmentally informed, inclusive, and empowering dance education. As a dance educator, I rely on Luna for resources of all kinds. I participated in Luna's Summer Institute in 2016, and I have completed several series of course offerings. They have and continue to influence my teaching immensely. Through Luna, I have connected with so many educators in the community. These relationships are my greatest resource.
Luna offers a space for learning and connection not just to other educators, but to the entire community; children, adults, and families. It is a place where dance embodies creative choice as well as activism. I am committed continuing my learning and supporting Luna!

Maura Whelehan she/her
Dance Teaching Artist
San Francisco Ballet Dance In Schools and Communities

I first met Luna during its infant days in 1992 when it was Luna Kids Dance on Park Blvd., in Oakland, California, with its early focus on creative dance classes for children. I have had the life changing opportunity to watch Luna grow from its young and brave days establishing it non-profit status and finding its first space as a non-profit in which it could share with the community, to becoming a national dance leader and and purchasing its own building.

During its early years, Luna dug deep, questioning and challenging its understanding and beliefs about technique, lesson planning, choreography, community building, and social justice. Luna developed its curriculum, scaffolding it with child development and education expertise, defined its mission, and built relationships with community partners, including teachers, schools and universities, and community members and leadership, while always bringing dance to all children. Luna went on to develop its comprehensive professional development program, becoming a local and national leader in creativity, dance, education, and child development.

I first worked with Luna as a teaching intern and then creative dance teacher. I had the life changing experience of cofounding Luna's Moving Parents and Children Together (MPACT) program, bringing family dance classes to children and parents at risk of separation due to abuse or neglect. MPACT is now over 20 years strong and Luna continues to bring these classes to the community and to families in drug rehabilitation centers. I have also been able to serve on Luna's board as a board member and executive board member, serving as secretary and treasurer. But my favorite part of my relationship with Luna is being a parent in the studio lab program, dancing with my sons - while in utero, in early family dance classes, and then watching them leap and soar in the studio lab program -- watching them develop their mobility and depth of knowledge of their body, how to make choices of creative expression, and how to dance and create with others and experience others' expressions.

Luna continues to transform us all individually and as a community. Luna teaches us all how to find our dance and to dance with others; how to find and define space; how to expand and actualize our visions and dreams; and how to persist and build even in the hardest of days, during financial days of recession, days of quarantine, and recent and historical turbulent painful days of our community and world. During these times Luna maintained its vision and mission, and has now purchased a dance and community home which is inclusive and accessible to all.

Please see attached pictures of my sons dancing in Luna classes and out in the community.

Once a fan of Luna Dance, always a fan of Luna Dance. I had the immense honor of participating in the Luna Dance summer institute in 2014. The indelible impression it made on me as an educator, therapist, dancer, and leader cannot be emphasized enough. What it essentially boils down to is that Luna has deep reverence for the developmental magic of the lifecycle and knows how to capture it through critically designed creative dance that honors children right where they are and right at the precipice of who they are becoming.

My experience with Luna Dance Institute is through their professional learning department. I run my own dance non-profit in Santa Barbara, CA, and I was looking for a place where I could dig deeper and expand my work in the field. Luna provided that and so much more. It connected me with a community of dedicated individuals who strive to create safe, equitable, and inclusive environments for children and adults. Since my first course with Luna (summer institute) I have taken 4 other courses. I always leave with new knowledge and inspired to go forward.

Over the past twenty-six years I have witnessed Luna grow from a local children's dance program (Luna Kids Dance) to a nationally recognized dance education organization (Luna Dance Institute). Patricia Reedy and Nancy Ng had a vision expressed in Luna's mission statement: "To bring all children to dance and dance to all children". Through their commitment and understanding of the importance of creative dance for children and the support of their community, they are moving toward their goal. It is so exciting that they have found a new home in Berkeley where they will be able to offer creative dance classes to youth, to expand their professional development classes for teachers and to support artists in the community.

In addition, for twenty years the Banks Family Foundation has supported the MPACT program (Moving Parents and Children Together) which brings parent/child dance classes to families in the child welfare system. This program has become a model for other communities.

Congratulations to Luna for your thirty years of dedication to your mission!

We LOVE Luna DANCE!!
Nancy, and her team are wonderful and so insightful. We have been collaborating with Luna Dance for over a decade. I work as a Therapist in a residential treatment facility with women and children with addiction and mental health challenges. Covid has been difficult for everyone and Luna Dance has greatly helped to lift our clients up and bring a new energy into our facility. Luna dance every class is creative on zoom, brings amazing energy and offers educational embodied parenting support to our clients and their children which helps them bond and connect through dance and through the somatic experience. So many of our clients have reported that Luna dance has helped them get into their "inner child", "laugh again" and feel connected to their body. Staff as well has loved joining these classes virtually and it has significantly improved client's depression and helped create a more positive and fun energy every class we attend. We have also had family members in the past attend as well who have reported how fun Luna dance has been. I think especially working in addiction and mental health, there is something so important about "getting back into the body" and "getting into our inner child". Luna Dance has really had a positive impact on our whole facility and we love all the work and creative experience they share with us. Thank you Nancy, Rossana and Luna Dance team for all your creativity, knowledge and compassion, your awesome!! -Lauren, Project Pride, Oakland, CA.

I've seen first-hand the kind of transformative work Luna Dance Institute does, first as a member of the general public, then as a classroom teacher, and finally as a volunteer, board member and donor. Luna has 30+ years of proven, research-based track record on making dance accessible to kids, families and teachers with a lens on equity and inclusion. Seeing young children learning to express themselves creatively and seeing the growth that occurs through that process has been incredible. I have nothing but the utmost respect for what Luna Dance Institute does and to have seen first-hand the impact this program has on children, teachers, and professional dance artists is not only impressive, but inspiring. One of the best nonprofits in the Bay.

A few years ago, I was searching for early childhood professional development learning opportunities. A Google search brought up Luna Dance Institute, and I'm so glad I clicked that link. As a professional in the field, I found Luna's mission aligned with thoughtful and forward-thinking educational theories. I've taken online learning courses, and the faculty at Luna are powerhouses! So scholarly, dedicated, and passionate about quality dance education. Thank you, Luna for all you do; you are truly a leader in dance education.

I have had the privilege and honor of supporting Luna Dance Institute since its inception in 1992, as a donor, past Board Treasurer, past Board Chair, and volunteer. I know from my inside view, the successes that the leadership and their team delivers on with their learner-focused, inclusive and equity-driven programs. It continues to amaze me at what they accomplish by prudently maximizing the resources entrusted to them.

I’m so excited to see what they all will do now that they have their fabulous new building.

I got involved with Luna as part of their inquiry circles in 2021, when they were doing some deep reflection and strategizing as part of their adaptation plan. I hadn't known much going in, but had been recommended through a friend, and so I joined the afternoon of conversation as a volunteer community member. I was already impressed that Luna was doing talks with a wide circle of community members and showing a real interest on seeing how they could serve and adapt. It takes guts to solicit feedback knowing you might not like what you hear. It was an extremely thoughtful and well-facilitated conversation, and now that I know Luna better I think it is a perfect example of how Luna lives its values of inclusivity, putting community first, and embracing collaboration in the creative process.

As the year progressed, the founders Patricia and Nancy reached out to me and we continued to stay connected. I had lovely thought-provoking conversations with them; their passion for the potential of dance and care for the community and social justice shines through so clearly.

Since 2022 I have joined Luna as a board member and I couldn't be more excited to see the organization through important upcoming milestones and aspirations. It is inspiring to see Luna do this work!

I want to thank Luna for their long term commitment to dance in all kinds of settings like families, schools and more, in all kinds of places such as libraries, on zoom, in theatres and in
studios.

With every workshop, conversations and publications, Luna renews our passion, shares new science and supports dance artists and educators to all do this constant work of bringing people, partners and institutions to dance and make space for the ones who have not been able to join in.

For us at Foolish Operations, it has been a great journey of being hand held - through
training sessions on developmental science, attachment and play theories as well as strategic development in order for us to grow and be bold, centring our family dance
program at the core of all we do, as a place of emerging curriculum and research for family dance but also performance for and with very young children and their grownups.

Luna Dance Institute is an organization that truly lives their values. Luna's mission, theory of change, and dedicated staff and volunteers are making a lasting impact on children, parents, teachers, and arts organizations. They are working hard to make their new building in Berkeley ADA accessible, one of the many initiatives that make their programming inclusive and accessible for people with diverse abilities. I am proud to be a board member of Luna.

I started working with Luna as a Summer Institute participant, and the instruction and support they gave me throughout that year changed my life. I was buoyed and created a performing arts program at my school. As that program continued to grow, I leaned on Luna's Professional Learning offerings to build my practice, as there was no Dance Credential at the time (which they have also since championed and gotten passed in CA). I am now on Luna's board and find great joy in giving back to the organization that has given so much to me over the years.

Berkeley, California is the birthplace and home of the Luna Dance Institute. Since its inception it has evolved into a 'great nonprofit'. I know this because I have served as a LDI advisor since its infancy. LDI's founder, Patricia Reedy, is a west coast dance education visionary who strives to make possible developmentally-appropriate, culturally responsive and socially relevant literacy bridges inherently found in and through dancing, dance making and dance sharing experience. Reedy and her capable teaching staff offer its patrons transformative opportunities to expand personal understanding and grow a sense of community. This is accomplished through well designed dance curricula and varied programs that connect deeply to real world situations and inspire the dreams of our future citizenry. LDI's board of directors advance its mission through sustainable organizational design and implementation plus laser sharp attention to detail. This makes it possible for LDI to transform and advance with the times. I strongly urge you to support Luna Dance Institute in any and all ways possible. You are incredibly fortunate to have this cultural icon and Luna dance Institute in your midst.

Luna Dance has been an instrumental part of our treatment program for our Mothers and Children. Through our 15 year collaboration with Luna, our mothers have gained insight on how their child develops as well as strengthen this parent/child bond. Even when Luna is not present teaching dance classes. The moms often utilize their learning to get their child's attention of negative behavior and turn into a positive redirection through movement. Luna staff is awesome and really care about the impact their work have on the lives of moms and children. Thanks Luna for a continued job well done.

Tammy Webster Brown
Project Pride, Operations Manager

Luna Dance is a fantastic organisation with a great vision. My first opportunity to interact with them was 7 years ago through their Summer Institute which provides professional development for teaching artists and classroom teachers. It came at an important time in my life where I was feeling overwhelmed and isolated as an independent teaching artists. Through the rigorous program and mentorship components I feel like reached a turning point with my dance teaching and my leadership in the community. I am still teaching today and passionate about the potential for dance in our communities and our lives.

I am a parent whose 2 children danced in Luna's first studio classes in creative dance 20+ years ago. For the past 6 years, I have served on Luna's board and been able to observe Luna's work in Oakland public schools and in studio classes, as well its programs bringing families separated by the justice system back together through creative dance. These are the places where Luna's philosophy and practices show up in our communities. Even more important perhaps is Luna's work training teachers to incorporate dance into their classes across all the academic subjects. Luna gives teachers a philosophy grounded in child development, a creative dance curriculum that translates that philosophy into action, and training and mentoring to make it all happen. The arts, particularly dance, could not have better advocates than the Luna professionals who are inspired teachers and artists and who also run their collaborative organization with nationally recognized vision and discipline.

Luna Dance Institute is one of the treasures of the Bay Area. I have known the leadership of this organization and have experienced their many programs for 15 years. It is rare to see such a consistent, high level of service to youth in the arts, especially considering how difficult it is to maintain support for dance non-profits. As a local funder, I have come in contact with numerous arts educators and the professionals who represent Luna Dance are top notch, I recommend them without reservation. Anyone who has the luck to come in contact with Luna Dance won’t be disappointed.

Luna Dance is one of the premiere dance education organizations in the country. Over the past four years of working directly with both their leadership team and several of the dance-educators, I can honestly say - Luna Dance offers the highest caliber of integrated dance education I have ever experienced in my career. I first collaborated with Luna Dance in my role with Oakland Unified School District, through our PreK - 1st Grade Visual Performing Arts + Early Literacy, 10mo. Professional Learning Community (as part of the larger Birth - 3rd Grade, Early Education Initiative, in partnership with the Kellogg Foundation). Luna's collaborative approach and pedagogical integrity has set the bar high for all future partnerships and collaborations, and it is both an honor and privilege to continue the learning relationship with their team - in service to children, families and our community-at-large.

Luna Dance Institute (LDI) is an outstanding organization that supports the creation, expansion, and improvement of dance programs in California and beyond. We all know that efforts to advance arts education for children and youth in school-based or community-based settings must begin with highly qualified teachers. Highly qualified teachers are trained, not born, to educate. In addition to their dance programs, LDI fills this important teacher-training role. The design and development of in-depth, curriculum-based dance education experiences requires ongoing support and informative feedback that occur over an extended period. LDI provides prolonged engagement between novice, experienced and expert teachers. Their approach insures that all dance programs include opportunities for appreciation, skill acquisition, knowledge development and dance-making as well as multidimensional assessment of student learning according to national and state arts education standards. Through my work as a professor of dance and as past-president of the California Dance Education Association, I have come in contact with many arts education programs across the United States and abroad. LDI sets the standard. Plus, the leadership team and individual teachers are remarkably thoughtful, caring, and determined to get children, youth and adults of all ages moving!

Luna is a bright light in the Bay Area art education landscape. Just walking into their
Berkeley Marina studio uplifts the spirit. Luna's professional staff, dance artists and instructors, offer top quality, playful and kinesthetically engaging learning experiences. Serving kids, parents, communities and schools, Luna's innovative programs and well-researched approaches, lead the way in highlighting and opening access to what is possible through creative dance education.