Dance in Schools and Communities (DISC) is a 10- or 20-week interactive dance and music education program. DISC uses world music traditions and rhythms from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Eastern and Western Europe to introduce students to concepts universal to dance, such as space, time, energy, level, and force. Program activities demonstrate the differences and similarities among cultures expressed through movement and music, and encourage appreciation of diverse cultures throughout the world. Classes are all-inclusive with students actively participating, regardless of their musicality or physical aptitude for dance. Students who take lessons with the DISC program participate with their entire classroom. Classes are led by professional artist educators.

DISC is made of four components:

• A 10- to 20-week residency with three classrooms in each participating school.
• DISC students have the opportunity to attend San Francisco Ballet Community Matinee performances at the War Memorial Opera House.
• On an annual basis, up to 75 new students are invited to study classical ballet at the San Francisco Ballet School on full scholarship, including supplemental funds for dance attire and shoes. Some of these students graduate from the San Francisco Ballet School to perform with San Francisco Ballet and other world-class ballet companies.
• Select DISC schools may be asked to participate in The Performance Project, an annual public showcase performance featured at various venues throughout San Francisco.

Note: Dance in Schools and Communities utilizes the California state standards and national standards for dance education.

For more information on the Dance in Schools and Communities program, please contact the San Francisco Ballet Center for Dance Education at 415.865.6671, or email us at  education@sfballet.org.