In-School Residencies
PROVIDING FREE DANCE EDUCATION TO SF PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS
Established in 1979, the Dance in Schools and Communities (DISC) residency program was created in response to an expressed need for arts instruction in public schools that would also provide a means of access, education, and opportunity for students of diverse cultural backgrounds. In partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) SF Ballet’s DISC residency program serves approximately 2,500 SFUSD students each year across nearly 35 Early Education and Elementary school sites.
About DISC
Mission
The mission of San Francisco Ballet’s DISC residency program is to inspire connection, creativity, and confidence through dance and music. Using inclusive and accessible approaches to dance education, DISC empowers each student to unleash their inherent wisdom, playful body, and creative soul. Each DISC residency strives to foster authentic cross-cultural learning, model embodied respect and awareness, and create safe spaces—both physical and emotional—for students to explore the artform of dance with curiosity, passion, and purpose.
At a glance
WHO’S IT FOR: Early Education and Elementary schools that are interested in extending their arts education programming. The DISC program is currently limited to public schools in the San Francisco Unified School District.
COST: Free for SFUSD public schools who meet program requirements.
SCHEDULE: The DISC residency program is a multi-week residency program that provides weekly dance instruction during normal school hours.
LOCATION: At participating SFUSD school sites
Curriculum
The SF Ballet DISC residency program introduces dance in a hands-on and dynamic way through standards-based lessons that link to the core curriculum. During the in-school DISC residency, students discover creative expression through movement, investigate the elements of dance, and explore various cultural and folk dances from around the world, including ballet. Students expand their vocabulary and enhance their listening, problem-solving, communication, coordination, and collaboration skills while learning about dance and music traditions from other cultures.
All DISC residencies are taught by a team of professional teaching artists from SF Ballet with live musical accompaniment.
Faculty
SF Ballet’s team of professional DISC Teaching Artists and Musical Accompanists bring decades of experience working in arts education, along with diverse artistic backgrounds various dance and music styles including Ballet, Horton, Aerial Dance, West African Dance and Drumming, Hip Hop, Bhangra, Latin Percussion, Orff, and more.
Heading h5
Pellentesque cursus massa at urna condimentum, et u. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipi sci ngent esque cursus massa at urna condimentum, et u.tradition. dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
© Video by RJ Muna
Host a disc residency
Program requirements
There are a few minimum requirements for schools that wish to host a Dance in Schools and Communities (DISC) residency:
1. All participating schools must be public schools managed by the San Francisco Unified School District.
2. Schools must provide access to a well-lit, unobstructed gym, activity room, cafeteria, multipurpose room, and/or auditorium to safely conduct dance classes each week.
3. Minimum of 3 participating classrooms. The DISC residency program aims to serve all classrooms in the participating grade level at each school site. Depending on school enrollment, DISC may serve more than one grade level per school site.
4. School principals, teachers, and site administration are expected to actively support the program, designating a primary contact person for all communications.
Residency Information
DISC residencies vary by SFUSD division.
Early Education (Pre-K/TK)
Residency length: 20 weeks
Curricular connections: General education
Elementary School (2nd & 3rd)
Residency length: 9 weeks (fall, winter, spring)
Curricular connections: General education
QUESTIONS & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For more information about SF Ballet’s Dance in Schools and Communities Residency Program, please contact:
Amanda Alef
Senior Manager, Education Programs
education@sfballet.org
415-865-6675
Swanson Community Scholarship Program
Since 1979, San Francisco Ballet School has partnered with the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) to provide Dance in Schools and Communities (DISC) dance residencies to SFUSD elementary schools. Every year, approximately 100 elementary school students selected from the DISC 2nd and 3rd grade dance residencies are invited to participate in one year of ballet classes at SF Ballet School on full scholarship. This is a completely free program for invited students and includes two ballet classes per week for one school year. Dance attire and performance tickets for the student and their family to attend SF Ballet’s performances at the Opera House are also provided.
Each year, a number of students from the Swanson Community Scholarship Program (SCSP) are invited to continue ballet training in SF Ballet School on full scholarship, and former CSP students can be found in all levels of the school.
SF Ballet School was my second home. It’s where I learned I wanted to become a ballet dancer.
– Sean Bennett, former SF Ballet corps de ballet dancer, SF Ballet School alumnus and DISC community scholarship recipient
Participating Schools
DISC Sponsors
Bank of America, Diana Dollar Knowles Foundation, and Flora Family Foundation are Lead Sponsors of San Francisco Ballet’s Education Programs.
Additional support is provided by Gap Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, and U.S. Bank Foundation.
The Dance in Schools and Communities program is supported by The Charles Henry Leach, II Fund, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
Discover More
SF Ballet School
San Francisco Ballet School offers a challenging curriculum, taught by faculty members drawn from the ranks of San Francisco Ballet and companies around the world.