Student Well-Being & Movement Video

Teachers, Try This: Use Dance to Boost Engagement and Learning

By Kaylee Domzalski & Jaclyn Borowski — February 13, 2025 2:34
Members of eMotion Breakdance bring rehearsal outside during a fire drill at Bellaire High School on Nov. 21, 2024, in Houston.

Paris Kent, the dance director at Bellaire High School in Houston, has sent her students into physics classes to help students learn about the rotation of an axis through the movement of their bodies, demonstrating how a person’s size impacts the speed of the rotation. It’s just one way Kent works to incorporate dance across the curriculum.

But the methods for utilizing movement are just as plentiful as the reasons for doing so—from giving students an opportunity to share elements of their culture, creating connections between students and their teachers, and increasing student engagement.

Here, Kent shares how teachers can incorporate dance and movement into their classrooms in small, time-effective ways.

Kaylee Domzalski is a video producer for Education Week.
Jaclyn Borowski is the Director of Photography and Videography for Education Week.

Video

Reading & Literacy Video How Reading Instruction Evolved in 2025, and What’s Ahead
Throughout 2025, Education Week has covered how states and districts are continuing to incorporate new instructional methods and materials.
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
Niki Chan Wylie for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Video What Happens When Middle and High Schoolers Still Struggle to Read?
When it comes to reading, teachers and experts alike say that many older students still struggle with the basics.
1 min read
Students attend Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H. on Oct. 29, 2025. Bow Memorial School is a middle school that has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps in middle school students.
Students attend Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H. on Oct. 29, 2025. Bow Memorial School is a middle school that has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps in middle school students.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Special Education Video How This District Teaches Bilingual Students With Dyslexia
Students with dyslexia receive instruction in Spanish or English, depending on their dominant spoken language.
2:28
School & District Management Video The Enemy of Smart, Strategic Spending Decisions in K-12 Districts: Leadership Churn
The EdWeek Research Center surveyed district leaders on the barriers to long-term thinking.