Chicago Dance Institute is founded in the belief that the arts should be a part of every child's education. Through our in-school partnerships, children can experience music and movement integrated into their curriculum exposing them to creativity, expression, culture, and self-confidence.

Decades of research support the philosophy that arts education benefits students in a variety of ways by:

Strengthening student problem-solving and critical thinking skills, adding to overall academic achievement and school success  

Helping students develop a sense of craftsmanship, quality task performance, and goal-setting - skills needed to succeed in the classroom and beyond

Supporting troubled youth, providing an alternative to destructive behavior and another way for students to approach learning

Improving children's abstract reasoning skills through music integration, a factor that proved even more effective in affecting intelligence than instruction on computers. 1

"I believe arts education in music, theatre, dance and the visual arts is one of the most creative ways we have to find the gold that is buried just beneath the surface. They (children) have an enthusiasm for life, a spark of creativity, and vivid imaginations that need training...training that prepares them to become confident young men and women. The creativity of the arts and the joy of music should be central to the education of every American child." 2
– Richard W. Riley, U.S. Secretary of Education

SOURCES:
1. Business Circle for Arts Education in Oklahoma, "Arts at the Core of Learning 1999 Initiative."

2. Shaw, Rauscher, Levine, Wright, Dennis and Newcomb, "Music training causes long-term enhancement of preschool children's spatial-temporal reasoning," Neurological Research, vol.19, February 1997.