Reflections on Spring 2025: Student Centered Growth Through Ballroom Dance

This past semester (Spring 2025), I explored a unique approach to teaching ballroom dance with a focus on student creativity and community. What happened next in and beyond the classroom I found to be deeply inspiring. Discovering how a student centered teacher supported dance class could uniquely shape the teacher and student experience.

Students from DCE 124, DCE 224, and DCE 324 Arizona State University for the Spring 2025 semester.

Reflections on Spring 2025: Student-Centered Growth Through Ballroom Dance

This past Spring 2025 semester at Arizona State University, I had the privilege of teaching three levels of ballroom dance—DCE 124, DCE 224, and DCE 324. Each course offered a unique dynamic, but a common thread throughout all was my continued commitment to a student-centered, teacher-supported learning environment. I believe that the most impactful learning happens when students are given space to take ownership of the material, make it their own, and explore where it can take them.

This semester, I took a new approach to the curriculum. I chose to focus on five different ballroom dances, but rather than emphasizing strict replication of steps, I prioritized giving students a strong foundation of tools and structures they could use to make their own decisions within the dance. The goal was to empower them not only to succeed in class but to carry their dancing confidently into social settings outside the university. Just as important, I encouraged students to engage with one another, fostering a strong sense of community throughout the learning process.

It was deeply rewarding to see this approach come to life. Many students shared how the experience in class not only deepened their understanding of dance but also led them to new opportunities—attending social dance events, exploring other styles, joining clubs, or even pursuing teaching and competition.

What stood out to me most were the stories of personal growth. Watching students gain confidence, take creative risks, and develop their own style of movement was profoundly inspiring. While I continue to learn how best to support student-centered education, this semester reaffirmed that when we trust students and give them room to lead, what they create is truly remarkable.