Ballet Hispánico Names Chell Parkins As Its First Dance Education Scholar-in-Residence

Ballet Hispánico, the renowned Latinx dance organization recognized as one of America's Cultural Treasures, has named Chell Parkins as the first Dance Education Scholar-in-Residence as part of its Community Arts Partnerships (CAP) collaboration with Teachers College, Columbia University on behalf of their doctoral program in dance education and The Arnhold Institute for Dance Education Research, Policy and Leadership. This first-of-its-kind partnership between the organizations seeks to increase the reach and influence of culturally relevant dance education and build community engagement.

Chell Parkins is a doctoral fellow and program assistant in Teachers College's dance education program, the nation's only doctoral program focused on educational research in dance. Parkins's research explores the experiences of Latinx youth engaged in culturally relevant dance-making practices. As Scholar-in-Residence, Parkins will serve as an on-site educational consultant, providing pedagogical mentoring, curriculum design, tailored professional development opportunities, program review, and conduction of relevant research. She was selected from a pool of qualified Teachers College dance education doctoral students who are committed to Latinx culture and Ballet Hispánico's mission.

"This role is incredibly serendipitous: my own research is in culturally-relevant dance practices with Latinx populations, so I hope to take my background, and the knowledge I'm gaining through Teachers College's doctoral program in dance education, and use it to submerge myself within Ballet Hispánico, marrying my skills with the organization's needs," said Parkins. "Ballet Hispánico has been doing such necessary work for 50 years, and I hope to further increase its visibility and impact across the country. I aim to create something sustainable that can continue to be developed and built upon to further Ballet Hispánico's mission."

During her tenure, Parkins will document the values of Ballet Hispánico's culturally relevant and student-centered educational model, develop surveys to assess the impact of CAP in alignment with the CAP curriculum and values, compile a database of Ballet Hispánico repertory to be used as a reference for creation of educational manuscripts and study guides, and facilitate a workshop for CAP employees to engage with and discuss educational model values.

Through the partnership, both organizations seek to:

• Provide cross-community opportunities such as symposia, colloquia, roundtables, workshops, and community-based learning ventures

• Produce mutually beneficial research initiatives, publications, as well as the exchange of experts such as leaders, artists, arts administrators, educators, scholars and researchers

• Collaborate on grant and foundation funding initiatives to support ongoing partnership initiatives

• Reinforce professional development for each organization

• Share event calendars and provide marketing opportunities at each institution

Community Arts Partnerships engage and enrich communities by providing educational programs that celebrate the authenticity of Latinx heritage, culture, and traditions.

"Ballet Hispánico is committed to engaging with all the local communities that we reach to bring the joy of dance and highlight the power of the Latino culture, especially now, as we return to stages after a long absence," said Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director and CEO, Ballet Hispánico. "Arts education is a transformative experience. When we reach out to communities who are underserved, we bring possibilities to those who may never have dreamed about or seen dance as art. They are given a chance to consider a different perspective and perhaps develop an aesthetic."

"Teachers College is thrilled to enter into this historic partnership with one of the nation's most renowned Latinx dance and cultural organizations ," said Stephanie Rowley, Provost, Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Teachers College, Columbia University. "Ballet Hispánico brings the best and richest expression of Latinx culture to our communities. Through our groundbreaking doctoral program in dance education and The Arnhold Institute for Dance Education Research, Policy and Leadership, TC brings our deep expertise in research and teaching and learning to this cultural endeavor. And both organizations have long histories of working in our communities to educate and advocate for a more diverse, equal and inclusive society."

For more information about Ballet Hispánico's Community Arts Partnerships, visit ballethispanico.org/community.

About Chell Parkins

Chell Parkins is a doctoral fellow and program assistant in the dance education program at Teachers College, where her research explores the experiences of Latinx youth engaged in culturally relevant dance-making practices. Throughout her 28-year career as a dance educator, advocate, performer, and choreographer, she has taught music, theater and dance in private and public sectors from preschool through college levels. As a teaching artist with Creative Action in Austin, TX, Parkins used Theatre of the Oppressed strategies to promote social change, then went on to direct the dance and drill team program at Manor High School. Her publication "Dance Media Collaborations: Engaging At-Risk Youth" details how her students used choreographic methods, technology, and social media to explore cultural identity and social issues. Parkins currently guest lectures and works as an independent consultant while attending school full time. Recent projects have included Consultant to the Community Outreach Coordinator at Ballet Hispánico, participating as a panelist in the Shirley Hall Bass Educators Forum, and teaching ongoing workshops to the child and adolescent psychiatry fellows at Oregon Health and Science University. For more information about Chell Parkins, visit https://www.tc.columbia.edu/arts-and-humanities/dance-education/current-students/.

About Community Arts Partnerships

Community Arts Partnerships (CAP) engage and enrich communities by providing educational programs that celebrate the authenticity of Latinx heritage, culture, and traditions. Ballet Hispánico has developed new, engaging virtual programs to share the vibrancy of dance and Latinx culture with communities spanning all locations, age-groups, and abilities. During this time of social distancing, we have expanded our creativity to connect with the community on a new level. Social distancing does not have to mean emotional distancing. We have more information on our virtual programming at https://www.ballethispanico.org/community/community-arts-partnerships/virtual-programs or visit our website ballethispanico.org.

About Ballet Hispánico For more than 50 years, Ballet Hispánico has been the leading voice intersecting artistic excellence and advocacy and is now the largest Latinx cultural organization in the United States. Ballet Hispánico provides the physical home and cultural heart for Latinx dance in the United States by bringing communities together to celebrate and explore Latino cultures through innovative dance productions, transformative dance training, and enduring community engagement experiences. From its grassroots origins as a dance school and community-based performing arts troupe, Ballet Hispánico has been a catalyst for social change. Ballet Hispánico has developed a robust public presence across its three main programs: its Company, School of Dance, and Community Arts Partnerships. Through its exemplary artistry, distinguished training program, and deep-rooted community engagement efforts, Ballet Hispánico champions and amplifies underrepresented voices in the field. As it looks to the next fifty years and beyond, Ballet Hispánico seeks to empower, and give agency to, the Latinx experience and those individuals within it.

About Teachers College, Columbia University Founded in 1887, Teachers College, Columbia University, the first and largest graduate school of education in the United States, is perennially ranked among the nation's best. Teachers College's mission is to create a smarter, healthier, and more equitable and peaceful world. Teachers College engages in research and prepares professionals in its three main areas of expertise-education, health and psychology-to work with public and private entities in local, national and global communities and inform public policy. Students choose from among 150 separate programs to earn graduate degrees, which are conferred by Columbia University. While it is closely affiliated with Columbia University and collaborates with it on many programs, the College is an independent, autonomous institution with a separate, independent governing board, president, and financial endowment. The Arnhold Institute for Dance Education Research, Policy & Leadership at Teachers College conducts dance education research and champions public policies that eliminate disparities in access to high-quality PK-12 dance education for children, families, and communities. The College's doctoral program in Dance Education prepares teacher educators and leaders to forge new pathways in dance education that are accessible, inclusive, equitable, and excellent for all learners, and researchers who investigate educational issues affecting underrepresented sectors in dance education.