El Paso / Texas / United States
About Kids Excel Kids Excel El Paso ( KEEP ), a 501c3 organization, was founded in 2004 using the award-winning NDI teaching techniques created by Jacques dAmboise over 30 years ago. Kids Excel El Paso brings its highly energetic dance program directly into the public schools as part of the fourth grade curriculum. KEEP classes teach children how to strive for their personal best, never give up, and be willing to take a chance. Each class is taught by a trained instructor and a piano accompanist, and is energetic, fun, success oriented, inclusive, and physically and mentally demanding. Children receive one 45-minute class each week for the entire school year, culminating in a performance where they can show what they have learned and gain positive reinforcement from peers, teachers, families, and community members. The majority of children participating in the program have never taken a dance class before. Each class is carefully sequenced so that students gradually build upon their knowledge and physical abilities. Students learn basic motor skills such as balancing, skipping, hopping and coordinating arm movements with leg movements, all of which help them to be more comfortable with physical activity and to be confident and willing to take a chance. The dance style is based on pedestrian movement and characterized by clapping, stomping, stepping, leaping, and executing all steps with maximum energy and precision, and total physical commitment. Through the intensive classes, students also learn discipline, listening, and how to work hard. Not only do KEEP classes get kids moving, they also get them thinking. Challenging children to approach tasks with maximum effort and energy helps them to learn that focus, concentration, tenacity, and determination can be fun and rewarding. KEEP instruction supports academic achievement with cross-curricular activities that translate into increased self-confidence in the classroom, positive risk-taking, and the discipline to achieve difficult goals. Limited English Proficiency students also benefit from KEEP instruction, gaining confidence by counting and repeating instructions in English in a "call and response" setting.
