Our Programs
Core Program
Building Relationships Through Dance
Our core program focuses on community building through social dance forms, including Latin, ballroom, hip-hop, line dance, Chicago steppin’ and more. In each session, students explore new genres of dance and become comfortable working and interacting with peers to perform those dances. Explicit SEL themes will be layered into each lesson with an emphasis on social awareness and relationship skills.
Dance Around The World
Activating Global Citizens
Dance Around the World is a multicultural dance curriculum which builds knowledge and understanding of dance styles from all over the globe and guides students through a process in which they create, apply, reflect, evaluate, and engage. Program includes dance styles from more than 20 different countries.
Activating Global Citizens Through Dance takes our approach to cultural learning to a deeper level for Middle and High School students. In this program, students are encouraged to take risks and try new things, while also bringing their own cultural identity and experiences into a creative choreography process. Students choose themes related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and work with our teaching artist to develop choreography that expresses their views and relationship to those topics.
Custom Programs
In addition to our Core Program and Dance Around the World, we offer many other custom programs and services.
We have worked with clients to build programs from scratch, as well as customize our successful programs to specifically reflect the client’s community, students, parents, and teacher needs. Some popular examples include traditional fortnightly dance programs teaching dance and etiquette to Jr High students; cultural awareness assemblies; and all day, week-long, or semester-long residencies. We have also created numerous virtual programs that can be delivered remotely as well as in hybrid presentations.
Our Mission
The mission of Dancing with Class is to energize schools and communities by fostering inclusion, respect and social awareness through the joy of dance.
We envision a world where respect for self and others is second nature for all and expressing joy through movement is a natural part of life. We aspire to deliver equitable and culturally responsive programs and services that make dance accessible and relevant to all learners and a standard part of Social Emotional Learning curriculum for K-12 schools.
About Us — Our Teaching Artists
The Dancing With Class program maintains a roster of high-quality, trained, talented, and kind teaching artists with a diverse array of experience and dance background. Our teaching staff include professional dancers involved in the ballroom, latin, swing, modern, ballet, hip-hop, and modern dance communities. Several also have degrees in Education. Our team-oriented approach results in highly motivated and dedicated network that benefits our clients and students with diverse cadre of not just great instructors, but role-models and caring leaders.
Our History
Nino DiGiulio, the founder/owner of May I Have This Dance, actually began youth dance programs for Jr High and High Schools in the late 1990s. Benefitting from his Masters Degree in Education, and collaborating with Margot Toppen, an experienced Arts Administrator and the first Director of Youth Programs, Nino formalized the Dancing With Class program in 2006. Margot helped grow the program throughout the city of Chicago and suburbs, including serving an average of over 120 different schools per year. Featured on numerous media articles and shows, Dancing With Class has served as a model for programs in other cities and states, and a benchmark for the entire industry.