Donna, an elementary teacher, reports on her kids' first dance class: "One girl in particular, who is very creative in art but generally restless and very active, concentrated so intensely that she was oblivious to the rest of the class… All the children appeared to enjoy the freedom to move, express themselves, and work on something on their own. The children…were concentrating, excited, laughing, smiling, and enthusiastic." (Colla MacDonald)

This scene is sweet and inspiring, but unfortunately, it is a rare one.

Only “43 percent of all public elementary schools and only 14 percent of secondary schools offer any instruction in dance,” according to Carmen Carter's 2004 study published by the University of Florida. Instead, teachers focus on science, math, and English, often leaving out the arts. This is partly because, according to Serin Ngai, these subjects are measurable on state achievement tests, and students’ high scores lead to higher school district funding.

It makes sense that under-funded teachers design lessons to increase students’ test scores, but it shows a disturbing skew in kids' education. Subjects such as the arts have had huge budget cuts; many schools have cut them entirely to fund test prep courses in math, science, and English. Unfortunately, studies have shown that students who learn to dance in school have significant advantages: high grades and higher SAT scores, compared to students without dance lessons.