30 April 2008, Belleville, Ontario—Today more than 5,600 children from 45 schools converged on the Belleville Fairgrounds for the 17th annual Celebration of Dance. Students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 and one high school moved and grooved to 11 traditional and upbeat dances.

Celebration of Dance has become a traditional part of spring and Education Week for students in the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board. It is a great way for all of our children to get active. Not only does this event build healthy bodies, but it supports both the physical education, and drama and dance curriculum in our schools.

“Celebration of Dance continues to be a way of promoting a healthy, active lifestyle through daily physical activity. The fact that health and learning are interconnected, combined with an increasing focus on health, especially physical activity, is very important to enhance the conditions for learning,” remarked the event’s co-ordinator, Nancy Popovich. “It is another way to reinforce the link between physical activity and character development,” she added.

Each year, schools are invited to submit songs and dances to a planning committee. This approach involves students from the creation of the program through to rehearsals and participation on event day. In some schools, dances are rehearsed as part of the health and physical education curriculum or drama and dance programs. In others, dances are learned through extra-curricular programs offered during lunch or after school.

The song list includes a mix of country, funk and dance music such as: Move It, Upside Down, We Like to Party, The Hamster Dance and Cotton Eye Joe. with dances ranging from the cha-cha to the hokey-pokey. These dances accommodate all ages and ability levels.

“It’s pretty awesome to watch a sea of 5,500-plus children dancing in unison,” remarked Popovich.

This event has been recognized by OPHEA (Ontario Physical & Health Education Association) as a fun way to promote physical activity during Education Week.

The Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board serves approximately 17,100 students each day at 46 elementary and 8 secondary schools. Supporting student achievement is the goal of approximately 1,800 teaching and support staff who, in addition to the contributions of caring volunteers and community partners, share their passion for teaching and learning. The district covers a wide geographical area of 7,221 square kilometres bordered by Maynooth to the north, Deseronto to the east, Prince Edward County to the south and Quinte West to the west.

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For more information, contact:
• Kerry Donnell, Communications Officer, (613) 966-1170 or 1 800 267-4350, extension 2354