The company’s education programs reach students of all ages through assemblies and performances, workshops, and residencies in schools around Southern California.

We welcome the opportunity to develop and sustain new partnerships to serve students of all ages and abilities with the joy and art of dance and creative movement in classrooms, multi-purpose rooms, in- and out-of-the-studio and in alternative spaces. The company's long-term dance education partners include Segerstrom Center for the Arts, The McCallum Theater, Orange County Department of Education, City of Santa Ana, Parks Recreation and Community Services Agency, City of Newport Beach Arts Commission, and Chapman University.

Curricular Connections

Our engaging and diverse dance education programs connect to 21st century career and readiness skills. Workshops, assemblies and residencies focus on national and State of California dance and common-core standards across the curriculum (STEAM) and English Language Arts, socio-emotional learning (SEL) and universal design for learning (UDL) choreographic principles and team-building skills which expand imagination, build character skills and communication abilities, build confidence, and health and wellness for all ages.

New! Dance for kindness assembly

In a 45-55 minute education program, Backhausdance company members perform a new work incorporating themes of acts of kindness, human connection, anti bullying, empathy and respect for each other, our families, and the world. Students participate throughout the assembly and have a kinesthetic experience, learning the meaning of kindness and how to express themselves in a positive way through movement and creativity. Students will see how different levels and movements can convey specific messages and tell a story. Question and answer session with dancers included.

New! The Planets: The Dance (Gustav Holst) 

Backhausdance performs The Planets set to Gustav Holst’s musical movement suite by the same name. With fluidity and strength, dancers traverse the musical landscapes of Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter and Neptune. Steeped in choreographer Jennifer Backhaus’ detailed and meticulously sculpted style and imbued with her refined yet playful sense of whimsy, The Planets brings us an elegant and seamless fusion of classical and contemporary dance that will excite young and old. The corps perform in solos, duets, trios, and full ensemble, as they explore different levels through reach, lifts, leaps, and floor work. Among the many choreographic tools employed are canon, unison, accumulation, and replacement. Jennifer Backhaus emphasizes contrasts between the different movements of Holst's dynamic work, her choreography by turns percussive and slashing or fluid and tranquil – and the dancers' bodies respond to what they hear.

Backhausdance Meets Vivaldi - A Journey Through the Four Seasons 

Originally commissioned by McCallum Theater Education for Backhausdance performs Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, written around 1723, as the dancers fluidly move through spring, summer, autumn and winter in this full-length work that juxtaposes harmony and invention. Each season has an ensemble movement for six dancers and then a movement danced by a smaller number of dancers. In Spring there will be a trio, in Summer a duet, in Fall a quartet and in Winter a solo. This assembly is rich in movement exploring positive and negative space, initiated by contact, with shapes and movement generated by weight sharing. Some parts are choreographed to closely visualize the music, whereas others offer up contrast of movement and music. The space is generously explored from high to low levels and everything in between with dancers reaching, rolling and collapsing. Students are invited to participate and ask questions after the performance.

ARTS TEACH

RESIDENCIES

Residencies are multiple session workshop series of 4 or more classes or sessions that around the themes of the residency title. These sessions highlight the basic elements of dance (body, action, space, time, energy), creativity, and choreography. For preK-12, residencies are made to integrate with the curricular concepts they’re learning in school. Residencies can be customized for adults & senior/community groups.

NEW! Dance for Kindness residency

Students of all ages and abilities focus on the art and elements of dance as creative expression, socio-emotional learning, empathy, character development and education, anti-bullying, combined with STEAM and English/Language Arts curricular connections. Includes teacher planning and evaluation sessions. Customized for each school based on specific needs and school goals for a 6-12 week period. Recommended to include school assembly.

NEW! Dance Expressions: Creativity and Choreography

Throughout a 6 to 12-week period, students will experiment with movement dynamics, explore basic locomotor skills, and increase their spatial awareness in a weekly 45-minutes hour class. Students will thrive in a safe environment while participating in the creation and performance of original dance works.

THE INCANDESCENT EXPERIENCE

Backhausdance's 72-minute work Incandescent is designed to actively engage local dancers of all levels and ages. Through a series of workshops, the Chorus members work directly with company dancers and Artistic Director Jennifer Backhaus to learn, rehearse, and ultimately, perform the dance live on stage.

Here is a highlight video of our latest installment of The Incandescent Experience featuring students from Chapman University, Irvine Valley College, Orange County School of the Arts and local Orange County and Palm Desert studios.

ARTS TEACH