anna dunn
8th-12th Grade, DeKalb School of the Arts
DeKalb County Schools
Anna Dunn has worked as the DeKalb School of the Arts’ (DSA) Ballet Mistress since 2006. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Ms. Dunn directs the school’s annual Nutcracker in a Nutshell and the Spring Ballet. She also serves as the Community Arts Liaison connecting DSA with opportunities in the broader community and working with students and staff to advocate for the arts. Dunn received her Master’s in Arts Administration from Goucher College and her Bachelor’s in Dance Education from Winthrop University. She is proud to be a registered teacher with the prestigious Royal Academy of Dance in London, England.
Project:
Raising the Barre: Increasing Rigor and Access for Winter Dance Concert
The centerpiece of this project is a week-long residency with a nationally significant dance artist. During the week, the artist will teach master classes for every student enrolled in the Dance Technique program. In the evenings, they will teach open classes for the community and set a dance piece for the school's famous Winter Dance Concert. This event attracts enormous attention and support of the school's programming. In addition to the public performances and free community master classes, the school offers a free outreach performance for children in the community who have less access to the arts. Projects funds will also be used to provide "Pointe Shoe Scholarships" for dance students needing financial assistance. This would enable students to advance to a higher level of ballet technique.
“Raising the Barre” will increase the rigor of coursework and performance repertoire, increase access to opportunities for students who could not afford to pursue them without financial assistance, raise the profile of DeKalb School of the Arts in the community, and increase access to arts opportunities in the community.