Teaching youths dance

Chicago Tribune | Letter to the Editor by Linda Swayze

Teaching youths dance

I grew up on the South Side of Chicago, surrounded by a community rich in arts and culture. My mother, a self-taught painter, spent her afternoons painting still lifes while music played from our record player — and I would dance. Her creative spirit shaped who I am.

I trained formally in dance here in Chicago before spending 17 years performing with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Today, as director of community engagement at The Joffrey Ballet, I work to make dance accessible to young people across our city.

Recently, an important question appeared in Tribune Opinion: What is the state of Chicago’s youths?

Part of the answer lies in how we nurture youths’ creativity and value the arts in their education and development.

At the Joffrey, our community engagement programs serve about 1,000 students annually across 30 Chicago public schools. Through dance, students learn discipline, creative expression and collaboration. They develop problem-solving skills, build confidence and gain tools that serve them for any path they choose.

Research supports what we see in our classrooms and studios. Creativity flourishes when students are encouraged to explore and express their ideas. Critical thinking grows through analyzing movement and structure. Making art strengthens emotional intelligence, fine motor skills and academic focus. Exposure to diverse traditions builds cultural awareness.

The evidence is clear: The arts are a foundation for achievement, not a luxury to cut when budgets shrink. The arts equip young people to face challenges and imagine a future for themselves. In a city where many are forced to grow up too fast, the arts offer a way forward.

This year, we’re deepening our understanding of that impact. In partnership with the Kellogg School of Management’s Golub Capital Board Fellows Program, the Joffrey is working with the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab to measure the real-world effects of our dance programming. With access to 400 CPS schools, this study will collect data during the 2025-26 season on how arts engagement influences academic performance, emotional well-being, social development and cultural awareness. We’re committed to putting real numbers behind what we already know to be true.

Dance builds stronger, more confident and more resilient young people. With research and evidence, we aim to prove what we witness every day. A better Chicago means giving everyone the chance to be seen, heard and celebrated. And the arts make that possible.

If we want a stronger Chicago, we must lead with the arts. Our young people are worth it.

— Linda Swayze, Director of Community Engagement, The Joffrey Ballet