For the first time, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District will be offering dance at all of its high school campuses, made possible by an endowment from For The Arts, part of the Education Foundation of the school district.
For The Arts is giving $20,000 yearly to the program, which will be run by Robert Gilliam, pictured. Gilliam is known for his urban contemporary dance style, which combines different dance techniques. He grew up in Watts and has danced and choreographed all over the world. Gilliam will be teaching approximately 250 high school students at three campuses – Santa Monica High School, Malibu High School and Olympic High School.
For the Arts Executive Director Linda Gross says, “We know that dance teaches discipline and self-confidence. We are committed to sustaining arts curriculum through our For The Arts endowment.”
According to Gross, For The Arts “is a community-wide effort to ensure that every student in our public schools receives a broad introduction to the arts, including music, visual arts, dance and drama, through the creation of a permanent endowment fund.”
