Who could forget last May’s news story on the troubled elementary school transformed by administrators’ decision to decrease security and hire more arts teachers? Those inspiring results just scratch the surface of topics covered in the latest report from the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO).

Evidence: A Report on The Impact of Dance in the K–12 Setting compiles research from over 200 documents discussing dance’s impact on classroom learning in the 21st century. The findings point to dance’s benefits in improving brain performance and cognition, increasing test scores, lowering drop-out rates, improving emotional well-being and boosting morale. In short, Evidence is a handy compilation of scientific proof that we need dance in K–12 classrooms.

Ready to begin advocating for dance in your local schools? Educate yourself with the full report at ndeo.org.

Photo by John Spicer, courtesy of San Francisco Ballet