Dance Uplifts

The goal of The Wooden Floor’s community engagement program Dance Uplifts is to uplift young people by sharing what we have learned through 42 years of creative youth development and provides us with an opportunity to spread our values of Excellence, Respect, Community, and Stewardship into the greater community. The Wooden Floor helps children develop important life skills through our somatic-based, modern dance approach, which we call The Wooden Floor 6 Cs: Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Character, and Courage – skills necessary to succeed in school and in life which are transferrable to the 21st Century workforce, and beyond. 

Over six weeks, the following gains were measured: 

• I am very comfortable expressing my feelings, successes, and challenges: 11% increase  

• I am good at working with others and feel confident sharing my own ideas: 9.5% increase  

• I am very comfortable sharing my original thoughts and ideas with others: 7.7% increase  

History of Dance Uplifts 

In Spring 2024, The Wooden Floor piloted a new afterschool modern dance community engagement program called Dance Uplifts for 9 school sites in the Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD). Due to its resounding success as measured through pre- and post-test assessments, GGUSD expanded Dance Uplifts to 18 school sites in Academic Year 2024-2025 and will expand again to 24 school sites in the 2025-2026 academic year. 

The long-term goal is to expand the community engagement program within GGUSD, and to additional school districts in North Orange County. 

The Wooden Floor’s Mission 

The Wooden Floor’s mission is to inspire and transform the lives of young people through the power of dance and access to higher education. Our goal is to teach young people what it takes to succeed in school and in life. Our long-term vision is to break the cycle of poverty through generational change. Since 2005, 100% of our year-round, after-school program students who graduate from The Wooden Floor complete high school on time and enroll in higher education. By changing the trajectory of their lives, they create a ripple effect, acting as change agents within their families and our community. 

Our Ethos – Dance is the Answer™ 

We believe Dance is the Answer. Dance moves our youth. Forward. We love dance. It’s powerful. It has the ability to encourage our youth to think differently about themselves, to push through obstacles, and emerge as strong and confident leaders. The Wooden Floor’s somatic-based, modern dance approach can be profoundly beneficial for children, as it integrates movement, sensory awareness, and emotional regulation in ways that support their unique needs. In these ways, The Wooden Floor’s somatic-based dance offers a holistic approach to supporting the physical, emotional, and social development of children who participate in our programs.

Students in the Garden Grove Unified School District participate in Dance Uplifts in 2024. ©The Wooden Floor 2024

What our students and partners say: 

Third and fourth grade participants self-assessed before and after our six-week Dance Uplifts programs in Academic Year 2024-2025.  

When asked, “What did you learn in these dance classes that you can use to help you in school or life?” the students shared: 

• To be brave. 

• To ask for help if you need it. 

• I learned to never give up on your dreams. 

Teachers and administrators consistently give praise for The Wooden Floor’s outreach programs: 

“A boy who struggles with expressing himself came to me with a smile to say he really enjoyed dance.” 

“Our students rarely have a chance to express themselves creatively and they were excited to have the freedom to express themselves.” 

  Recent Awards and Recognition highlights for The Wooden Floor: 

• Orange County Business Journal, Best Places to Work Award, 2025, 2024, 2023 and 2018  

• Garden Grove Unified School District, Heroes Award 2024  

• Ovation TV and Charter Communication, Stand for the Arts Award, 2021

• Afterschool Alliance and New York Life, AIM High Award 2018 and 2021 

Contact Dawn S. Reese, Chief Executive Officer of The Wooden Floor
to learn more and discuss ways to partner.