Bridging Youth Divides Through the Arts

An Interview with Emili Danz

Emili Danz is the Education Outreach Director at CLARA Studios in Sacramento. She grew up in Placerville, earned a degree in Theatre at the University of Southern California and is working with several organizations in El Dorado County to bridge divides through the arts.  This interview was conducted by Ken Futernick in February, 2024.

Ken: Before you describe how the arts can bridge divides, can you talk about the challenges you have observed in the young people you work with and the lingering effects of the pandemic?
Emili: The pandemic has had varying effects depending on the age of the children. I think with elementary aged students, we're seeing a lot of regression, immature behavior, and a lot less body and emotional control. But what’s more concerning to me are the middle school and high school students. Many of them seem to feel quite lost - lost in their own identity and unsure about what their future may hold. This has led to a noticeable regression in self-confidence, ability to foster and maintain friendships, and a struggle to advocate for the support they so desperately need and deserve.

I think the pandemic put a giant pause button on all of our lives, but especially for teens and youth at a time when they're already wondering what the future holds for them. Many are trying to figure out who they are and why they matter. Recently, for example, I was working with a cohort of 10 high school students at the very beginning of the pandemic. During the year I spent with them, 4 of the 10 attempted suicide. Fortunately, we were able to provide them with the supports and encouragement to find renewed purpose in their lives, but the experience gave me a first-hand glimpse of the deep challenges they were facing and a better understanding of why they no longer felt the desire to live. It came down to, “I don't know what I bring to this world…I don't know why I matter…I don't know if anyone cares.” Because of this sense of hopelessness, we have shifted all of our arts programs to helping students discover the best versions of themselves, helping them learn what makes them unique and what gives them a reason for getting up every day.

Ken: What arts education programs do you offer at CLARA?
Emili: Our year-round outreach programs are known as “CLARA Classroom,” which consists of three programs. With “Clara Classroom Live,” we bring professional teaching artists into over 100 elementary classrooms each week to provide direct instruction in dance, music, and theatre, with a focus on social emotional learning and the arts. “CLARA Classroom Virtual,” delivers the same teaching artist experience through an online video platform. This is a great, low-cost option for schools that don’t have access or funding to bring in a live teaching artist. It allows students to engage in high-quality arts learning without requiring the classroom teacher to have any prior experience in the arts. This program is being used by over 80,000 students across the greater Sacramento region, including some Districts and organizations in El Dorado County. Our third and newest program is “CLARA Classroom for Teachers,” which consists of TK through sixth-grade curriculum in dance, music and theatre that is designed for any elementary school teacher, including those who haven't had prior arts experience or training to teach performing arts in the elementary school classroom. The curriculum is aligned to all California Visual and Performing Arts standards and builds the foundational learning necessary so that students can successfully participate in the arts programs offered in middle and high school. 

Students participating in Clara Classroom LIVE

Ken: What do you hope to achieve with these programs?
Emili: Many people assume my purpose as an arts educator is to develop future artists. That has never been my goal. While my work focuses on the arts, my outcomes are not strictly arts-based. I believe that experience with the arts is one of the best tools to help people, especially young people, develop into the best humans possible. We see that with growth in self-confidence, communication, and collaboration with their peers. The performing arts not only builds community, it teaches the importance of accountability and commitment to that community. We hear from so many teachers that students are far more likely to attend school on the days they have a CLARA class. This is due, in part, because of their enjoyment and enthusiasm in participating, but also because they see themselves as a critical part of the group – and that their absence will have a direct impact on their peers. Students realize that when they have lines in a script, a partner to dance with, or a harmony in a song, their absence has a noticeable effect. These arts activities give students a reason to come to school. It gives them a creative outlet to express themselves and to shine. And, perhaps most importantly, it gives them a reason to feel like they're a part of something bigger than themselves - to feel valued by their peers. These experiences help students build confidence - confidence in public speaking; confidence that they have a voice that matters; that will be heard and respected by others in their classroom; that they can contribute creative ideas that will not be overlooked or dismissed.

Another aspect inherent in the arts is the opportunity for students to make mistakes. Children are so often taught what is “right vs. wrong” or graded on what is “good vs. bad.” Because the arts are inherently creative. Mistakes are a necessary part of the artistic process, and students often feel less pressure to have to be “perfect” or “right,” and they can base their sense of success more on the social and emotional outcomes of what feels good, what sounds good, what looks good, and the positive response from an applauding audience. 

In that creative process,  mistakes will inevitably be made. What we try to teach students is how to respond when this happens. Instead of being afraid of failure or embarrassed when something goes differently than planned, we teach students to see the mistake as an opportunity to learn and discover a new creative possibility. This is reinforced by support from peers who learn to offer encouragement and empathy – because they are all part of the same team, the same community. This relationship has incredible potential to be transferred outside of the classroom, as well, helping students learn to be open-minded, open-hearted citizens who value their community and their relationships within that community. 

I am reminded of a great moment a colleague shared with me a few years ago. She is an art professor at a local college and was explaining to her five year-old daughter that she was heading out the door to teach a painting class to her adult students. The five year-old responded, “Why? Did they forget how?” I love this story because the child was exactly right! Creativity is a uniquely human quality – every child is born believing that they can create. Young children all have a desire to move, to paint, to sing and drum, to play make-believe and tell stories. But then as we grow, society somehow strips us of this artistic confidence and we miss so many opportunities to nurture our creative potential. Re-discovering the artistic, creative side that we all naturally embody can directly impact our ability to come together, find common ground, and feel a sense of purpose and belonging. 

Students participating in Clara Classroom VIRTUAL

Ken: You mentioned earlier that you have brought some of your arts programming to El Dorado County. Can you describe what you are doing at the Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe?
Emili: Yes! Several exciting things are happening in the county. Several months ago, the executive director of the Boys and Girls Club reached out because many of their students are experiencing challenges similar to what we have witnessed in the Sacramento region: How do we get children, especially middle school and high school kids, to come together and find common interests and common goals? They have noticed an increasing number of students feeling socially isolated and lacking the skills to build meaningful relationships with their peers. They were looking for ways to create genuine, in-person human interaction.

When I first suggested that we could work towards solving this challenge through the arts, I sensed there was some interest and curiosity about that approach but a lack of clarity about what that would look like in practice. I provided a professional training with staff members at the Club to connect the dots between arts-based activities and social connection, followed by access to our CLARA Classroom Virtual platform. I recommended a variety of theatre-based improvisation games to begin developing better listening skills and participation among students. I also encouraged the staff to begin implementing weekly community circles to promote dialogue and conversation and to spark curiosity and genuine interest in their peers. I suggested that once the relationships begin to emerge, they could layer in arts-based activities from CLARA Classroom allowing them to work towards a common goal. That may come in the form of learning a traditional Ballet Folklorico dance where students with Mexican heritage might be able to share part of their culture; or, a music activity, where students collaborate with peers to compose a unique song or rhythm. 

Ken: What are you doing with educators in the Black Oak Mine School District in Georgetown?
Emili: The district currently focuses on social and emotional learning and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math). They recognize the value of the arts, but haven’t had access to many local professional teaching artists due to their remote location in the county. Here, again, I introduced them to the CLARA Classroom Virtual program, which allows them to bring  professional artists into their classroom without putting pressure on the teachers to have to learn these art forms. All of the lessons are taught directly by the teaching artist in the video, allowing teachers to learn alongside their students and model that they, too, can be vulnerable, make mistakes, and learn something new. It is amazing to watch the immediate change in a relationship when a student sees their teacher try something new and, sometimes, silly. 

I am currently providing their teachers with training on how best to maximize the impact of this program. I lead the teachers through a variety of the video lessons so that they can experience, first-hand, how fun and engaging the content will be for them and their students. Teachers complete the training session with a renewed sense of excitement and confidence in including the performing arts as part of their learning in the classroom. 

Ken: What are you working on with Arts and Culture El Dorado?
Emili: In my meetings with their leaders, I‘ve learned they want to serve a broad population—people in the more remote, rural areas that have historically lacked access to high-quality arts programming. We are also exploring ways to bring CLARA programming to other school districts and additional organizations that serve the county’s youth.

Ken: What does it mean to be able to bring arts education back to the county where you grew up?
Emili: El Dorado County is a really special place. And it was for me, as a child. I had life-changing experiences participating in the local community theatre, my high school theatre programs,  and a small ballet studio. I also participated in the incredible band programs that were offered from elementary school all the way through high school. While it's a small community, it's one that has had wonderful arts resources that enabled me to pursue the arts across the country as an adult. 

I also have to acknowledge how lucky and unique my experience was, compared to many other children. Both of my parents were educators who valued the arts. And, they knew how to get me enrolled and engaged in these arts experiences within the community.

Now, as an adult, I want to make sure that every child has access to the same experiences and opportunities. Even if they can't pay for afterschool dance classes, or can't be part of a community theatre production because rehearsals conflict with a parent's work schedule. That is why I've shifted my focus to the classroom because every child is required to go to school. And most of our programs occur during the regular instructional time – as a reminder to educators and parents that the arts are part of a well-rounded education that every child deserves. It is likely the thing that is going to make children want to get up every morning and go to school. And it's the thing that will give many of them confidence in who they are, why they matter, and what they can do with the special, unique qualities that they discover in themselves.

More information about CLARA and CLARA Classroom.