After 13 Years, Minds In Motion Ends in MHC

For 13 years Piedmont Arts has partnered with Richmond Ballet to bring Minds In Motion, an in-school movement program, to Martinsville and Henry County’s fourth grade students. Recently, Richmond Ballet informed Piedmont Arts that they would no longer be able to bring Minds In Motion to Martinsville and Henry County due to budgetary and staffing constraints of the ballet. 

 

“This has been an amazing program for our community with thousands of students benefitting and we regret seeing it come to an end,” said Piedmont Arts Education Coordinator Heidi Pinkston. “While the loss of Minds In Motion is disappointing, it is an opportunity for Piedmont Arts to look at its educational programming to see how we can reach even more students through the visual and performing arts.”

 

Piedmont Arts Executive Director Kathy Rogers agreed saying, “Minds In Motion is a phenomenal program that uses dance to teach discipline, teamwork and collaboration. We have enjoyed our long-running partnership with Richmond Ballet and truly hate to see this program end. The arts are so important in educating the whole child and research shows a clear connection between arts and academic achievement. We have to ask ourselves, ‘How can we provide more effective hands-on arts programming for area children?’ That’s the question we will be working to answer in the coming weeks.”

 

Minds In Motion reached all fourth graders in Martinsville City Public Schools, as well as Mt. Olivet and Sanville Elementary Schools in Henry County and those attending Carlisle School. In addition, students in fifth through eighth grade took part in advanced after-school programming through Minds In Motion’s Team XXL.

 

Over the years, Piedmont Arts has received generous support from many in the community for Minds In Motion, including Martinsville City Public Schools, individuals, corporations and Martinsville Speedway Children’s Foundation.

 

“We are so grateful to the City of Martinsville, Martinsville City Public Schools, Henry County Public Schools and the many others who have supported Minds In Motion over the years,” said Pinkston. “We hope we can continue to count on this kind of support for the current and future arts programming that Piedmont Arts brings to our community.”