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In Conversation: New Paths For Education with Teagan Hill

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Ballet & Books Marketing Director, Dominique Turner, sat down with Education Director Teagan Hill to discuss how non-traditional paths to education may be the answer for the next generation of students and teachers alike.


Teagan began as the Education Director in 2024
Teagan began as the Education Director in 2024

Dominique Turner: Hi Teagan, welcome to In Conversation! Let’s start with an easy question: Tell us about yourself and what brought you to Ballet & Books. 


Teagan Hill: Hi Dominique! I’m so excited to share more about my experience and time with this amazing organization. It probably makes the most sense to start at the beginning. I was homeschooled alongside my little sister until I was 11, but my parents were often unavailable in the day-to-day, which left me to help her with lots of our learning activities. We invented various games to learn– most incorporating movement and dance. When I went to school, however, I found a traditional classroom was pretty different from the curriculum we were taught and shaped ourselves. What stood out to me, even as a child, was the lack of concern for student experience that I witnessed at length. 


By the time I went to college, I decided that I wanted to bring the public education system closer to the engaging experience I had early on in my educational journey. During my sophomore year, I searched for volunteer opportunities within my community and came across Ballet & Books. I was drawn to Ballet & Book’s emphasis on an arts education, and it reminded me how much musical theater, specifically, was integral to my education. There was not a branch at my university, so instead I joined Duke University’s chapter. In 2023, I joined Ballet & Books’ Executive Board and after finishing my internship with the organization, decided to join full-time.  


DT: That’s interesting because in the United States, we are often so focused on the traditional forms of education and learning. What about your “untraditional” educational background drew you to study education in college and perhaps pursue a career in this space? 


TH: I think that I had such a shift in my learning experience when I moved from learning at home to learning in a public school, it was truly shocking. Seeing so many classmates dismissed by the teachers, instead of being supported, really made me feel that change was needed.. I wanted to be part of that change, and for me, that meant learning what it takes to be a good educator. Knowledge is power, and it opens up so many doors for us. I want to expand how it is being offered to children of all ages, and I couldn’t do that effectively without learning about education (and the educational system) itself. 


DT: And in your opinion, what’s so powerful about an arts-focused education? What long-term impacts have you seen because of it? 


TH: An arts-focused education can be such a powerful experience for kids because it allows them to be creators, harnessing that innate boundary-pushing spirit they have. In the arts, we see the broadest range of expectations for children and they are so much less likely to be bound by a strict set of standards. An arts-focused education embraces diversity of thought and encourages children to explore the traits that make them unique. When we blend it with more traditional education, we tie the growth of their knowledge to tangible concepts they can see on stage or portray through their bodies. 


Dance in particular allows children to ground themselves in their bodies and become infinitely more aware of it as they discover how to maneuver in a space that is often crowded with other people. By linking their education with an empowering activity, I believe we make it more exciting, engaging, and memorable. Not to mention, they also reap the benefits associated with the arts themselves. I've seen many children who struggled with staying still and quiet in a traditional classroom setting absolutely thrive at the intersection of arts and education. This environment has opened doors for long-term learning and growth that might have been harder for them to achieve without the intentional blending of both fields.


DT: Changing gears a bit, what’s a misconception or a myth about education and working with today’s youth that you want to disprove or shed more light on?


TH: I’ve actually got two things for this one! But I think they’re mirrors of each other. 


The first is that some kids are simply ‘bad students.’ I can’t stand this one! Anyone who is experienced with kids can tell you that there is such a range of personalities, that it can be incredibly stifling to stuff them into a box and label them. For example, kids who are rambunctious and call out joke answers may be bored with the material and need more stimulating lessons. Kids who are frightened to speak in front of groups of people may shine in one-on-one interactions where they can communicate without impediment. We should focus on meeting the child where they are, and learning about their strengths. As a community, that’s how we will see the most effective growth and it creates a level of trust in the classroom.  


It’s also a misconception that it takes a specific set of “special skills" to be an educator. Don’t get me wrong, our teachers are extremely talented, patient, and empathetic– skills not everyone can possess. However, I think many parents are intimidated by this and as a result don’t engage in learning activities with their children because they feel as if they don’t meet the necessary “requirements” of being an educator, but this simply isn’t true. Jargon and scholarship does not make an effective educator- curiosity and a willingness to engage does. Anybody is capable of making a profound impact in the lives of children, if they do it with care and intention, and I believe that Ballet and Books empowers college students to learn just that.


DT: At Ballet & Books (as you know) we’re forward-looking and are focused on how education is evolving. What’s something you’re looking forward to implementing and working on? 


TH: My ‘big project’ that I’m working on right now is a sort of database of resources and advice for mentors who experience anything less than smooth sailing. Mentors can run into a variety of road bumps, from a child refusing to stop their drawing or a group getting increasingly rowdy as class goes on. To address this, I want to provide our mentors with a resource that answers their questions on what they can do in these scenarios to engage effectively with the child. Even if it means they’re changing elements of their plan to accommodate the child, I want them to know that it’s okay and we are here to help guide them through that situation.  


DT: I love that, and I think that shift in how we instead take time to understand a child and their behaviors instead of being quick to judge is an important part of the puzzle. So back to an arts education, I have to ask because before we began you told me you were a theater kid, what is your favorite play or musical (or both) of all time? 


TH: It has to be Once on This Island. I am completely incapable of seeing that show and not dissolving into tears by the end. It has amazing music, choreography, and some of the sets and props that I saw when I got to see it on Broadway(!!!) were spectacular. 


DT: I’m nerding out right now with you because I also saw that show on Broadway and was in awe! So, I’ll end with what could be a controversial question. If you could revive any show, what would it be and what would be your creative spin on it, or what would you change?

 

TH: Honestly, I feel like this answer changes weekly, but my current answer is going to be Newsies. I can’t help it, it’s invigorating, inspiring, and has such music that practically begs to be danced to. I would update it with a mixed-gender cast, no need to have all male newsies anymore, and I would change Jack’s role to be female (yes yes possibly just for the chance of me finally playing my dream role of Jack Kelly). The music and the harmonies just stir me up!


DT: I’m sold on you as Jack Kelly, we have to make that happen! Thank you so much for sitting down with me, Teagan! Is there anything else you’d like to leave us with? 


TH: Just the idea that all kids are good learners, especially when you meet them where they’re at. Additionally, all people can be good educators if they listen with care and attention. Ballet & Books is empowering people in both these areas, and I am so proud to be a part of its mission.

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