On Thursday, middle schoolers gathered in the Lowell Center to kick-off DCD’s annual CommUNITY Day, a day to celebrate difference and belonging within our community. Head of school Allison Webster spoke about the significance of CommUNITY Day, and addressed the middle school students, emphasizing the pivotal role they have as leaders in contributing to their education, as well as fostering a compassionate and ethical community. She underscored the significance of understanding and valuing the varied backgrounds and perspectives within the school, noting that CommUNITY Day is the perfect opportunity to practice these skills.

Ms. Alphonse-Crean, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion then took the stage to welcome Visiting Arts Educator and Speaker Rodney Eric Lopez, who brings people together through the power of social dance. Featured in the hit documentary Mad Hot Ballroom, Mr. Lopez inspires and engages educators, students, and families to have joyful connection, while incorporating learning with fun, high energy, and easy-to-follow dance lessons, and presentations which explore the history and cultural impact of Latin and other vernacular dances.

Mr. Lopez began by sharing his love of dance, and how it came to be that he wears two different colored shoes, his signature element with a simple purpose— to make dance easy to learn, and fun! Mr. Lopez then introduced vernacular dance, and its power to unite people, and highlighted salsa as a prime example of a dance that relates to and fosters community. He explained that vernacular dances have developed naturally as part of the everyday culture within a particular community, and are usually learned without formal instruction. He then engaged students by inviting them to name popular social dances, and they enthusiastically contributed examples such as  “the floss,” “the griddy” the “boogiedown”, and “the moonwalk,” which Mr. Lopez then connected to contemporary culture. He further discussed the deep influence of music on mood and mindset, emphasizing the fundamental relationship between music and dance. Mr. Lopez then highlighted the history of Latin vernacular dance and its significance In 20th-century New York City. He explained how diverse communities of African and Puerto Rican descent cultivated economic, social, and artistic opportunities through shared music and dance, allowing people of all backgrounds to connect, communicate, and collaborate, using dance as cultural expression and a remedy for cultural oppression. He went on to emphasize that dance allowed people to make real human connections.

As a finale, Mr. Lopez got the middle school students on their feet with great music and dancing! Middle schoolers were up and moving, having a great time learning simple dance steps— which was the perfect start to CommUNITY day at DCD! After this engaging session with Mr. Lopez, middle school students participated in various workshops throughout the day, designed to further explore themes of community, diversity, and inclusion. Workshops and Facilitators included:

  • Creating a DCD Mural with visiting artist Alexis Iammarino 
  • “Handprint Project” with Ms. Tran
  • Dance with Rodney Eric Lopez
  • “Understanding Your Strengths and How to Use Them” with Ms. Webster 
  • “Bravery and Courage” with Mr. Edie 
  • “Sports Equipment and Apparel for Girls” with Mrs. Gage and Ms. Sara Falkson (’14)
  • “The Bionic Project” with special guests Lisa Hughes and her film crew from WBZ-TV, following the Bionic Project
  • “Jar of Kindness” with Ms. Sandefur, and Tiana Sandefur (‘22)
  • “Financial Life Skills” with Ms. Cavan 
  • “SpeakOut Boston Panel” with SpeakOut Boston
  • “Guided Meditation” with Mrs. Duggan
  • “Joy of Journaling” with Mr. Jackson
  • “Fast Fashion, Mending, and Environmental Justice” with Ms. Kaelin
  • “Zine Making Workshop” with Ms. McFarland
  • “Girls and Women’s Advancement” with Ms. Liebhoff

CommUNITY Day continued into the evening for the adult community at DCD, where parents, faculty and staff convened to mix and mingle over drinks and great food, and to enjoy an engaging evening with Rodney Eric Lopez, who illuminated the interconnectedness of cultures through the art of dance. Mr. Lopez’s presentation emphasized the unifying power of dance— how social dance fosters community, and creates unique opportunities for intergenerational connection. He emphasized that dance is a vital form of expression with purpose, making it the most democratic of all art forms, and articulated three fundamental reasons why dance is so important— it builds compassion, creates connection and instills confidence, all of which are invaluable life skills. He emphasized the essential role of dance and movement in life and education, challenging the audience to incorporate more dance into their lives and the lives of their children. This challenge led to a lively and engaging dance instruction session, where participants learned basic merengue steps, including “green light,” “red light,” “pancakes,” and “burned pancakes,” culminating in a spirited “button-shaking” dance session! The evening served as a powerful demonstration for the adults at DCD, stepping outside our comfort zones, so that we can encourage our children and students to do the same, and it was an incredible evening filled with great spirits, laughter, and so much fun!

DCD’s CommUNITY evening was created many years ago, to celebrate our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, and was a product of DCD’s Diversity Committee, made up of faculty, staff, parents and Board Members, and has been part of the DCD slate of events for close to a decade! Some of our past speakers have included Rosetta Lee, Dr. Liza Talusan, Dr. Howard Stevenson, Dr. Mahzarin Banaji, Author Jennifer De Leon, Author Rajani LaRocca, and Broadway photographer Michael Kushner.

 Knowing that there are many things middle students grapple with around identity and diversity, three DCD teachers, Sra. Andrade-de León, Ms. Tran and Ms. Levi came together in the spring of 2021 to create a special day of activities just for middle school students. The goal was to open lines of communication and peer to peer understanding around these issues. With much student input and planning, this first day was called “DCD Inside and Out”, and is now known as CommUNITY day for middle school students.

Dedham Country Day is strongly committed to building and ensuring a sense of community in which every member is safe, valued, and treated with dignity. We believe that a broad range of experiences and viewpoints enhances learning and enriches life. A huge thank you to Rodney Eric Lopez, Ivy Alphonse-Crean, Kathryn Novicki and the Advancement Office, Phil Holden and the Facilities team, and ALL of the visiting workshop facilitators, and DCD faculty facilitators for this unforgettable event!