Based in Berkeley, California, Luna Dance & Creativity was “Established in 1992 as Luna Kids Dance, and later known as Luna Dance Institute, Luna Dance & Creativity is a nationally recognized dance education organization, providing services to children and the adults who impact their lives – parents, teachers, social service providers, dancers, and artists. As we bring all children to dance, we develop future leaders, choreographers, and visionaries.” Luna Dance & Creativity
By creating this inclusive organization, its founder, Co-Executive Director Patricia Reedy, was responding to the aftermath of the Loma Prieta earthquake and at the height of the AIDS crisis. It was a direct response to the displacement and devastation within the dance community from those devastating disasters which took place concurrently. After moving nine times in 30 years, Luna now has a permanent home. “From two new state-of-the-art dance studios, to a library and research center, to an ADA-accessible elevator, our building has the capacity to support all our children and family programming and hold space for teachers and artists to be in collaboration with each other.” Luna website.
Luna Dance & Creativity – Photo courtesy of Luna.
According to their website, Luna Dance & Creativity is California’s only dance school which focuses exclusively on creativity, choreography, and teaching. Their dance education program for 2025-2026 focus on “children and families, the educators, artists, caregivers, and agencies that serve them.” These programs include Studio Lab for children, teens, families and adults to engage in self-exploration and collaboration; Professional Learning which aids artists and teachers throughout all stages of their creative journeys; Field Moving, a program that motivates artists to bring people together in their communities; Partners for Change includes Moving Parents and Children Together (MPACT); Early Childhood focusing on early childhood dance and so much more.
Luna Dance & Creativity Family Dance – Photo by Becky Villasenor.
Luna is not the typical dance school that is modeled after a conservatory where dance students learn numerous dance techniques and styles. What the students learn at Luna, however, can be applied to many traditional, contemporary, and cultural dance forms.
According to Co-Executive Director Nancy Ng, “Luna was founded to support the choreographer and dance-maker in every child. Choreographers research, inquire, and investigate their world through dance. They make meaning, communicate, create, and express through their art form. The children and youth in Luna’s Studio Lab program do the same. Children’s natural propensities to learn through movement, curiosity, and imagination are honored.”
Luna Ribbon Cutting Family Dance – Photo by Villasenor.
Last year, Luna supported 1,894 teachers, artists, and caregivers, at least 28,975 students, 4,056 with disabilities and special needs, and 130 families from eleven counties across the country including Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma. The other states whose families have participated in programs offered by Luna Dance & Creativity are Arizona, Idaho, Tennessee, Alabama, Hawaiʻi, and New York.
New this year are Luna’s Family Dance Film Festival and Creativity Street Fair on Potter Street between 7th and 9th Streets, featuring live music and dance with local artists, and Berkeley’s finest arts and craft vendors and businesses. For more information, contact John-Mario Sevilla at jmsevilla@lunadancecreativity.org or 510-883-1118.
Here is what others had said about Luna Dance & Creativity
“Luna Dance and Creativity holds a unique perspective on dance learning as a fundamentally creative act. After a recent visit to their new home, I was deeply impressed by their commitment to both teaching and ongoing research. Beautiful and accessible dance spaces offer soaring hope for the future of a holistic approach to dance learning through the immense curiosity and authentic movement responses of children. I wish I lived in the area to take full advantage of this amazing community of expert teachers and empowered learners,” said New York dance artist and educator Catherine Gallant.
Luna Dance & Creativity – Photo courtesy of Luna.
“[At Luna] I experienced a fundamental shift in perspective: I came to understand dance not just as a joyful expression of movement, but as a vital cognitive, communicative, and sensory experience — one that can be leveraged to help atypical learners connect more fully with their learning, their peers, their communities, and themselves. Luna’s grounding in child development theory was especially impactful in my work with autistic students and those who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The program helped me see how dance can build symbolic understanding — a cornerstone of both language and literacy — by providing a rich, embodied context for learning both concrete and abstract concepts.” Rebecca Prather, Speech-Language Pathologist, Field Supervisor, Cal State University East Bay.
Nicole Ripley, parent: “Their approach to teaching dance is immersive, inquiry-based, experiential, and about inviting kids to explore their curiosities and express themselves through movement…. It’s pedagogically very aligned to our play-based, immersive approach…. As a former arts educator, I feel like I’ve found a true gem in the East Bay…. They also have a gorgeous new space just off of Ashby.”
Luna Dance & Creativity – open shape – Photo courtesy of Luna
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See who is on the Luna Dance & Creative faculty and staff.
For those interested in registering for classes and programs at Luna are invited to join their Open House on Saturday, August 23, 10am-12pm.
Fall term: September 6 through November 22, Spring term: January 13 through June 13 Days, times, and tuition vary.
Register here for kids classes ages 3-11 years.
For more information about Luna Dance & Creativity, please visit their website. (510) 883-1118.
Mailing Address: 1831 Solano Avenue #7788, Berkeley, CA 94707
Physical Address: 931 Ashby Ave, Berkeley, CA 94710
Written by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Luna Dance & Creativity – Photo courtesy of Luna.
Thanks LA Dance Chronicle and Jeff for featuring Luna, a rare, unique dance education organization that is dedicated foremost to creativity, community, and equity, where everybody is welcome, all bodies can dance, create, and learn. It’s our human right.