Eva Powers is on a mission. The former dancer and choreographer conducts workshops statewide and nationally to help teachers integrate dance into the classroom.

"Children naturally want to move," says Powers, chair and associate professor, Maggie Allesee Department of Dance, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts, Wayne State University. "Why not channel that energy in a positive way?"

The concept of using dance to enhance learning is not new. Powers herself learned about it when she first came to Wayne State almost 30 years ago. She learned the techniques from Ann Zirulnik, former dance department chair and her mentor. Excited about the opportunity to combine her two loves -dancing and working with children - Powers began traveling to schools throughout Michigan, meeting with preschool through seventh-grade teachers. The techniques she teaches have been used successfully in schools throughout the state, including Bloomfield Hills, Pontiac, Detroit Country Day and Hamtramck.

Working with students and teachers, she takes subjects like math, science and social studies and relates them to dance. Working from a creative point of view, she reinforces concepts like space, energy, time and force. Students throw crepe paper and streamers in the air and move to the music. They don't just learn the concepts, but experience it with their bodies. "It's not about ballet or tap. It's about creative movement, which is very different," she says.

And the lessons stick. "Any time you carry over a concept from one subject to another subject, students begin to understand better," Powers says. She remembers an incident with a second-grader in Pontiac. The class had planted bean sprouts in jars. After the winter break, the sprouts had grown so rapidly that they filled up the jars. "The teacher said to the class, 'Look at how the bean sprouts have filled up the jars. There's no more space in the jars.' One student responded 'That's not true. Look at all the negative space between the roots,'" she says. The term negative space is one that Powers uses in her workshops.

Outside of art classes schools don't provide children with the opportunity to be truly artistic and creative. "Dance brings out the magic in some children that other classroom activities don't," she says. "If we don't give children the opportunity to get in touch with feelings and emotions - flowing the arms freely with soft, gentle movements, jabbing them with hard strong movements and then back to soft, gentle movements - especially the boys, where will they experience it?"

When given the opportunity, Powers has found boys to be extremely creative: "It gives boys a safe opportunity to be expressive and not get laughed at. They get lost in the movement and the music."

Powers is looking forward to new opportunities to bring dance into schools. The Bush administration has added art to the core curriculum. This means the arts will now get funding on equal footing with other core subjects. I n the past, the arts competed against science and math for funding.

"Schools are scrambling to integrate art into their curriculum. It's finally legitimate to have dance teachers in the school," Powers says. "I'm really passionate about working with children. I love working with them. They're so uninhibited, fresh, and daring."

The Wayne State University College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts is educating the next generation of visual artists, musicians, communication professionals and professional actors and dancers. The college offers 16undergraduate and 12 graduate programs in Art and Art History, Communication, Dance, Music and Theatre with students benefiting from expert faculty and excellent resources such as the nationally recognized Hilberry Theatre.

Fast Facts

• Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
• Current Residence: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
• Education: Bachelor's in Dance Education, University of Michigan
• Master's in Theatre, Wayne State University
• Years Teaching at WSU: 29
• Career Highlights: As director of the WSU Dance Company produced ON STAGE! Dance Performances for Children, the Annual Spring Dance Concert and a touring concert
• Principal dancer with the Edward Weiss Ensemble
• Choreographed and performed in Menu Chatter at Kaleidoscope of Dance
• Choreographed and performed in Nonsuch at the American College Dance Festival
• Performed Earth Dances and Man I Can at the Annual Spring Dance Concert at the Bonstelle Theatre
• Founding member of Michigan Dance Council
• Serves on Board of Directors of the American College Dance Festival and the Michigan Youth Arts Festival
• Published Work: "The Michigan Dance Community has a voice again!" Concerned Citizens for the Arts in Michigan
• Edits and publishes Michigan Dance Council Newsletter
• Ballet: The Tradition of Cecchetti, a video documentary
• Hobbies/Interests: Certified master teacher/trainer in the Stott Pilates method, a form of body conditioning used by dancers worldwide