Minds In Motion Israel is a fully inclusive program open to all students, regardless of ability, with a dance curriculum that focuses on self-confidence, creative expression, and self-efficacy. It improves interpersonal skills by building on values of teamwork, interdependence, and empathy; and builds relationships across multiple levels: student to student, school to school, and community to community.

Minds In Motion Israel is distinct from Richmond Ballet’s other MIM residencies, because it not only provides dance education during the school day, but utilizes movement as a platform to create opportunity for cross-cultural encounter at a young age.

In Israel, the education system is divided into separate school streams: Jewish students learn in Hebrew, while Arab students learn in Arabic. Even though the children often live within close proximity, they rarely meet each other. This lack of interaction fosters stereotypes and prejudices, which further entrench the growing cultural divide. Minds In Motion Israel fills the need for positive connection by using the shared language of movement as a platform for students to meet, learn, and create together. By partnering Jewish and Arab schools from neighboring communities in a shared residency, Minds In Motion Israel is able to cultivate relations not only between Jewish and Arab students, but also between their teachers, schools, and broader communities.

Since its inception, Minds In Motion Israel has doubled its reach and expanded its participating partnered schools. Each pair of partnered schools provides a two-week residency, with 45 minutes of professional dance training daily, during school hours. After one week of separate classes, students use their new skills to meet and engage with the students from the partnered school. Following combined rehearsals, students perform in shared final performances in both communities. Minds In Motion Israel also provides additional programming such as English learning workshops through movement, cross-cultural encounter preparation workshops, and facilitated activities and icebreakers connected to subjects focused on shared community and environment.