JDPP's Moving Matters! Residencies are founded in the belief that the arts can and do make a difference in the lives of children and adults—opening up worlds of self-knowledge and awareness, expanding cognative skills and providing tools for living. A particular focus of Moving Matters! Residences is to reach out to underserved populations, whether at schools, community centers, or state correctional facilities. JDPE's innovative approach integrates movement with the program participants' own personal writings and artwork in an effort to enlarge their expressive vocabulary and consequently improve their language and communication skills.

JDPP Inc.’s most noted long-term residency to date is the Moving Matters! Parkville Community School Residency, now entering its twelfth year. This program is a collaboration between JDPP, Inc., Parkville Community School, the Montessori Magnet School at the Learning Corridor and Trinity College, and integrates the children’s study of movement with the language arts program. Trinity College students assist the teaching artists and become special mentors, friends, and role models to the children. A large scale performance at Trinity College involving 300 children and Trinity students culminates the residency.

This residency is coordinated by JDPE Associate Artistic Director, Kathy Borteck Gersten.
"You want to see my students happy? Come here when the dance residency is happening and you see smiles, especially from the students who find it difficult to succeed." - Parkville Community School teacher

JDPP, Inc offes a varied menu of residency options—some accompanied by performances from JDPE's repertory of innovative performance works that confront contemporary issues. For more information about Moving Matters!, click here, or for a copy of our recent professionally published thirty-five page documentation on the history, philosophy and techniques of JDPP, Inc.’s residency, complete with photographs and a DVD, please click here.

"... a program gem ... a rare and compelling model" - Mitchell Korn, Artsvision.