Manhattanville College Dance Program Featured on PBS’s “Let’s Learn”

PURCHASE, NY, May 3 – Manhattanville College dance students and their professor will be featured on the PBS educational program “Let’s Learn” on May 25.

Professor and Program Director Shawn Bible developed the educational segment to teach kids math concepts after he was approached by PBS. “Let's Learn” helps children ages 3-8 with at-home learning.

Students Jessica Bessler, Danielle Chu, Alexa Rivera, and Paije Pasols and Bible worked together in the on-campus dance studio during January and filmed footage that illustrated concepts of spatial awareness and math. This was new territory, especially for Bible, who has taught college-aged students for his entire career as an educator.

Dance student Paije Pasols said it felt like a full circle moment. Pasols watched PBS frequently as a child and now believes “when you’re that young, your mind is so sculptable. It so cool that the roles are reversed and I, along with the rest of the dancers, get to be the ones who hopefully spark something for at least one kid.”

Senior dance student Jessica Bessler said the experience was “was very different, especially given our younger audience. It was an interesting process learning how your mannerisms, the colors you wear, and the way you speak effect younger viewers.’’

Senior Lexie Rivera said a Manhattanville course “Dance on Camera” helped her prepare for what to expect. “This project took it to the next level, but it helped to have that background to understand how everything works and what we needed to do to get great footage.”

Dance student Danielle Chu who has worked with youth groups in the community with the college's Clark Scholar volunteer program said she sees a natural connection between movement and education, and she is “grateful to be using dance to help educate my community... [it] provides a universal language for everyone to learn.”

Bible said it was “such a wonderful opportunity working with PBS. “Our dance majors are so professional, prepared, and represent Manhattanville to the highest caliber.”

The segment will air as part of episode 1211 (“There’s a Silent ‘e’ in Kite!”) on Thursday, May 25 in the WNET viewing area. The episode will also be available online at https://www.letslearn.org/epis... by May 5. To learn more about dance at Manhattanville, visit https://www.mville.edu/programs/dance.php.

About Manhattanville College

Manhattanville College is a small, private liberal arts institution dedicated to academic excellence, purposeful education, and social justice. For two years in a row, the U.S. News and World Report has ranked Manhattanville the number one private, non-profit institution in New York among Top Performers of Social Mobility in Regional Universities North. Located 30 miles from New York City on a 100-acre suburban campus in the heart of Westchester County, Manhattanville enables easy access to entertainment offerings, educational resources, and business opportunities for its primarily residential and diverse student body. The college serves more than 1,500 undergraduate students and nearly 1,000 graduate students from more than 44 countries and 33 states. Founded in 1841, the college offers more than 75 undergraduate and graduate areas of study in the arts and sciences, education, business, and creative writing, as well as continuing and executive education programs. Graduate students can choose from over 70 graduate and certificate programs. Extracurricular offerings include more than 45 clubs and 20 NCAA Division III teams.

Manhattanville has also been recognized by “U.S. News and World Report” for Ethic Diversity. The college has earned a designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education which has allowed it to recruit more Latinx students. For the sixth consecutive year, Manhattanville has been named to the Colleges of Distinction list which recognizes colleges that excel in student engagement, great teaching, vibrant communities, and successful outcomes. This year, the college is also among those that have earned the Equity and Inclusion badge from Colleges of Distinction, while continuing to be recognized for excellence with Business, Education, and Career Development badges. The school is also one of the few to offer an undergraduate certificate in design thinking, giving students a leg up with employers looking for critical thinking skills.

To learn more, visit www.mville.edu.