Heidi McLean

Heidi McLean was introduced to dance in an after school program in the third grade. She owes her dance and teaching career to Rachel Bachrach, who taught 1st – 4th grade at a two room school in Camptonville, CA. Those dance classes led to ballet classes and performances, which in turn led to studying, performing, and teaching ethnic dances from Russia, Ukraine, Mexico, Spain, and parts of Latin America. During and after attending San Francisco State University (Bachelor of Arts in Drama 1978) Heidi performed throughout the United States with the Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival, and Neva Russian Dance Ensemble. In the greater San Francisco Bay Area she performed and participated in lecture demonstrations (Trujillo Dance Company, El Colectivo de Danza Hispana, and Grupo El Salvador), taught Mexican folk dance at the San Francisco Mission Cultural Center, and choreographed musicals for Riordan High School. Heidi has been involved with arts integration since 2007 and loves helping students explore non-verbal communication through movement. In her residencies she emphasizes teamwork, respect for the ideas of others, safety, and trying out new approaches to problem solving. (She’s a big fan of the motto, “Keep what works and discard the rest!”) She is delighted when classroom teachers want to integrate dance with subjects like geometry, science (the solar system, environmental adaptations, geological processes), English language arts, and California History. Heidi creates a safe environment that allows students to explore both simple and challenging movements, and to collaborate with their peers to create dances that showcase their creativity and learning.