Jody Gottfried Arnhold

Jody Gottfried Arnhold, (MA, CMA) is a dance educator, advocate, and the founder of Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) 92NY. Her 25-year career teaching dance in New York City public schools inspired her lifelong mission: Dance for Every Child. Arnhold’s visionary leadership has transformed dance education through initiatives that train, support, and elevate dance teachers. DEL, her professional development program, has shaped many of the field’s top educators and sparked citywide dance education efforts. She supports NYC public schools through the Arnhold Dance Teacher Support Program and Pre-K CREATE, and founded the Arnhold Graduate Dance Education Program at Hunter College to prepare certified dance teachers for public schools. Her commitment to advancing research and policy led to the creation of the Doctorate in Dance Education and the Arnhold Institute for Dance Education Research, Policy & Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University establishing a national model for thought leadership in the field. Arnhold is Executive Producer of the documentaries PS DANCE! Dance Education in Public Schools and PS DANCE! The Next Generation, which raises awareness of the importance of dance in education. Her work has provided compelling evidence that dance is essential to every child’s development. She has received honorary doctorates from The Juilliard School and Hunter College, and in 2024, was awarded the Medal for Distinguished Service from Teachers College, Columbia University, their highest honor.