March 25, 2025

#21 – Why Dance Belongs in PE: Strategies, Confidence & Inclusion with Victor Spadaro

39 minutes

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My guest today is Victor Spadaro, a dynamic and passionate physical educator from Arlington, Virginia. Victor teaches PreK–5th grade at Abingdon Elementary and was recently named the 2025 Southern District Elementary PE Teacher of the Year. He’s an OPEN National Trainer, former Dance VP of Virginia AHPERD, and a frequent presenter at state and national conferences.

In this episode, Victor and I discuss:

Why dance is an essential part of a high-quality PE curriculum

Strategies to help PE teachers feel more confident teaching dance

Ways to make dance engaging, inclusive, and accessible to all students

How dance supports creativity, expression, and social-emotional growth

The impact of attending and presenting at conferences on professional growth

Tips for trying new things in your teaching—even if they feel outside your comfort zone

If you’ve ever felt hesitant about incorporating dance into your PE program, this episode will give you practical ideas, encouragement, and insight from one of the best in the field.

Follow Victor on YouTube!

Secure your spot for the 2025-2026 DPE Virtual Book Study, facilitated by Gary Zaharatos and Jen Smith. Buy tickets here! Feel free to email [email protected] for group discounts or any questions.

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our Facebook group where we have assembled quite the group of experts, always willing to share their insights and help out colleagues with their problems of practice. Simply search for Distinguished Physical Education.

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By Gary Zaharatos

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