When the Arts Go Viral

“I’m always trying to connect with them - that’s how I keep it joyful.”

Ms. Jazmine Cooper

Dancing with MISS COOP - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLZpL03egB4R0hbOT59IsjA

“Yall know yall love my energy.”

In this inspiring episode, Chicago dance educator Jazmine Cooper shares her journey into teaching, shaped by growing up with almost no Black educators and wanting to become the affirming presence she seldom saw. She explains why Black arts educators matter and how dance has become her tool for healing, empowerment, and identity-building for students. Jazmine opens up about the challenges Black arts teachers face in undervalued, underfunded, and over-tested school environments, and how she lets her choreography, her classroom culture, and her students’ transformation speak for themselves.