Shirlene Blake is a passionate and enthusiastic educator who brings to her classroom a diverse background in performing and teaching various dance disciplines, arts advocacy, dance, and special needs, as well as working with pregnant teens and teenage mothers.
She has performed professionally all styles of dance with independent choreographers as well as taught nationally and lived and taught in Reykjavik, Iceland. Shirlene received her BFA from Southern Methodist University and her MEd from Temple University and holds a Post-Graduate Advanced Certificate in Supervision and Administration from Hunter College.
Currently a dance educator at Wadleigh Secondary School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Shirlene also serves as an NYCDOE citywide dance facilitator for the Office of Arts and Special Projects as well as a curriculum writer and reviewer. For New York State, Shirlene is the Subject Matter Expert for the Dance Content Specialty Test for NYS Teacher Certification and served on the NYS Arts Content Advisory Panel. She also served on the NYSED Arts Standards Revision Team. She is currently an active Board member and the Treasurer of NYSDEA.
Shirlene is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Dance Education at Columbia Teachers College.