What if learning math felt like rehearsing a dance? What if science came alive through movement and storytelling? At the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA), this isn’t hypothetical; it’s the foundation of Dramatic Learning, a program that integrates theatre into core subjects.

For nearly 30 years, the DCPA has partnered with Colorado educators to bring arts integration into classrooms, helping students become better learners and better humans. Whether it’s acting out the digestive system in a biology unit or using costume renderings to explore character development in literature, the program helps students connect with academic content through creativity, collaboration, and kinesthetic learning.

“All students deserve to feel seen in their learning. Arts integration honors different learning styles and invites students to be agents in their own learning.” — Allison Watrous, DCPA Executive Director of Education & Community Engagement

Arts integration isn’t just about making learning fun; it’s about making it effective. The Kennedy Center defines arts integration as “an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form.” This method strengthens critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving.

In Denver-area classrooms, DCPA teaching artists collaborate with educators to co-teach lessons that align with state standards. From Shakespeare and stage combat to science-based improvisation, students experience learning with their minds and bodies.

And the results speak for themselves. The New Victory SPARK study, which tracked students over three years, found that performing arts education led to:

• 50% increase in creative thinking through improvisation exercises
• 55% growth in teamwork skills, with students choosing larger, more diverse teams
• 10% rise in hope for the future, compared to a 5% decline in the control group
• 20% greater interest in the performing arts, especially among students from under-resourced schools

Meanwhile, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)  found that arts engagement correlates with higher levels of social connection, emotional support, and community involvement, even into adulthood. These benefits begin in childhood and ripple outward for years to come.

These findings reinforce what educators at the DCPA have known for a long time: the arts don’t just enrich education, they transform it.

Together, arts integration makes core curriculums more dynamic, memorable, and meaningful while equipping students with both academic mastery and 21st-century skills. It also improves academic performance. Students involved in arts programs show enhanced memory, focus, and literacy skills.

And perhaps most importantly, they’re more engaged. “When students are doing the work — creating, performing, reflecting — they’re not just learning facts,” Watrous says. “They’re learning how to think, feel, and connect.”

In Colorado, Dramatic Learning continues to evolve. Programs like Shakespeare in the Parking Lot and pre-show workshops for student matinees bring theatre directly to schools, making it accessible and relevant. Whether supporting theatre departments or integrating arts into math and science, the goal remains the same: educate the whole child.

And while the program is rooted in Denver, arts integration is transforming lives nationwide.

“If you’re a teacher, or know one, who wants to bring creativity into the classroom, reach out,” Watrous encourages. “And if you have a young person in your life, take them to the theatre. Go on an artist date. Spark their imagination.”

To learn more about Dramatic Learning or bring it to your school, reach out to education@dcpa.org.

Because arts education isn’t extra — it’s essential.