Rising Stars in...Education

Danielle La Senna
Director, Evening Division, Juilliard School

Danielle La Senna came to Juilliard in 2008 to run its adult education program, which serves over 800 people, ranging in age from 18 to about 93, each year. An Indiana University graduate in voice, she wanted a “meaningful day job,” and as the daughter of two New York City teachers, arts education was a natural fit. She chose the Harvard Graduate School of Education for her master’s degree because it offered “a philosophical program about how people learn in the arts.” Adult education, including college-age students, appeals to her. “I like working with people who have started pursuing something, and developing their understanding of the world. They are making choices from a different place than middle- or high-school students.”

La Senna has been working to innovate at the Evening Division, which has established traditions and faculty. “There’s a long history of adult education that tends to focus on facts delivered through lectures. More and more, I think people want to participate, to engage, and discuss. I’m encouraging my faculty to leave more room in classes for that.” She’s also programing courses that reflect those pedagogical ideals: This semester, she is teaching “The Artistic Role of the Audience,” which instructs people on how to engage with the arts, regardless of their experience or knowledge.

While change has been gradual, La Senna says that the classes with the more interactive faculty members are actually the ones that sell out. But the program will remain a mix. “There’s a place for facts. One of my favorite parts of the job is talking to the students, hearing what their interests are, and what they think is missing. If I hear a consensus that points to a desire for something we don’t have, it’s very satisfying to create and offer that.” This year, she created a musical concepts class for vocalists who don’t read music.

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