The floor was shaking in an upstairs classroom at Monroe Elementary School in the Excelsior district, where two dozen fourth- and fifth-graders were practicing a dance routine. “Waka waka! Hey hey!” the singer Shakira chanted over a boombox as the children jumped, spun and clapped. For many of the giggling children, dance class was the week’s highlight. And the arts are not merely fun, studies show they help kids do better in math and reading. Read More