June 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 74

NRPA Update

Member Spotlight: Daniel Sheridan

aniel Sheridan's commitment to his craft comes across loud and clear.
Currently the artistic director of Davenport Junior Theater (DJT) and
the performing arts supervisor for Davenport Parks and Recreation
(DPR) in Davenport, Iowa, Sheridan has dedicated more than half his life to
learning the art of theater and passing those techniques on to the next generation. He believes the theatrical arts play a vital role in developing communication skills, capacity for teamwork, empathy and fitness in young people. We
recently convinced Sheridan to take time out from his busy schedule to share
some of his insights from the artistic side of the recreation industry.

Parks & Recreation Magazine: Start
by giving us some personal details.
Daniel Sheridan: I just turned 31
years old. My wife, Jessica, and I have
been married for five years. We live in
Davenport, Iowa, with our three cats
- we have no children of our own
yet, but I have hundreds and hundreds
of kids at [Davenport] Junior Theater.
I have been with Davenport Parks and
Recreation in my current capacity
since August 2008; however, I grew up
working for parks from 1997 to 2001.
P&R: Talk about how your career has
evolved. You have an extensive background in theater - did you ever
imagine you'd be working as a park
and recreation professional?

Parks & Recreation

Sheridan: [Becoming involved in parks
and recreation] really snuck up on me.
I took this job to help kids access the
art and craft of theater. However, over
time I have come to passionately believe in what parks and recreation accomplishes within a community. We
have expanded the scope of [DPR's]
performing arts [programming] to
reach even more of our citizens.
The Davenport Junior Theater program had deteriorated to the point
[that] it was going to get rolled up into
a more general program concept back
in 2007/08. The world without DJT
just didn't compute to me. I came back
in August 2008 as a 20-hour-a-week
coordinator with only a few fellow
part-time staffers. Now we have 30
staff/instructors, and I am blessed to
have earned a full-time position. I get
to do what I love each day!
P&R: Why do you feel arts are an
important part of programming
for a park and recreation agency?
Sheridan: DJT is all about developing
the tools to communicate clearly, confidently and creatively. Lucky for us
who love sharing the performing arts,
we get to use dance, theater, design and
more to reach these goals of communication. We also have fun! If students
are having fun, they cannot help but
learn and want to learn more. The per-

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forming arts are much more physical
than people give them credit for, which
makes them a perfect fit for parks and
recreation. As the performing arts are
currently in a downswing in public education, there is a gap for us to fill in
the recreation field.
P&R: Tell us about one of your proudest moments as performing arts supervisor and artistic director at DPR.
Sheridan: Wow - there are a lot. Honestly, any time one of my students discovers something new. There is nothing
more rewarding than seeing the kids, 3
years old or 18 years old, succeed. There
is a light that goes off behind their eyes.
I have learned never to count a kid out.
It is our job to believe in them and teach
them all we can.
P&R: What advice would you give
to other agencies that might want
to expand their arts offerings or
start a new program?
Sheridan: Know why you are doing
what you do and make it about something that affects your students for life.
The goal of your arts programs must
be about developing the whole person and their skills, then find a way
to prove you are accomplishing your
goals to your community. The proof
is in the pudding, which is why all our
performing arts programs end with a
performance onstage for family and
friends. The students need the experience of seeing what it feels like to use
their communication skills in front of
an audience...and parents seeing the
result [of that work] connects them
more to their child's activity.
- Samantha Bartram, Associate Editor
of Parks & Recreation Magazine

June 2014 - Parks & Recreation

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