In 2005 I began teaching ballroom dance in various primary schools in New York City. During my first year I had a student who was in a wheel chair who wore a brace to support his torso. I was immediately faced with the challenge that ballroom dance is a specific style with specific steps and I was required by my organization to ensure that every student had an enjoyable and meaningful ten weeks of dance. With the young man’s help and the help of his classmates I was able to make modifications to the dances that suited his needs, and reflected the style and the spirit of the dance. This experience proved to be enriching for everyone, and fortunate for me because it taught me very early in my teaching career that differences in ability, experience, even in motivation can yield great dance and great learning. It cemented for me the importance and the joy of inclusion. Today, when planning and delivering my classes I keep in mind the importance of accessibility and differentiation, and respect and sensitivity, as the main principles for creating an environment that embodies equality of opportunity. Accessibility and differentiation are the foundation for an inclusive practice. My planning begins with me considering whether my lessons are accessible. When searching for spaces I often assess whether wheelchair users and people with limited mobility can enter and use the space safely. I also use differentiation as a tool to keep my teaching accessible. When planning lessons I keep in mind that my students may excel in some areas and struggle in others and I have to make room in my lessons and my expectations to accommodate that. I often consider whether the movement challenges that I am presenting are able to be modified for dancers ... ... middle of paper ... ...pproached and conducted with respect. The respect that I have for my students and the respect that I expect the students in my class to have for each other works to create an atmosphere where everyone feels welcomed. As the teacher and authority figure in my dance classes it is my responsibility to set a standard of behavior that is based on respect sensitivity accessibility and differentiation. It is my job to create an atmosphere in which my students feel comfortable enough to tell me if something makes them feel uncomfortable. It is my duty to find solutions to problems that enable my students to excel and make everyone feel valued. My teaching practice is based on the balance between viewing dance as a discipline that requires structure and an art that requires expression. Within this balance lives the idea that “dance is for everyone and everyone can dance”.
Looseleaf, V. (2009, May 15). Eleanor Powell | Dance Teacher magazine | Practical. Nurturing. Motivating. The voice of dance educators. Retrieved April 26, 2014, from http://www.dance-teacher.com/2009/05/eleanor-powell/
Judith Lynne Hanna is a professor at the University of Maryland who focuses on anthropology, sociology and dance. She combines these topics to analyze how dance can help heal a person and help improve health. In a broader context, dance therapy is a recent form of movement that does not require any form of previous dance experience and focuses on “movement behavior as it emerges in the therapeutic relationship.” (ADTA) Judith Hanna focuses in on broader concept of dance therapy by concentrating on expressive behavior that relieves stress, disabling conditions, tension, and chronic fatigue.
The typical idea of a dancer is that they are tall, slender, full of energy, and lucky because they dance with all of the “stars”. Much of this is true, however, what many people do not think of are the many hardships that a dancer goes through in order to achieve their high status in the dance world. It takes much hard work and determination along with good direction to become a dancer. However, nothing good comes without a price. Dancers often times have many pressures put on them which can lead to physical and emotional damages. These damages occur through the pressures from the media, parents, teammates, and the stereotype that society has placed on dancers.
In the video Disrupting the Miseducation of African American Youth, the speaker Kwame Shake Opare discuss how he used dance to open the eyes and show opportunities to young students in the Baltimore city school system. As a choreographer, performing artist, and dance instructor Opare has worked all over the world in areas of teaching and learning dance, but nothing had prepared him for the lack of guidance students were facing in the classroom. On the first day Opare observed the students in his classroom. The second day he gave class rules, which was shocking to the students. The students were accustom to teachers that did not care about the classrooms climate and culture. The students were allowed to speak language that was not appropriate
does our society fail to respect dance as a sport? Dancing as a career requires an incredible
However, New York Public Schools offered ballroom dancing classes to low-income students of color, which allowed the arts to be included in their curriculum. Watching the film, I observed the positive reaction the children had to the dance classes. Overall, they were exposed to different cultures, made new friendships, became more confident, and aware of different career options such as professional dancers or singers (Agrelo, 2005).
The essay demonstrates the aim of the dance company, however, it does not explore how this relates to dance education and research to help the reader understand black girls daily life experiences in the community. The author is clear about African American dance, heritage, different forms of dance, methods of teaching dance, but vaguely touch on what are the challenges, terror, and trauma black girls and women face. Even though, the author mentions an education initiative it is not clear how her dance company relates to a K-20 curriculum and pedagogy in the school or community.
In my class, we respect ourselves and take care of one another. I will encourage my students to try their personal best in every situation they find themselves in. I will remind students that your personal best effort does not look like your neighbors. I will structure my classroom environment so students can easily collaborate and form positive relationships with one another. The structure of my classroom environment will be full of warmth, patience, and humor creating an environment that is welcoming, safe, and fun for my students. We will look out for another and help one another reach our fullest potential individually, academically, and socially.
On Tuesday, December 5th I observed Ashley LeSage 5th grade class at Thornwell Elementary. This was my first time watching 5th grade dance class in a public school. I immediately noticed that the students were very talkative walking into the classroom. Ashley handled it situation very quick. They came in and took their shoes off and sat on their assigned spot. Sitting on the spots, they were very interested in what the scarves were for and why they were there on the table. She introduced to them that they were for, but they could only use them if they were quite throughout the class and behave. Her warm-up was an upbeat choreographed dance to two songs. Reminded of a Zumba dance. I thought that it was interesting how she went straight into upbeat movement
When I was in 10th grade, I was offered by my dance instructor to be a part of an outreach program where I would help teach dance at the Boys and Girls Club. When I went there, I was shocked to hear some of the stories these kids would tell me. One girl told me her parents gave her a bag of chips for dinner on weeknights because that’s all they could afford. One told me the girls in her grade made fun of her because she only had three outfits to wear to school. One little boy had one parent that was in jail and the other that was an alcoholic and not fit to take care of him, so was living with his grandma temporarily.
The benefit of cultural diversity in schools is evident in the dancers at Darwin High School, where they are naturally exposed to multicultural dance, expresses Newth. In a survey that was conducted in Darwin, mainly to students at Darwin High School, a student responded, agreeing that “exposing dancers to different cultural dances will help deepen this understanding”. Another participant responded that the experience “builds tolerance and understanding and provides new
Overby, L. (1992). Status of dance in education (Report No. ED348368). Washington, DC: Eric Clearinghouse on Teacher Education. Discusses the status of dance as a part of the elementary school curriculum. This Digest examines the rationale for dance in education, the status of dance education, and selected issues in dance education.
The most important rule that I believe in is that my classroom should be a place of learning. The best way to create this type of environment is to make sure that I am consistent with all students and that I make the students feel comfortable and relaxed. I believe that students learn more in a consistent relaxed atmosphere, because all students need to know that what’s wrong for one is wrong for all and what is right for one is right for all. I want my students to be comforted in the feeling that they are all on equal footing when they step into my classroom.
In order to be an effective school, all school personnel must work together in a friendly, caring, polite, and respectful manner. There are a number of positions and employees in a school. “A school is a complex social system, and all the people in it contribute to making it run smoothly” (Kauchak & Eggen, 2014, p. 182). It’s important to acknowledge the contributions of all staff and faculty members. The principal, leader of the school is the ...
Choreographers define dance as “telling a story without speaking”, “the language of the body”, “explaining your heart through movement”, and “is a unique passion that ca be fulfilling to its choreographers, dancers, and audience” (Senior Mastery Choreography Survey). The responses to the Senior Mastery Choreographer Survey proves that the stimulating and creating process of the choreography in the brain is the difficult aspect of this job, but when the visions are transferred to the dancers the results can be tremendous and sometimes breathtaking. The choreography can be created by the use of shapes, kinesthetic and scenic spacing, timing, and different tactics to leave a meaning to the audience. Choreography and dance have been a part of the arts for a myriad of years and will be for numerous more. It is an emotional entertainment that leaves the audience with a message and feelings towards a