Methods of Teaching Dance

Little Sally Walker Today, Reece taught a very useful class for ages 11 and 12. The class alternated between mindful discussions about social media, smart phones and social perception and animated activities such as the mimicking exercise Little Sally Walker. Then followed the collective downloading of the app Kahoot., which got everybody engaged. The questions they had to answered by playing Kahoot revolved around the recognition of celebrities, movies, etc.  The point of the discussion was to bring students' attention to the props and cons of social media and the need to self-regulate its use. Reece shared the following statement in regards to her lesson: "It was interesting and strange to be on the other side of today’s lesson. I am definitely not used to teaching or leading a large group of people and I have grown much more aware of my strengths and weaknesses and areas I need to improve upon. I am excited for the opportunity to teach again in the future and...

Feedback "I enjoyed how she integrated the group dancing together. And how she used the best music throughout her class." Keiko Shivers "I enjoyed the dynamic of your presentation. Thought it was really cool that we had to be in a certain setting and become that setting or an object that would be in that setting. I also enjoyed being the interpreter and trying to figure out what they were doing. Thank you for making my brain work a little extra today." Saskia St. Lot "Kyla’s class was very interesting. I enjoyed doing something different than the other classes we have had. Sometimes it is nice to feel like you are 7 years old all over again and play with your classmates. Her attitude was great and you could tell she was well prepared." Sara Valbuena "Today’s class was very fun. I hadn’t thought of doing a team work/group exercise and I’m glad I got the opportunity to participate in some today. The class was led an...

Dance-specific conditions of practice Jordan and Jenny taught students two different ways of body expression. The former through a variation and the latter through improvisation. Both ways contributed to unleash the expression of body shapes and  images in motion.  One follows a preconceived designed based on the teacher's choices of movement, based on a specific music and lyrics. The other recurs to the use of free movement for the students to find their own way of expressing themselves. Both added to the students' repertoire a totally new idea about what dance teaching methodologies can look like. Bellow, there are students' affirmations: " My favorite part about Jordan’s class was how positive she was. Everything from the warm up, which was designed to boost our energy, to her attitude during the combination, was very encouraging. She very clearly got the message across that it is okay if you are not perfect in class, which I think is a great thing t...

                                         Chinese Masks                            The Sacred Art of the Ori Both Jasmyne and Joe used references to Ancient cultures to approach movement. Jasmyne used Beyonce's video"Lemonade" to introduce students to sacred art of the Ori in Nigeria. Joe brought with him pictures of Chinese Ancient masks used in theater and rituals. Jasmyne uses the warm up to transition into more specific movements: marching, develope devant- hands of waist, arm up, bending forward,  shoulder to shoulder and side to side move. Joe's warm up is a mixture of joint movements and stretch. Both chose simple routines to give content to their lessons. Jasmyne demonstrates weight shiftis, plies, side steps, while the students follow her lead. Both used relaxation as a closing device for thei...

Today marks the beginning of the teaching season for Methods of Teaching Dance.  Angel Nieves stepped up to the challenge and decided to be the first to teach a dance lesson.  His class revolved around symbolic references to ancient in-motion meditation practices.  His candles signaled the center of the learning community, his Tibetan bells reminded us of balance in sound and the music created an all encompassing mood that further invited to relax and let go of all the stress accumulated through out the semester. The groups affirmations included Angel's choice of music; his modulated voice, the flow of the warm up, his articulate explanation of the subject matter, the interactive eye to eye connective exercise and the layering of hands that brought us all together. 

Music and Creative Movement Nutrition: Basic breakdowns of major food groups              Health Awareness: The Healthy Body                  Ballet: Basic Ballet Moves                       Traditional Africa: Imagery and Symbolism                              Improvisation: Thinking Outside the Box                                  Musical theater: Quick Moves for Auditions                                         The Human Body: Psychology of Movement                                     ...

123RF The Report       The students read and discussed the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Workshop on “Art, Creativity and Learning.”  The workshop, held at the National Science Foundation Headquarters in Arlington Virginia and The Phillips Collection on June 11-13, 2008, brought together a pool of the world's leading investigators interested in the relations between the enhancement of learning, the transfer of cognitive abilities, and art education. Our attention focused specifically on dance.                                                           The general goals of the workshop were: (i)       to  establish if there is a sufficient basis for initiating a field of study of the Enhancement  of Learning through Art to the Science of Learning. (ii)       ...