LINK:
After spring recess, our class changed a bit. It was hard to have the same sense of community between everyone in our class without being able to see each other in person and engage in conversations with each other. Despite the distance, our class stayed very accepting of everyone’s different ideas and perspectives. When we all uploaded our lessons, each person’s lesson was so unique. People taught all different types of lessons and yet everyone was still so supportive of each other. This is what I have realized dance education is built on. It is built on having people bring different ideas together and to create something with it. I felt very supported by all of my peers after I posted my macarena dance, and I thought everyone’s feedback was very helpful. Despite only communicating online, our class would all come together to support each other’s lessons and all the hard work everyone put into their lessons.
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13
Grace Migliozzi
Dr. Jorge Morejón
DAN 385
Dance Education & Exceptional Student Education (ESE)
Dance is “the movement of the body in a rhythmic way, usually to music and within a given space, for the purpose of expressing an idea or emotion, releasing energy, or simply taking delight in the movement itself” (Mackrell). Though this is a broad definition of dance, society’s belief in what constitutes dance instruction is often very narrowly confined to official forms of dance such as ballet, jazz, and tap. When considering how to introduce children with special needs to the world of dance, we should adopt the more flexible definition, as language is a very powerful tool of communication. We should be offering students the opportunity to express themselves creatively and experience the joy that movement can provide without relying on the strict choreography and discipline that many traditional dance classes require.
The many benefits of teaching dance to exceptional students can have a profound impact on their physical and emotional wellness. Through dance instruction we can increase physical fitness, improve flexibility, strength and motor skills, increase confidence and self-esteem, engage creativity and imagination, relieve stress, and diminish depression. We can achieve all of these goals using strengths-based practices, fully engaging both the minds and bodies of students who find many of life’s daily activities and interpersonal interactions challenging. With small adaptations, we can make the world of dance available to any student.
Dance has proved to be a venue for connecting these children with others on a more emotional level. The New York Times published an article on the positive benefits of dance instruction on children with autism (Hollow, 2019). They related the story of James Griffin, a 14year old boy on the autism spectrum who struggled with speech and emotional connection. James began a regular dance instruction program. Now, James says “Go dance, go dance ”immediately after school and in a moment of joy on the dance floor, looked at his mom and said “I love you” for the first time in his life. According to Anjana Bhat, a professor at the University of Deleware, other parents found that their own children with autism responded positively and were more engaging while and after participating in musical activities as well (Hollow, 2019).
Dance is beneficial for those with disorders that adversely affect motor coordination, flexibility, and strength as well (Dabalsa, 2017). Movement creates increased muscle mass, balance, and cardio fitness, as well as increased dexterity in gross motor skills. Along with these benefits, dance creates a greater sense of spatial awareness that improves coordination and general movement. Within the context of Down syndrome, educators involved in a particular study reported that “students [with Down syndrome] who participated in the program displayed improved communication skills, improved body awareness, and improved respect for personal boundaries” (Munsell & Davis, 2014).
Unfortunately, the population of those with special needs and disabilities often faces a lack of social acceptance. Participating in dance classes provides a much needed outlet for developing friendships with peers and promoting social acceptance. With encouragement from dance instructors and fellow dancers, these exceptional students can demonstrate an increase in self-esteem and self-awareness, both precursors to overall emotional well-being. This encouragement allows dancers with special needs to feel like they are a part of their learning. Rather than being held back, they are given the opportunity to be self-sufficient. Learning something new and working towards a larger goal gives students, with or without exceptionalities, a sense of accomplishment and gratification. Great dancers are great for their technique, of course, but more importantly they are great because of their infectious passion. Passion comes in many packages, and all students, no matter what their physical or learning challenges, should be provided the opportunity to tap into theirs.
14
Ali Lofgren
Methods of Teaching Dance
Child-Directed Peer Activities: Getting Close to My Little Ones
Coming into college, I had no idea what I wanted to be as a grown up. Growing up I thought I wanted to be an actress, a singer, or a dancer. In High School I figured I would go into medicine and become a dermatologist. When I first entered college, I planned on becoming a Psychologist. But no matter what I took classes for, nothing seemed to really intrigue me and give me the happiness I wanted in a future job. During the summer of my senior year of High School before entering the University of Miami, I worked at the dance summer camp for the studio I grew up dancing with. It is located just in South Miami, and it is called the Living Dolls
Dance Factory. That summer, I found myself jumping out of bed at eight o’clock in the morning, so excited to work with the little girls and show them how exciting being a dancer is. The owners of the studio then offered me a job to teach during the normal school year and see if I wanted to take on a couple of classes a week as a full-time teacher there. I was ecstatic. I finally was thrilled about having a job I loved and could not wait to go to. I knew that I wanted to share my love of dance with these little girls so that they would grow up loving it as well. My favorite styles were always jazz and hip-hop, so I was given one of each. I taught a jazz class on Mondays with baby dancers who were about five to six years old, and a hip-hop class on Fridays with girls in middle school.
The first couple classes with the middle schoolers, I felt comfortable, because I knew exactly how the dance class should be run. We stretched, went across the floor, did improv, and I taught them a fun hip-hop dance at the end. This was very basic, but with the babies, I had no idea what to do. At first, I tried teaching it like a normal class, which didn’t work. I tried coming up with games that were fun and rewards for good behavior, but it was so hard to keep them focused. I was really struggling. I asked everyone I knew for help and made my way through the first semester.
It wasn’t until second semester that I started taking Methods of Teaching Dance, that helped me really understand what it takes to be a truly good teacher for my students. I suddenly had so many different ideas to use in class. I began writing lesson plans for what I wanted to teach, I gave my students rules that they finally were beginning to follow, and I started becoming more confident in my teaching. This was the best thing I could have asked for, during a time where I was struggling and really needed the help.
At the time, I was ignorant of what the literature in the field indicates and which I share here:
The preschool period is a particularly important time for the development of social skills. It is at this time when children begin to expand their social interactions beyond their parents and take on the developmental task of building relationships and acceptance with their peers. During preschool, child-directed peer activities provide the context where preschool children are socialized to share, take turns, co-operate, con-sider others’ perspectives and emotions and inhibit aggression.
Knowing how to create child-directed peer activities reassured me of my role in the studio with this particular age group. I ended the class this year so close to my little ones, who now loved and respected me as a teacher so much more than they did before. I was impressed by what I was able to change and accomplish with the use of some help for my students. I would definitely recommend this class to anyone I know who is going down the same path that I am. I don’t know what I would have done without the knowledge I gained from it.
References
Lobo, Yovanka B. and Adam Winsler (2006). The Effects of a Creative Dance and Movement Program on the Social Competence of Head Start Preschoolers. https://www.researchgate.net/publication
15
Lara Hopkins
Professor Jorge Luis Morejon
May 6th, 2020
Research Paper
Early Years Male Ballet Education: A Review
Ballet is for all genders. All races and nationalities. Ballet does not discriminate. Ballet can bring people together to share the beauty of art. However, why is ballet more popular in girls? Why do many young boys start ballet and then chose a different sport to continue instead? Thus, the question is how does the ballet world facilitate male dancing without having to endure the societal transfixion on it, somehow being unnatural or out of the ordinary that boys also dance ballet ? This paper will investigate what has been determined as the optimum method.
The hashtag “#ballet4boys”
was created in response to a media storm of protest against a popular
television presenter who expressed her prejudices towards male ballet dancers. Why is
it not shocking, in these days of modernity, when popular culture stars
still jeer at pre-pubescent boys who take ballet classes? Lara Spencer mocked
Prince George when she was reporting his wide range of extracurricular
activities within school. She later had to apologize for her insensitivities. A New York Times article
stated, “Maybe Lara Spencer hasn’t seen “Billy Elliot.
It was dismaying that Ms. Spencer, a host of “Good Morning America” on ABC, would openly laugh at the news that a 6-year-old boy had elected to study ballet. Listing Prince George’s curriculum on Thursday morning, with stifled laughter, perpetuated a tired, homophobic stereotype.” It appears that once a boy becomes a teenager, he is very committed to his craft. Female peers in his class are sufficiently mature to understand the (critical role) essential nature of having male dancers assist them during their own dance. Therefore, boys are not dismissed as much as when they are at the elementary school age.
Academic research in this field is somewhat limited, but one important study was undertaken in 2014 by the Sociology Department at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln “Male Ballet Dancers and Their Performances of Heteromasculinity”. The study set out to examine how, in what is described as the most highly gender-codified sport, male ballet dancers are able to navigate their identities as men within a dance form that is highly stigmatized as effeminate. The study gathered qualitative data from self-identified heterosexual male college dance majors regarding their perception of heteromasculinity within male ballet culture. The conclusions may be instructive for teaching methods:
1. Heterosexuality in these men is developed and contextualized within a male ballet culture
2. The dancers adopt unique stigma-management techniques
3. Ballet culture is recognized as incorporating “a hegemonic hetero-masculinity and the roles of masculinity and emotionality in male ballet performance”
If those designing dance
programs recognize the way in which masculinity can be institutionalized,
perhaps there is an opportunity to challenge the hegemony and make the courses
ever more attractive for male dancers. In industry press there is
understandably a more practical approach to identifying characteristics of
dance that can be made more appealing for men. It is highlighted several aspects to focus
on including:
- Presenting ballet as sport, tailoring exercises that in the early
stages of a student’s career keep them engaged and interested,
- Considering all male classes – citing the success of The London Boys Ballet School and being flexible about dance attire.
Jonathon Wells writing in the Daily Telegraph picks up on the work of The London Boys Ballet School (“LBBS”), a unique facility, and considers their approach to making ballet accessible for men. Fundamentally, LBBS focuses efforts on the skill, strength and power required to be a ballerino and in so doing aims to combat stereotypical views of ballet being effeminate. In particular, the all-male set up creates a camaraderie that enables the students to combat the social awkwardness and stigmatization that can be experienced by students in a traditional mixed-sex environment. The school also strives for numerical equality between male and female teaching staff as this “helps inspire the young boys because they're real role models”. It is noteworthy, as Klapper highlights, that male dancers were historically the more prominent participants in ballet and this remained the case until the part of the nineteenth century.
In conclusion, in a further academic study that may be instructive and provide some clarity, Bassetti contemplates so-called “antidotes” to the stigma of male participation in ballet. Having evaluated the historical drivers of such stigma she suggests that concentrating on both artistic-professional excellence and the athleticism of dance are good “normalizing strategies.”
References
Bassetti, C., Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technology. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche. Department of Sociology and Social Research. University of Trento, Male Dancing Body, Stigma and Normalising Processes. Playing with (Bodily) Signifieds/ers of Masculinity, p. 69-92, https://doi.org/10.4000/rsa.1048
Haltom, Trenton M. and Worthen, Meredith G. F., "Male Ballet Dancers and Their Performances of Heteromasculinity" (2014). Sociology Department, Faculty Publications. 581. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sociologyfacpub/581
Klapper, Melissa R. "“You Shouldn’t Tell Boys They Can’t Dance”: Boys and Ballet in America." The Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth, vol. 10 no. 2, 2017, p. 248-267. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/hcy.2017.0027.Kourlas, Gia, New York Times, Aug. 26, 2019, Critics Notebook, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/23/arts/dance/lara-spencer-ballet.html
Teaching Boys Ballet: 13 ways to attract and engage male students, June 22, 2017, Dance Studio Business, https://dancestudioinsurance.com/teaching-boys-ballet-attract-engage-male-students/
Wells, J., Daily Telegraph, Sep, 23, 2015, 'Ballet really isn't girly': inside the world's only all-male ballet school, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/11848464/Inside-the-worlds-only-all-male-ballet-school.html
[3] Bassetti, C., Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technology. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche. Department of Sociology and Social Research. University of Trento, Male Dancing Body, Stigma and Normalising Processes. Playing with (Bodily) Signifieds/ers of Masculinity, p. 69-92, https://doi.org/10.4000/rsa.1048
16
Dan 385
Dance 385 is my first dance class in College. At first, I thought dance classes only included physical movements and techniques about how to dance properly and beautifully. I realized that there is another area of dance which is the method of teaching dance after taking Dan 385. The methods of teaching dance are closely related to the foundation of education and are adjusted to meet all the students’ needs. I became relaxed and interested in taking this dance class.
First, the theories of education are the same as theories of teaching dance. I am a major in Elementary Education and I learned some educational theories before I took this dance class. I am surprised about all the theories I learned are foundations of teaching dance too. Theories like teacher-centered approach to learning, student-centered approach to learning, differentiated instruction, action plan, classroom rules, and class procedures are all the same. The only thing which needs to be considered for teaching dance is that teachers should apply all the theories in dance studio instead of a regular classroom. The knowledge fields of education are connected and linked. No matter what area you are teaching, the theories and techniques behind them are interconnected.
Second, I feel so relaxed and happy in this class. I have to say that this dance class is the most caring class I have ever taken. Not only because the professor is the one of the kindest professors I have ever met, but also the whole class activities are the most effective and meaningful I have ever taken. For example, we learned about the body warm-up of dance techniques, which is the brain dance. I like the way we first watched the video of the brain dance and practiced our own brain dance in groups. Watching the video gave us a brief idea about what brain dance is. Group discussion and presentation of brain dance let us to experience how creative and effective group work could be. I like how all the students shared their ideas and everyone contributed their effort to the last presentation. I always feel I am an individual in other classes, but I can feel the power of unity in this dance class.
Third, the methods of teaching dance give me an actual experience about
how to make your class meet every student’s needs. I am learning IDEA this
semester in my elementary education classes. I can see how all the ways to help
students in disabilities applied in dance classes during this class. I am
impressed by the three videos about dance for children with disabilities on
April 6. Everyone should have a chance to dance. I am so glad that some
teachers change their teaching techniques to meet the needs of students with
disabilities. Although students have different limitations, teachers use their
methods of teaching to give them a wonderful class to stand up and move to
enjoy the fun of dancing and interacting with others.
Although "department cultures and their limited resources are most often focused on the act of dancing, the development of new modes of performance, and the making of new, original dance works," dance education methodology is also very important (Bonbright, Faber 22). Thus, I am so glad that I took this class. I met a great professor and experienced the area of dance education. The whole experience let me know that knowledge of education can be applied to different areas. Teachers should do their best to meet the needs of all the students. I will continue to take dance classes. Dance classes give me a feeling of relaxation that other classes could not give.
References
Bonbright, Jane M. and Rima Faber. Research Priorities for Dance Education:A Report to the Nation. National Dance Education Organization. https://s3.amazonaws.com
17
05/04/2020
Professor Jorge
Sirong Fu
Dance
Education: Positive Impact
For the past years, dance education gained prominence all over the world. It has become an integral part of the physical education of the students. Apart from the obvious health benefits of dancing, dance education proved to have a vital contribution to the molding of the student’s overall personality. Thus, this essay will highlight the positive impact of dance education to the students and tie it up with my insights and experiences about it in class.
Beyond helping people of all ages to stay in shape, dance education provides an immense opportunity for students to acquire important life skills. Through dancing, students can learn essential life skills, which are applicable in their everyday lives. These skills include goal setting, perseverance, critical thinking, and self-expression (Bajek & Ressler, 2015). Most importantly, it is self-expression that stands out more in dance. In our class, I notice that dancing is a good avenue for students to express themselves and show their creativity. Compared to sports, dance lessons will help student’s awareness of their individuality (Bajek, Richards, & Ressler, 2015). I believe that it is easy to get the attention of the students during dance classes because they can easily express themselves through dancing. In dancing, we set goals, which is to perfect the dance routine and persevere to achieve that goal. That is why, in our dance teaching class, I learned not just to become creative, but attentive and set my goals for the class as well.
Another benefit of having a dance lesson is that it keeps students from some negative things. Dancing can help students develop respect, teamwork, and empathy (Yap, 2016). As students learn to respect, empathize, and build teamwork, they can stay away from negativities like bullying, and being disrespectful. Dance lessons will teach students to become more disciplined and become a better person towards others. The lesson itself and the execution of dance play a vital role in instilling discipline in the students. I realized that through listening to the lectures of my professor, I did not only absorb the lessons to be able to execute the dance moves, but I also learned to become patient in the learning process. Although there are people who have a natural talent in dancing while others have to strive harder, the value that dancing teaches to everyone is the same. Because of that, I learned from our dance education class that passion for dancing is not enough; one needs to develop sets of values to become successful in class.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that even if teachers are always enthusiastic during dance education, this class is undoubtedly challenging. This is when the open discussions of individual differences are helpful. Open discussions will allow students to understand their differences to encourage them to appreciate each other’s qualities, and to learn through observation and discussion (Mainwaring & Krasnow, 2010). Teachers must help manage the expectations of the students because not all students have equal abilities. For me, that is helpful to boost the confidence of each student. In my experience, our professor’s discussions made me learn to customize my course. His inputs are valuable for me because it provided me valuable insights which I can use. And so, I realized that despite the challenges that teachers have to face in class, the effort of the teachers to enhance the learning environment is important for the students. In that way, they can provide a well-rounded education for the students that will make a positive impact in their lives, just like what I have learned in our dance class.
In
summary, dance education has become an equally important part of the curriculum
of students all over the world. Dance education serves as an essential tool to
help teach students life skills such as self-expression, perseverance, among
others. Also, dance education can help instill respect, teamwork, and empathy among students. So, dance education can be quite challenging for teachers,
but its positive impact on the lives of students is beyond measure.
References
Bajek, M., Richards, A., & Ressler, J. (2015). Benefits of Implementing a Dance Unit in Physical Education. Strategies, A Journal for Physical Education, 28:5, 43-45. http://dx.doi.org.1080/08924562.2015.1066613.
Mainwaring, L., & Krasnow, D. (2010). Teaching the Dance Class Strategies to Enhance Skill Acquisition, Mastery, and Positive Self-Image. Journal of Dance Education, 10:1, 14-21. http://dx.doi.org.1080/15290824.2010.10387153.
Yap, A. C. (2016). Learning empathy through dance. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/426498.
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