Why the Arts?

As a dance educator of students of all ages, I believe in student-driven learning, empathetic teaching, and emphasizing the societal impact of the arts. I want my teaching to go beyond the learning inside my classroom. I want to inspire personal change for students to carry with them past their time with me. I encourage my technique students to go beyond the external form of the dancing body and to dive deeper into exploring the movement through internal sequencing and mental approach.  The thinking and emotional dancing bodies are key factors to enlivening and creating movement. My hope is for my students to use dance as a vehicle to learn more about themselves and their artistic values. I encourage my students to merge the pedestrian and dancing bodies into one – I have a body and it dances. Within this, I find my students developing in their self-worth, determination, and understanding their importance as an individual within a connected community.

 My Classroom

I strive to create a classroom that holds high expectations and a positive environment while encouraging individual risk. The development of a supportive classroom community is vital to the growth of my students in all subject areas. I approach dance technique courses through a lens of honoring the rich history of dance while also pushing it forward into developing 21st century skills. I claim where my movements come from if it descends from a direct line of theory or codified movement technique. My students develop skills that will serve them throughout their dance career, including thinking critically about not perpetuating the harm that can historically live in dance. I structure my classes through specific movement principles that can be applied regardless of teacher or choreographer. I also believe in the necessity of reflection and often ask my students to verbally synthesize their learning. Dance is not limited to the external form, but is driven from internal impulse, kinetic chains, and energetic threads. I want my students to remain curious about movement, not just blindly absorb or hold onto only one way of thinking. 

 My Approach

I am actively trying to bring more awareness to my own biases so I can create a more inclusive environment. I am dissecting areas of curriculum which perpetuate racism, sexism, and ablism as well as examining where white supremacist values live in dance and the Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis system. I am currently investigating where there are moments in class to shift the power dynamics away from a traditional teacher-student relationship. Students set specific intentions for their movement, describe movement from a sensate and observational perspective, and dialogue with their peers about personal and group experiences. Focusing on inclusivity increases students’ ability to self-direct their learning and to become a more engaged citizen of the classroom and overall community. I strive to balance interpersonal and intrapersonal learning so students can ground themselves as an individual while also gaining skills in working as a group.

As an educator, I am also teaching my students how to teach. I find discussing pedagogical approaches in the moment can help students begin to understand how different dance courses are structured and why. The art of teaching is developed through the physical act of teaching and preparation. It does not naturally happen only due to dance experience. I want my students to be prepared for the current demands of the field. 

 The Importance of the Arts

Arts are a vital part of a child’s development, and I am passionate about the necessity of arts being in the K-12 schools, regardless of location or socioeconomic status. I have seen the power dance has to develop physical, creative, and socioemotional skills at a young age. Dance is powerful because it connects people and lifestyles. I find advocacy in dance does not just mean creating the next generation of dance artists, but also, a dance audience. Some of my students may become dance makers or performers, but it is important to me that they gain an understanding of the arts’ impact on individuals and society at large. 

Moving Dance Practice Forward

I believe there is no one right way to learn or grow. I hold the ‘Yes, and’ philosophy in my classroom. My students can acknowledge where they are finding success and where they need to keep growing simultaneously. I give general comments to the class to emphasize learning through self-awareness. All students should confirm their physical movement achieves the directives given or actively change their execution of a phrase. I encourage students to dive deep into the many layers of movement so even in repetition, a phrase can always be something new. 

A key part of being an educator and advocate is making the arts relevant and accessible. I hold this belief as a container for my students, but also believe it needs to challenge their previously created views on dance. This creates an ongoing dialogue that does not isolate a group of people within the larger field of dance. By examining the history and many genres of dance, my students are challenged to understand their personal bias and societal norms that have dictated dance’s development. What has dance been? What is dance now? Where can dance go?