LET'S GET TO DANCING
Building Cultural Awareness Through Dance
The attached video demonstrates
the importance of building cultural awareness through dance and creative movement.
I created a lesson plan for this class on the importance of building cultural
awareness through dance. Often, it can be difficult to engage students with a
subject such as dance, because for many students dancing can be embarrassing.
However, when given a choice to use dance from the student’s culture or
background, the willingness to participate may be more present. When attempting
to build cultural awareness, it is important to allow time for the students to
be the teachers, because many students understand their own cultures and
traditions the best. Since building cultural awareness through dance can be a
sensitive topic, parents are best to be informed that it is something the class
will be partaking in, which gives parents the choice to remove their child from
the activity. When we think about differentiating in dance, it can be difficult
because so much of dance is movement. If there are students in your class who
have physical exceptionalities and have difficulty performing a variety of
movements, there are ways that these movements can be adapted. Students can perform
the movements in a varied way (for example if in a wheelchair they have the use
of their arms or facial expressions). Or, when discussing the importance of
culture and dance, students are always encouraged to teach cultural dance to
those around them. I think that there can be some hesitance surrounding
teaching dance from various cultures, as cultural appropriation can happen. However,
if the sensitivity is discussed with the students and they understand the consequences
of their actions, I think teaching it becomes easier.
Flocking
In dance class, we have had several experiences with flocking in a group. Flocking is "A type of improvisation in which students move in groups, with no set pattern or in a diamond formation, following a leader and all doing the same movements simultaneously" (pg. 161). Each member in the group has an opportunity to choose a sequence of movements, and have others in the group follow them. I find the whole concept of flocking very powerful and inspiring to watch, as I can feel the energy between all of the members engaging in the movements. When I participated in flocking in class, I felt this sense of connection between the other members in my group; it was almost as if we were mentally connected in that moment and could anticipate the next move we were going to perform. I think that there is a lot of power that comes from a group of people moving as if they are one whole. Flocking can be used in both primary and junior grades. Obviously in the primary grades, students are more likely to use very basic movements, but as students get older they may want to experiment with more complex moves that challenge their bodies more. There is a lot of freedom in what students can do with the movements. To differentiate for students who have movement difficulties, single body parts can be used as well as verbal instruction. If there is a student in the class who cannot participate with his/her body, he/she is welcome to give verbal instructions for what the next move could be. Music can also be taken out, for children who struggle with sensory processing.
This video demonstrates the various emotions that youth experience throughout their lifetime. Instead of discussing all of them, the emotions were danced instead, to allow for a deeper understanding and perspective.
Mirroring
This dance strategy is particularly interesting, as it connects two different people together while simultaneously making the same movements. I think that mirroring can be an effective activity for students to gain a sense of self-confidence and develop leadership skills. Mirroring, as defined by the Ontario Arts Curriculum is "A type of improvisation. Two students face each other. Student A initiates the movement, while student B follows, maintaining eye contact as appropriate; students switch roles after a set time" (pg. 162). This strategy works because it allows both students to take ownership of what they are doing. One student has a chance to lead the actions and then the other students get the same opportunity. Both students are equal parts in the puzzle. This strategy is good for differentiation because students are not touching each other - they are just mirroring without touch. Many students who have exceptionalities struggle with body contact, so this is a form of dance that does not intrude on physical boundaries.
Space
The final element of dance I want to discuss is space. Space is included in the fundamental concepts for grades 1-6. Space is "The physical area in which the body moves; also the area surrounding the body" (pg.161). Space is extremely important in dance (and even drama) when considering students with special needs. Dance and drama can be a class where students forget they have a role to be responsible, and can often get off track and be silly. This occurs because of the movement and acting basis of dance and drama. Students with special needs (especially those with sensory processing difficulties) sometimes have difficulty with their concept of space, and others' concept of personal space. They can often get too close or stray too far away. Other students require a lot of space between themselves and someone else, and a student who does not have special needs may violate this need. During our dance classes this year, many of us touched upon the importance of making students aware of the space around them. Although space is all around us, children don't often realize how quickly it can become an issue until something happens. To get students thinking about space and boundaries, a "body mapping" exercise may be a good idea, so that they have a chance to visualize and draw out their body - making themselves more spatially aware. Educating children about personal space and making them aware of the space around them is extremely important to ensure a safe and fun dance class environment.
https://www.code.on.ca/resource/elements-dance
The code website has many resources that teachers can use to assist them with understanding and teaching the elements of dance.
Flocking
In dance class, we have had several experiences with flocking in a group. Flocking is "A type of improvisation in which students move in groups, with no set pattern or in a diamond formation, following a leader and all doing the same movements simultaneously" (pg. 161). Each member in the group has an opportunity to choose a sequence of movements, and have others in the group follow them. I find the whole concept of flocking very powerful and inspiring to watch, as I can feel the energy between all of the members engaging in the movements. When I participated in flocking in class, I felt this sense of connection between the other members in my group; it was almost as if we were mentally connected in that moment and could anticipate the next move we were going to perform. I think that there is a lot of power that comes from a group of people moving as if they are one whole. Flocking can be used in both primary and junior grades. Obviously in the primary grades, students are more likely to use very basic movements, but as students get older they may want to experiment with more complex moves that challenge their bodies more. There is a lot of freedom in what students can do with the movements. To differentiate for students who have movement difficulties, single body parts can be used as well as verbal instruction. If there is a student in the class who cannot participate with his/her body, he/she is welcome to give verbal instructions for what the next move could be. Music can also be taken out, for children who struggle with sensory processing.
Expressing Emotions Through Dance
"People may not always tell you how they feel, but they will show you." This has got to be one of my favourite quotes out there, because it illustrates the complexity of human emotions. As it was said in the video, when you watch the expression of emotion through dance, you can always tell what the person dancing is going through. I think this is an exceptional concept to teach both primary and junior students. When individuals dance to demonstrate emotion, they are also demonstrating the elements of dance: body, energy, relationship, space and time. One of the concepts that is most prevalent in dancing with emotion is energy, as energy can be quite low and subdued when the dancer is sad, and quick and strong when the dancer is happy and full of life. When I become an educator with my own classroom, I will be teaching expressing emotions through dance, as I feel as though it is an effective way to help students learn more about each other. As the other dance techniques and strategies, this can be connected to literacy, science, social studies or drama class to act out a particular scenario or occurrence. Additionally, expressing emotions through dance can be differentiated in many ways. Children who are self conscious of moving elaborately can choose to use smaller and more controlled movements. Stories can be read to students, to evoke particular emotions that could create a movement piece. Emotions can also be demonstrated through dance with the use of particular music as well (as was done in my drama and dance class). For example, slow music with quiet and low undertones may be used to depict the feeling of sadness, and fast, upbeat music may be used to depict excitement or happiness. Children often come to understand emotions better when they are acted out (with music)! Some children will find it overly stimulating to dance with music on (especially if they have an exceptionality) and may choose to dance without music as an addition.
This video demonstrates the various emotions that youth experience throughout their lifetime. Instead of discussing all of them, the emotions were danced instead, to allow for a deeper understanding and perspective.
Mirroring
This dance strategy is particularly interesting, as it connects two different people together while simultaneously making the same movements. I think that mirroring can be an effective activity for students to gain a sense of self-confidence and develop leadership skills. Mirroring, as defined by the Ontario Arts Curriculum is "A type of improvisation. Two students face each other. Student A initiates the movement, while student B follows, maintaining eye contact as appropriate; students switch roles after a set time" (pg. 162). This strategy works because it allows both students to take ownership of what they are doing. One student has a chance to lead the actions and then the other students get the same opportunity. Both students are equal parts in the puzzle. This strategy is good for differentiation because students are not touching each other - they are just mirroring without touch. Many students who have exceptionalities struggle with body contact, so this is a form of dance that does not intrude on physical boundaries.
Space
The final element of dance I want to discuss is space. Space is included in the fundamental concepts for grades 1-6. Space is "The physical area in which the body moves; also the area surrounding the body" (pg.161). Space is extremely important in dance (and even drama) when considering students with special needs. Dance and drama can be a class where students forget they have a role to be responsible, and can often get off track and be silly. This occurs because of the movement and acting basis of dance and drama. Students with special needs (especially those with sensory processing difficulties) sometimes have difficulty with their concept of space, and others' concept of personal space. They can often get too close or stray too far away. Other students require a lot of space between themselves and someone else, and a student who does not have special needs may violate this need. During our dance classes this year, many of us touched upon the importance of making students aware of the space around them. Although space is all around us, children don't often realize how quickly it can become an issue until something happens. To get students thinking about space and boundaries, a "body mapping" exercise may be a good idea, so that they have a chance to visualize and draw out their body - making themselves more spatially aware. Educating children about personal space and making them aware of the space around them is extremely important to ensure a safe and fun dance class environment.
https://www.code.on.ca/resource/elements-dance
The code website has many resources that teachers can use to assist them with understanding and teaching the elements of dance.
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