Consequences…

I previously blogged about the importance of warming up before any physical activity.  Well I am living proof of the consequences not taking that advice causes.  The other morning at my dance class I opted out of the warm-up for some simple stretching instead.  As a result, my muscles were stretched, but not warm.  I ended up pulling a muscle in my leg.  If there is one thing that feels worse and is more annoying than warming up properly, it’s limping around with a sore leg.  So I will repeat again WARM UP!

 

Nothing to report…

Another dance class tonight.  Nothing really out of the ordinary.  We worked on basic movements and then practiced our repetoire of dances again, and again.  You know what they say, practice makes perfect! (it also makes you tired…)

Proper attire…

I taught another children’s dance class today.  This time the kids were a little older (about 12 years old).  I was all ready to dance with my dance clothes on and I see these kids walking into MY class in jeans.  I thought to myself, “Are you kidding me?”  How were these kids supposed to dance and move in jeans?  In addition, who’s great idea was it to send your kids to a dance class where they will be stretching and bending and moving in jeans?  What all people should where to any class where they will be moving around is clothes that stretch with your body.  Moreover, these clothes should not be overly cool, but they also should not over heat you.  You should also be comfortable in these clothes.  If you are uncomfortable in your clothes, you will be uncomfortable with the movements, etc.

Girls dance…

Today we began working on a girls only dance.  I love working on these kinds of dances because it gives us girls a chance to show off and perform things that we would otherwise not be able to do.  Ukrainian dancing is often focused on the boys.  The boys are the ones that do most of the tricks and show off, therefore they are more recognized for their dancing skill.  Girls are often put on the background.  Sure we get a solo here and there, but mainly it is all about the boys.  Anyway, I am really excited about this dance.  It is going to be difficult but very beautiful.  I am looking forward to performing this at Mosaic.

Teaching children to dance…

I had the opportunity to assist in teaching a beginner and novice dance class today.  It was quite the learning experience.  The number thing that learned during my time in this class was that management of the students is key.  When I talk about management, I do not just mean the way in the students are organized and kept under control;  I am also talking about the way in which the educator communicates with the children.  Because these children were so young (ages 4-6), one must use simple terms when describing the movements you want them to perform.  It is also very important to relate these movements to things that the children may be familiar with.  For example, if you want the students to reach tall, you can ask them to be a very tall tree.  My relating movements to familiar objects, you are also allowing the students to internalize the motions, therefore they will be able to recall and repeat the movements much more easily!

Creativity…

Today in my dance class, we were challenged to be creative and come up with a sequence to a particular piece of music.  I have found that being creative in dance is not my forte..yet.  Having been in dance classes my entire life, I am used to being told what to do, when to do it, and where to go.  Choreography and structure is what I have become accustomed to.  As a result, when someone asks me to do whatever I want to, I feel overwhelmed and confused.  I believe being free and creative in your dancing skill is something that needs to be practiced, at least for me.  I slowly became more comfortable with this idea and it ended up not as scary as I thought.  I still had a very good dance class.

As a side thought, here is a great way to incorporate creativity and dance into the curriculum.  Take a look!

I love learning new things…

Tonight’s dance class taught me a really important lesson;  it is important to keep things new, exciting, and fresh.  People, especially now-a-days, get bored really easily.  This is the same for students in class.  That is why starting something new is always so fun and exciting.  It really makes you remember why you are participating in the first place and creates a new sense of appreciation.  Thought repetition is also very important as well, there are ways in which educators can repeat and practice the same skills through different activities.

Waking me up…

I love dancing.  One of the reasons that I love dancing so much is the fact that it has the ability to wake you up and invigorate your body and mind.  After every dance class, no matter how hard or easy, I feel so full of life.  In addition, I find dance class makes you feel more self confident.  Just the other day, I woke up early Sunday morning to go to class.  I was tired like most people would be early Sunday morning, but I found that my dance class woke me up!  In fact, it invigorated me so much that I felt motivated to go home and finish my homework (no I am not just making this up).  I wrote 2 essays that day…

In the end, I think a little physical activity can go a long way.  Whether it is dance or another form, being physical is beneficial to the body, mind, soul, and potentially your school grades as well.

Where’s all the boys?…

Having danced for as long as I have, I have seen a big change in dance class participation and attitudes.  Although dance has of course always been dominantly female, I have recently seen a consistent decrease in not only the interest of males in dance class, but a lack of participation and dedication of the males that are already involved.  Why is this?  Now it would be easy to blame the parents.  Parents do seem to appreciate and prefer sports over arts, but these are not just young boys I am talking about; the males I am referring to are grown men (well almost-ages 16 to 30).  Now I understand being busy and having many other things to have to focus on, but being extremely busy myself and still being fully committed to dance class, I tend not to have very much sympathy nor understanding.  I found that boys tend to value things a little differently than girls.  Moreover, their values and priorities change regularly.  This often puts dance, or any other kind of commitment on the back burner.  So how can we get boys interested in dance?  I have a few suggestions:

1. Start your students dancing when they are young.  Children at younger ages have zero inhibitions.  In this way, they will try anything without worrying about what they look like.  If you are able to hook boys early and teach them dance is for them too, they will develop a sense of appreciation for dance and its benefits as the years pass.
2. Have your dance class in a neutral setting.  Do not have it in a room with pink walls and pictures of ballet everywhere.  This tends to immediately turn boys off from participating.
3. Have dance classes that are geared toward boys and the things that boys are interested in.  Creating movements based on a popular movie or comic book are good ideas that encourage boys to try.  In addition, using music and rhythms that are exciting and engaging to boys also helps.
4. Constantly remind boys that dance is a physical and athletic activity.  Challenge their abilities and make them tired!  This way they will really understand how active dance can really be.

So, can we get boys interested in dance?

14 Reasons Why All Children Should Dance

1. Dance education aids the development of kinesthetic intelligence.

2. Dance education creates opportunities for self-expression and communication within the constraints of the medium of the body.

3. Dance, whether representational, thematic, or abstract, is a repository of civilization that changes through time.

4. Dance education teaches the values and skills of creativity, problem solving, risk taking, making judgments in the absence of rules, and higher-order thinking skills.

5. Dance provides an opportunity for students to recognize that there are multiple solutions to problems.

6. The study of dance fosters an individual’s ability to better interpret interpersonal nonverbal communication.

7. Dance education provides a strong base from which to analyze and make informed judgments about corporeal images.

8. Learning the dances of other cultures helps students to develop an understanding and respect for them.

9. Through stimulating all the senses, dance goes beyond verbal language in engaging dancers and promoting the development of multisensory beings.

10. Dance provides options to destructive alternatives in a world that is unpredictable and unsafe for children.

11. Dance education prepares people for careers in dance and other fields.

12. Dance enhances an individual’s lifelong quality of life.

13. Participation in dance benefits our communities economically.

14. Dance education helps students develop physical fitness, appreciation of the body, concern for sound health practices, and effective stress management approaches.