A MOVEMENT WAVE

I teach a creative ballet class at several early education schools.  I only see them for 30 minutes each week, and so learning, practicing and retaining any 'formal' ballet vocabulary can be challenging.  So the other day I came up with the idea of a movement wave.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I am a terrible blogger, I'll admit to that.  I certainly have alot more to say in person than I do on this type of format.  But, this year, I will try my best to be consistent in adding weekly posts. 

2013 is going to be a busy year in my household.  Both my husband and I are starting our Masters Programs.  I am excited about the prospect of having a study partner, although we are on two very different academic pathways.  I am also realistic about the commitment that these programs are going to require.  We have three kids, two dogs, he works fulltime and I run a business.  With no family around us, it can be challenging to juggle family life, work, school and play!!

2012 turned out to be a great year for DanceWorld.  We picked up several more clients, and had opportunities to teach in various settings, from public schools to preschools.  There are so many challenges I face when teaching in different school spaces.  Some spaces are really small, and some are reall big.  The one space that I find most challenging is the smallest space of them all.  It happens to be the throughfare between 3 classrooms and the bathrooms.  It is also the kitchen and the space that houses the lizards, frogs and fish!  I teach 6 classes in this space, each class with 10 children. Sometimes it can be chaos.  If one student goes to the bathroom, they all want to go!  One minute we are in the process of learning and leaping, and suddenly all the toddlers are halfway into the bathroom!  This can make for a very long process of trying to gain control and have some kind of lesson.  Any helpful advice on how to deal with this space?

I have a feeling that this year is going to be a busy, challenging  and yet exciting year.  I hope your year holds many wonderful adventures and growth opportunities, both in your personal and professional lives.

Samantha

COUNTERACTING THE IDEAL BODY IMAGE IN BALLET

Here is an essay I wrote for my Master's application.  It is in response to a statement that culture affects art.

Dance as art reflects and affects society (Banes 1994, 43).  As society's philosophical view changes, so does the aesthetic form in dance (Banes 1994, 44).  Indeed recent practices in ballet disrupt the classical body and push the boundaries of the philosophical heritage associated with ballet, challenging the ideals surrounding classicism (Parsons 2011, 2).  In an article for the New York Times, dance critic Alistair Macaulay comments on the impact of costuming (or lack thereof) on aesthetic changes in dance. 

When tights are removed from ballet, the art itself is changed…The look of the bare leg drastically changes the entire aesthetics of the form. Muscular details of thigh, knee, calf become suddenly distracting. The leg becomes real, the arabesque not.

Macaulay 2012, online

DOES TECHNOLOGY HURT OR AID EDUCATION?

I have always believed that dance education and dance as an interdiscplinary subject is undervalued and neglected in our society.  Recent readings not only support this belief further, but lay a case for the importance of movement and dance in education. 

IT'S A CHINESE NEW YEAR!!

Chinese New Year offers a wonderful opportunity to incorporate some form of dance education into almost every socio-cultural school subject and creative dance class.  As I prepare for tomorrow's kindergarten creative dance class, I realize just how many areas of discovery this topic can cover.

ACTIVE LEARNING

In my recent workshops with kindergartners I have explored 'academic' subjects through movement experiences (active learning).  The lessons are 40 minutes long, and I see them once a week.  I am amazed at how quickly they learn new concepts through movements.  We have explored the water / weather cycle and the food chain.   They can recall the lesson, the terminologies and concepts learnt, and relate the ideas back to me, verbally and through movement.  I wonder whether they would be as competent to recall these modules, had the been sitting at a desk for 40 minutes (passive learning). 

Movement experiences are very limited in the traditional learning environment.  Why?  Sir Ken Robinson, well-renowned educator and creativity expert links this idea of learning in public education to industrialisation.  In this anime adapted from one of his lectures, he goes on to argue why the public education system should change.  What do you think?

Plié Exercise for Intermediate Ballet Class (3/4 music)

 1 count = 1 bar

2nd position starting position

Working leg - Right

1-4       Head roll (down, left, back, right)
5-8       Cambré sideways towards barre
1-4       Recover
5-8       D/Plié, rise to d/pointe, straighten legs, lower heels [arm in 2nd]

1-8       2 Grand Pliés in 1st [with 1st port de bras]
1-4       Cambré forward, recover
5-8       Cambré backward, recover

1-4       Head roll (down, left, back, right)
5-8       Cambré sideways towards barre
1-4       Recover
5-8       D/plié, rise to d/pointe, straighten legs, lower heels [arm in 2nd]

1-8       2 Grande pliés in 4th
1-4       Cambré forward while in a deep lunge (fondu R, pointe tendu L) and recover to L
             tendu derriere
5-8       Parallel lunge, front leg bent, straight back leg calf stretch

Notes:  Ensure the exercise is performed in a slow, controlled manner.  Remind students that it is a warm-up and they need to ‘fill’ the music with the movement. 

USING IPOD APPS IN CLASS

I have been mourning the loss of my classic ipod for several months now.  I was in denial for a while and even went to the extreme lengths of watching and performing youtube 'surgery' to try and fix it.  But alas, it had flatlined!!  So a few weeks ago I bought an ipod touch to use in dance and movement classes.  I have been excited about the potential use of apps in class, and today I finally got the opportunity to use one very successfully in class.

MY TOES ARE OUT TO GET ME

Poetry in ballet class?  How does that work?  Well, applying dance to other areas of a student's life (cross-curricular teaching) is a wonderful way to help improve movement skills and enrich other areas of his/her life. 

THE IKEA BATHMAT THAT SAVES DANCE CLASS

One of the biggest time consumers in teaching young children is allocating and maintaining space.  SPACE in dance class is essential for safety and organization.  When I came across these affordable round, flat, washable, orange bath mats at Ikea I knew I had found 'gold' for my toddler and preschool classes.

DANCE AND LEARN

In this age of digital entertainment children choose television or video games over physical activity.  Plenty of publicity informs us that their inactivity and poor eating habits will affect their health and well-being as they grow.  But it is also becoming increasingly clear that there is a direct connection between physical and academic development.

THOUGHTS ON ADULT BALLET CLASS

Last night I taught my first adult ballet class.  When I was asked to give this class I accepted the opportunity with concerns.  I was told this was a big group of students with diverse abilities and aged from 18 to 81! 

EXPLORING COLOR THROUGH MOVEMENT

Picasso's 'The Dream'

I am always trying to add depth and value to my classes.  Perhaps then one day while sitting in science class one of my dance students will be able to recall data from dance class!!  Yesterday's post got me thinking about how effectively the color spectrum can be explored through movement.  Different colors vibrate at different speeds and travel at different wavelengths.  Tempo can be used to illustrate the different velocities of each color.  Blue vibrates faster than yellow which moves at a faster speed than red.  Wavelengths can be explored through short and long non-locomotor and locomotor movements and/or movement sequences.  Any other ideas on how to represent color in movement and dance?

TEACHING ART AND ARTISTS THROUGH CREATIVE MOVEMENT

I become very excited when I find books that I can use to add value to my dance classes.  "Pablo Picasso - Art for Children" by Ernest Raboff (1982) not only includes vivid pictures of the artists work by also interpretations of each piece.  I cannot wait to use them, especially this one on "The Rooster".  Here are some ideas I have...First explore movement dynamics using concrete images, such as the strong rooster vs a bird that conjures images of grace and gentleness like a swan perhaps.  Select music that reflects these movements and aids the students to use different space, rhythm and energy.  Secondly the shape and forms in the drawing can be interpreted through dance.  The zig-zag and sharp lines of the roosters crown and beak can be shaped in the body as well as in locomotor movements (skips or running and stopping abruptly).  The rounded belly and soft curves of the tail also allows for contrast between linear and round, sharp and soft.  Thirdly there is opportunity to explore dance through color.  How would you move if you were the red crown as opposed to the blue body or the yellow tail? 

This kind of lesson is both fun and educational.  Dancers end up interpreting and internalising Picasso's work kinesthetically. Have you used this type of teaching in your dance classes?  Do you have any other ideas on incorporating this into your teaching?

DALI'S "HOMAGE TO TERPSICHORE"

During my recent visit to Paris I went to the Dali museum with a friend of mine.  Dali's perception of the world had me engrossed as I viewed his soft watches, elephants, eggs and secret drawers.  I was more than delighted to stumble upon a sculpture named "Homage to Terpsichore".  This is what is written underneath the sculpture:

"Terpsichore is one of the famed nine Mythological muses.  In creating his version of the muse of dance Terpsichore, Dali uses a reflected image, seeing the soft, carnal muse against the hardened statue one.  The lack of definition in both faces clearly underlines the purely symbolic significance of these uses.  The dancer with the smooth and classical form represents the ever-growing and chaotic rhythm of modern life.  Both figures dance side by side in everyone"

Date:  conceived in 1977, first cast in 1984

Material:  bronze

Technique:  lost wax process

CHILDREN WHO HAPPEN TO DANCE

I have a new student who is all smiles when she is in class.  Her excitement and enthusiasm is exhilirating!  She is focussed, attentive and keen to learn.  Of course, these types of students make teaching and training a much easier and joyful experience for us.  But it should be our goal as dance teachers to inspire and light a passion within each and every student.  I wonder what percentage of dance students go on to professional dance careers?  What happens to all those other tens of thousands of dance students?  Do we neglect to give them value for their thousands of dollars spent and hundreds of hours in dance practice.  I hope not.  I hope we ensure that the value of dance does not lie in its movement alone otherwise these students could gain just as much from soccer practice or tennis (and have spent alot less money).  No, the value of dance lies in its status as an art and in its diversity as an educational and therapeutic tool.  Think about how you can improve the value of your teaching by not just looking at each child as a dancer, but by looking at each child as a human being (physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual) who happens to dance.

BAND ON THE RUN

Pain is something all runners and dancers deal with occasionally and certain injuries are common to both these activities  A friend of mine told me she suffers from Iliotibial Band Syndrome, and this is one such injury that runners and dancers have in common.  This condition causes pain along the outside of the knee (where the inflammation is likely to occur) and makes flexion and extension of the knee painful.  Because this ligament is attached to the tensor fascia latae (TFL) as well as the gluteus medius it is advisable to focus on all of these areas to 'cover all your bases'.



WHAT IS THE ILIOTIBIAL BAND?

The iliotibial band (ITB) is the thickened tissue of the fascia latae and runs along the outside of your leg, stretching from the hip down to the knee.  It is attached to the TFL and gluteus medius.  The purpose of the iliotibial band is support the TFL and gluteus medius with abduction of the leg.  It is also used along with the gluteus medius for rotation of the leg.  



HOW DOES IT BECOME IRRITATED?

If the TFL and glutes are weak, the ITB becomes overworked. It can also become irritated by continuous rubbing across the femoral condyle.  Other factors that can contribute to ITB syndrome are pronation of the feet, rotation in the legs / feet and bow legs



WHAT CAN I DO TO FACILITATE THE HEALING PROCESS?

Both stretching and strengthening of the hip abductors will help decrease the work load given to the ITB.  Also deep tissue massage (with a pinky ball / tennis ball or foam roller) will release tension in the ITB, further facilitating the healing process.  For today I want to deal with deep tissue massage.  Deep tissue massage helps to release muscle tension, knots and break up scar tissues which can affect the lengthening ability of the muscle.  Don't forget to breath during the sessions and to really try to relax.  The density of the equipment is really important.  If the balls or foam rollers are too dense (hard) they could hurt you, so try find ones that have a little give (I use tennis and foam ballistic balls).

Pinky Ball / Tennis Ball Massage

Place the ball over the affected area and apply as much or as little pressure as you slowly roll it.  Initially it may be very sensitive, so ease up on the pressure.  What you are trying to achieve is to slowly release the tension in the tissue.  Remember to avoid bruised or swollen areas, and do do no more than 2 - 3 minutes at a time.  The best time to perform this is in the afternoon or at night when your hormones are at their highest level making stretching and relaxing more efficient.  Also  after a warm bath, when the muscles and tissues are warm.  You can also place the ball between yourself  and the wall (standing) and slowly roll it along and around the ITB that way.

Now move the ball to the surrounding muscles i.e. the gluteus and TFL and continue slowly massaging and releasing any tension in those areas.  The more you do this the more relief you will experience in these areas.  Should you wish to take this further, you can perform these same massages prior to your running or dancing activity to prevent soreness.

Foam Roller Massage

Lie on the ground with the foam roll underneath the outside portion of your thigh. Places just under your hip bone.  You want to have three points of contact on the floor (see picture) by placing the same side elbow (or hand) and the opposite foot on the ground.  Press and roll back and forth over the outside portion of your thigh. Slowly working it down to just above the knee.  This may take several tries as it can be very painful.  So take is easy!  Roll for 30-60 seconds and then switch legs. To increase pressure, take your opposite leg off the floor and stack it on top of the opposite thigh (only one point of contact).

I hope this helps aid you in your recovery!  Good luck.

PLANNING AHEAD FOR DANCE CLASS

I have been spending the last few days planning for the new dance year and I am not even close to being finished.  At times it can be very intimidating and I want to fall into the easy pattern of just recording the steps that I feel each class should master before the year end.  However, this accomplishes very little as all they learn is to master the execution of the step/s and not the process or the understanding of the elements involved.  You know that saying "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime".  I can give dance students so much more in terms of training and teaching if I focus on the skills and elements they require in order to perfect the step/s.  In so doing I don't just give them dance, I teach them to dance (focusing the teaching objectives on process in order to perfect execution). 

 

There are three sections to focus on:  objectives, assessments and instruction.

• Objectives = what you want them to learn
• Assessment = how well they demonstrate the skill
• Instruction = how you teach them

 

Each section will start from a long-term plan (curricula) and end in short-term plans (individual lessons).  Perhaps you want to group individual lessons into an overall unit (semester) using a specific theme as a cohesive element.  All this preparation and planning makes training and teaching so much easier.  You will enter each class with an idea of what you want to accomplish during that lesson, and how it applies to the objectives for the year.  It may seem like alot of work but preparation is the key to success (both in and out of the studio).

 

Objectives should be SMART:

 

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Time Bound

This means that I will not use the example below for a class of 4-year olds!!

Let me give you an example:

Ballet 3

Long Term Objective
Demonstrate use of articulated footwork

Assessment
Demonstrate evidence of articulation during class through demi-pointe and pointe work.  Criteria would include relaxed metatarsals in demi-pointe, alignment of foot, use of intrinsic foot muscles evidenced in lengthening of metatarsals in pointe to name a few.  An initial assessment will be performed to assess each students range of motion in ankle and metatarsals.

Instruction
Discussion and worksheets to teach foot anatomy and what happens during weight bearing and non-weight bearing exercises.
Exercises using therabands, scarves and pinky balls to strengthen and relax intrinsic muscles
Specific commands during class to encourage awareness of articulation during barre and center exercises
Viewing of chosen clips from dances for students to observe and critique


Now that I have identified a long-term objective along with my assessments and instruction, I will break this down into units and then specific lesson plans.  I will also want to use different teaching methods to keep class interesting and reach all students.  Examples of methods include demonstration, practice, problem-solving, partnering and collaboration.  I will start though by using a few minutes from the first several lessons to conduct the individual assessments which will give a base line for each students range of motion.

All in all I have 10 objectives for this class.  You may have noticed that I did not include specific steps or movements for the objective.  I do have a list of movements / steps that I want them to be able to perform successfully by year-end (a measurable objective indeed).

I hope this makes some sense to you.  Sorry to rush this, but I have plenty of planning to do.....

"Good teaching connects creativity to technique and technique to creativity" (Chris Thomson)

 

 

References

Gough, M (1999) Knowing Dance:  A Guide of Creative Teaching.  Dance Books Ltd, London.

McCutchen, B (2006) Teaching Dance as Art in Education.  Human Kinestics, Champaign, Illinois.

NEW SCHOOL YEAR'S RESOLUTION

As we prepare ourselves for a new school year why not make a resolution to really contribute to the health and well-being of our dance students. After all, it is in our best interest to keep our client-base healthy, happy and injury-free. Some of us may find this hard as it may mean reevaluating what and how we teach, but rest assured, this is a good thing. By burying old traditional methods and looking into current techniques available to us (through dance science and psychology) we not only stay on the forefront of new and exciting developments, but enable ourselves to deliver the best possible training to our students.

A Balancing Act: What not to do

© Matt A. Chapman

Balance is not a constant, but invariably changes with the minutest of influences.  The process of learning to balance is continuous for the dancer, not only affected by mechanical forces but also by the dancer's emotional, psychological and mental state at that moment in time.  In addition, the body needs to make slight adjustments as the dancer anticipates the next movement and any unnecessary tension in the body will impair the dancers ability to balance or to balance well.  This tension is inadvertently taught to our students by making them believe that balance is static - something you find and keep. To make students hold poses excessively further instills this tension and conflict.  Adding fuel to the fire (and one of the biggest mistakes we make as dance teachers) we also use cues such as "pull up" and "tuck under" thinking  these words will fix the problem when we observe students struggling to "hold" their balance.  We know those signs - students hopping around, twisting the torso and throwing the arms around to control their balance.  By being too specific with our cues, we force our students to focus on a particular part of the body and interfere with their neuromuscular process and proprioceptive ability (where each part of the body is in space). Instead, it is more productive and constructive to allow dancers to learn balance through trial and error by being more guiding rather than commanding.  Encourage them to embrace the learning process by creating an environment where it is ok to make mistakes - to be their own problem solvers.  If they fear humiliation and reprimand they will not be free to explore and learn.  Regularly add unexpected changes of direction and quick weight shifts throughout the class.  Teach them to be alert and prepared for any balance challenge.  Through this process they will not only become better dancers, but learn to trust themselves and their abilities.

If you are looking for more specifics about this topic read this article in the current bulletin from the IADMS Understanding Balance: Applying Science to Dance Training.

"Education consists mainly of what we have unlearned." ~Mark Twain