Here's my SIG group - please feel free to join https://www.facebook.com/groups/1659347854293196/
I have an existing SIG via facebook with a group of dance teacher friends who i went to collage with. We use it to keep in touch etc. I have used my line of inquiry to start a new conversation and gain others thoughts. The general feeling is that often physical correction is the 'only way' to help a student achieve something but that parents are always made aware of a 'hands on' approach when joining the school.
This question has also opened up many others within my SIG; what is the correct way to teach? Should dance teachers have sort of rule regarding us being 'allowed' to physically correct children? Why has this become such an issue? Why/when did this start? Should we all attend a safeguardung course or just be aware of the governments policy in the UK?
I therefore began researching 'how' to teach; whether or not actual physical touch is mentioned as a tool that dance teachers must use as well as description and demonstration. Here are a few links i found when looking into physical correction and my line of inquiry:
(11/3/15)
'Participants were also invited to experience increased
responsiveness as they received skilled touch and/or verbal input as ‘fresh
stimuli’ from a somatic educator or therapist.
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.mdx.ac.uk/docview/208443641?pq-origsite=summon
Books:
Managing Dance: current issues and future strategies. By Linda Jasper and Jeanette Siddall
I will blog on the importance of the literature i have found most useful soon after a little more
That's a really interesting line of inquiry - I work with a dance teacher and we have had several conversations about this: dance teachers are advised to point to the space where the child should stand rather than lead them there (difficult with a class of ten or more four-year olds!) demonstrate and correct with words rather than hands on direction; if it is required to touch the child it has to be explained in a clear voice 'I am going to put my hand on your (e.g. stomach) to show you how to (e.g. pull in)' and should be done with the flat of the hand from an arms distance away from the child. At a recent conference it was also advised not to use the word 'bottom', as the correct term is 'gluteus maximus' and 'bottom' could be taken out of context!! It's getting a bit crazy I think....
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i completely agree i think things have become a little crazy and whilst the safety of children in your care is paramount all teachers are DBS checked and safeguarding policies and code of conducts are in place. I was teaching a pointe work class last night and attempted to not physically correct any of my students - impossible and also dangerous as without me guiding them into the correct placement they could injure themselves! interesting comment about using 'gluteus maximus' - not sure my primary ballets would understand if i asked them to tuck in their glutes! xx
ReplyDeleteHaha, exactly! There is surely a level of expectation with dance teaching that there has to be some form of contact? I remember my ballet teacher would grab our thighs and actively turn out our legs, or smack our butts if we weren't holding correctly!
DeleteWhile I'm obviously not condoning that sort of behaviour, I think there has to be some understanding among parents, carers, and the students themselves that sometimes hands-on contact is necessary. But then, could this lead to the understanding being abused? I've not heard of any cases of this happening in a dance teachers context, but there have been high profile cases of teachers abusing the trust of the students. (Playing devils advocate here, you understand?!)
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Certainly should be some level of understanding - a friend of mine actually gives out a document to parents explaining that a "hands on" correcting technique will be used during dance class. I guess the relationship between teachers in a school and teachers in a dance school would be different - i think it may be interesting to get a male dance teachers point of view on this subject....
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