Tuesday, 29 September 2015

Looking beyond my own practice

I have been doing some research on community dance, something i have never taught or worked in, having always worked within the western codified environment, often working towards examinations and making progress on paper and in technique, rather than the creative aspect of dance.

Having grown up in the kind of dance school that i now work for, other teaching techniques are something i have little knowledge in. I trained in ISTD syllabus and was told ultimately what was right or wrong in order to pass my teaching exams. I have never taught much 'creativity' as i am normally focusing on helping children through their dance exams and correcting them in order to help them receive their desired grade by getting the syllabus right. Then when it comes to choreographing show pieces i am frustrated when children don't understand how to dance the emotion or feeling behind the music and movement. Does anyone on the course work or teach wihin a community dance school or work mainly on creativity and understanding?

I have found some interesting articles online which i will blog further about later on in the week. This one in particular mentions the coming together of technical and creative.

 http://www.communitydance.org.uk/DB/animated-library/in-its-purest-form.html?ed=14067


5 comments:

  1. Hi Leanne,

    Thanks for the link to this article. I'm doing research on dance teaching for people on the autistic range and improvisation features highly in this. I was very interested to read about the link in the article with Chichester college as this is where I am conducting some of my research. I think your comment about children not understanding the emotion you require for your choreography is interesting. Do you do any drama with your students? I have always found this works well in getting them to explore feelings. When you are teaching young children who have very little life experience and may not understand what is being asked of them artistically I find you have to tap into their way of thinking and use resources and topics that they can relate to in order to explore the feelings you want them to convey. I think it is important, even in syllabus work, to always go beyond the basic teaching of the mechanics of the movement and try with freework and improvisation to explore different themes that can lead them to a better understanding of the qualities behind the movements- e.g. to get a better understanding of the quality and meaning of a pas de chat for little ones I would do a section of the class about cats and get them to dance it as if they are a cat to get the essence of the jump. It makes learning the step fun and they have no difficulty remembering the meaning of the french vocabulary. I know that with time restrictions, and the fact that children seem to find it hard to remember these days, it sometimes takes up all lesson just trying to hammer home the syllabus for an exam, but the danger can be that they switch off and then you are fighting a losing battle. I think that striking a balance between creative dance and syllabus can create a more rounded dancer. It's a really good topic to explore.

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  2. Hi Lynn, thanks for your comment. Unfortunately we don't have any drama classes within our dance school. I do try to use imagery as much as possible, particularly when teaching young children, and find they do engage and play whereas its the older children in their teens who feel too self-concious to express themselves freely when dancing. I have always been a believer that dance should be for everyone due to the way it can make you feel but trying to get this message to older students and adults is definitely a battle! How are you finding your research?

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  3. I teach dance in lots of different community settings - primary schools, care homes, care centres, youth centres...My work can be very creative at times. Some of the classes I teach are purely creative movement based. I find the less I demonstrate and 'show' them what to do, the better as the children can explore how they want to move. I use lots of visual aids and a constantly use imagery to help them. I think it a really great tool to allow children to find expression in movement - but something that is easier to be open towards once you become familiar with it. I also teach in dance schools and as you have experienced, the students find it much harder to let their bodies take over and just move and instead opt for showing as many of their favourite dance steps as they can....I feel this is because they have been introduced to it too late and so its an alien concept to them!

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    1. Hi Stephanie, thanks for your comments. I'm a great believer in expression through movement and that dance should be for everyone and anyone but have got a bit stuck in the environment that i teach in and spend far too much time worrying about technique and progress on paper.
      It's great to hear from someone who works in an entirely different environment to myself and my co workers that i have interviewed. Would you be happy to answer my interview questions and quote anything said in order to compare the two different environments? L x

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    2. Hi Lianne, yes of course that's no problem :) If you would like to contact me directly then you can email stephvezmar@hotmail.com. Speak soon, Steph x

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