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Philosophy Of Early Childhood Dance Education |
By Tiina Hazelett on August 24, 2013 |
Pure Dance Works' tagline is, “Engage, Create, Shine!” At this age, a
child’s job is to play, and we make sure that everything we teach is presented
in a fun, engaging manner. Props such as scarves and instruments are often used
to help promote interest and facilitate an understanding and retention of the
skills being taught. Engage We first engage students with a conceptual approach that reaches beyond the typical experience that young children tend to encounter in a dance class. Specific dance concepts are presented at the beginning of each class and are then explored throughout the rest of the lesson. For example, if the weekly concept is Levels, we will write, “Levels” on the white board along with, “High, Middle, Low.” Children are asked to call out the name and sound of the first letter of each word, then the teacher reads the word and asks the students to repeat it. Next students are asked to give an example through movement of each word. This “See, Say, Do” introduction to the concept is followed by various uses of the concept as the class progresses through technique and skill building activities. Our weekly concept gives an added dimension to each skill practiced in class. For instance, rather than just asking students to stand in first position, first position is a zig-zag pathway on Pathway week, the angular shape of a pizza slice on Shapes week, and “heels kissing, toes apart” on Body Parts week. All skills are approached in this multi-faceted way weekly, giving students several levels of understanding, some of which each student will resonate with more than others. Create In ballet classes, three and four year old students create via structured free dances at the
conclusion of each class. They are encouraged to use the day’s concept in
whatever way they choose, often with a prop. In 5 and 6 year old classes,
students work in small groups to create short choreographic phrases based on
the skills and concepts that have been presented in class. This fun part of
class speaks to the multiple intelligences of logic smart (problem solving),
people smart (working with others), and word smart (fill in the blank
worksheets, word cards, and lists of skills and concepts to choose from). In our tap and musical theater classes, fun improv games wrap up each class, giving students a chance to create their own tap sequences or musical theater characters. Shine All
dancers need a time to shine and show what they have accomplished. Performance
is an important, confidence-building part of any dancer’s education. We do not
feel, however, that the typical year-end recital is always conducive to
learning for young children. Rather, we offer in-studio parent performances at
the conclusion of each 10 week session as well as an annual Pure Dance Party at
a larger venue. Both of these offer students the opportunity to dance in front
of an audience and demonstrate what they have learned as well as what they have
created. Please feel free to login and share your thoughts on this approach to early childhood dance education!
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