Dance

Action Cards

     In our first dance lesson an activity that I really enjoyed was performing and communicating the story of a poem through body and movement. Each group was given a short poem that we then had to create a movement piece to describe the poem using 4 words that include the elements of dance. This activity was built upon previous activities where we explored how to create movement using different words using the elements of body, space, time, energy and relationship. The activity was challenging and inspiring for we had to generate a piece of work and plan and experiment how the movements would move into one another and how to incorporate the different words. The group had to revise our piece a few times to get it to how we wanted to portray the poem before we presented it to the rest of the class. In just this short activity that was all student led, we were able to cover the vast majority of the creative process.  I think that this is a great activity for students when dealing with understanding the text. Students are able to interpret what they read and portray that through movement. I also enjoyed how as an audience member, you are able to see your peers interpretations and expression of their piece, which may give you a different outlook from what you originally thought.

 Systems and Movements

     In class today, we used different elements of dance and choreographic forms in order to perform a human system of our choice. Prior to our task, we were introduced to the elements of body and space as well as the choreographical form of cannon. Through activities we experimented with levels, positive and negative space, and shapes. Once we were exposed to these elements, we were able to use and apply them to our final task. Our group chose to represent the respiratory system. Similar to the drama task of portraying the digestive system, I thought that this task was another creative and exciting way to show and understand science as well as dance elements. Each group was able to portray their chosen system suing the elements of dance in a unique way that was entertaining to watch, as well as education for we all got to learn about the other systems without having to read about them. I would definitely do this activity in my classroom if I was covering the human systems. I feel students will have as much fun as I did and it would be an experience that they will remember for a long time.

Scarves and Movement

     In dance class today, we were able to add the object of incorporating a scarf in our dance. Adding another element to our dancing was an interesting experience. I found that when you added the scarf into the dancing, then as a participant you weren’t so focused on the movement you were doing, since the scarf guided you on how to move. Our task was to move around with the scarf, throw it in the air, and catch it with different parts of our body, hold that pose for a few seconds and continue. Once you threw the scarf up in the air, you had no control of how it was going to land, so you have to improvise how you were going to catch it with the different parts of your body. This exercise made you think creatively of how you might catch the scarf with something other than your hand. Looking at my own experience and watching my peers, I saw many unique and interesting ways people were catching the scarf. This exercise made up aware of our body shapes and actions, showing us different ways to catch the scarf that we may not have thought of before. We were also using time when we had to freeze and hold the scarf for a few seconds. I would definitely use this exercise in my future classroom. I think that by using the scarf, students can become more comfortable with doing movements since the scarf takes some of the attention away from them. The scarf also allows for creativity in finding new ways and body positions to catch it. We were able to build upon these positions to further look at math using symmetry and asymmetry, further going into probability. There are so many ways to incorporate scarves into dance and music. Below is another example of how a class used scarves with dance movements. 

Chemistry and Dance

     Within this piece there were many Elements of Dance present. Body was used throughout the performance with the dancers using different body actions, shapes, locomotor and non-locomotor movements, body bases and use of body zones. When the dancers were embodying an atom and proton, they were moving around very fast and leaping to show how active they could be. Dancers were lifting each other up to show different elevations, they were carrying one another using different body parts, and the presenter sat on the back of a group of four dancers who were moving around on their hands and knees. The dancers also used space throughout the piece. There were moments when they were close together, far apart, moving in many different pathways and directions, staying together while moving in the different paths and directions, varying the size of their movements and using various levels from high to low. The element of time was also present in the dance. As mentioned in the previous response, in the example of the atoms and protons, the proton was moving very fast violent at first and then gradually came to a still moment. Another example is when the speaker was talking about super fluids and how it is able to slow photons down, there was a mass of dancers running across the stage when one was left behind to show how the photons are slowed down. This example slowed down time into a sustained, almost frozen moment. Different energies and relationships were used throughout the piece as well. There were moments of force where the dancers presented lightness or strength, the quality differed between smooth and erratically. The dancers showed relationship between the different shapes they were making and the way they were interconnected during times such as moments of lifts and weighing on one another. My overall response to the dancers and their dance is one of appreciation. Without the dancers present, the concepts of science that the speaker was describing would have been lost on me. The dancers allowed for the communication of a deeper and thorough understanding, which I really enjoyed and appreciated. In my classroom, I will encourage students to communicate assignments and ideas through dance, especially if it is a tougher concept to understand.

Storytelling 

The purpose of this lesson was to engage students in storytelling through different elements of dance. Students were able to use dance conventions and elements to depict global inequalities and the quality of life in different scenarios. When we were dealing with the geography curriculum, we were dealing with a tough and emotional subject. Many times when learning about social justice and global inequalities, many students just read about it and move on.

By incorporating dance to show student understanding of what global inequality is and the impacts of it, students are taking on that role of character of being in someone else’s shoes and really understanding the issue. When we express something with dance, we really have to understand the concept that us as dancers are trying to portray to make the performance real and life like. When you take on that role of a child who does not have access to clean water or a child who does not have the right to receive an education, you feel the emotions that they are feeling and are able to express with your body emotion and ideas that you may not be able to in writing. I love being able to tell stories through dance for I think that it brings out the creative side of students and you can get more meaning across from a performance. I would definitely use this activity in a future classroom of mine to allow students to explore the world around them using dance. Below is a video of a group who explored what it was like to be a child soldier through movement.