Expert Contributor by Sheila Turner From the Top Studio of Dance
Dance in the Digital Age: How Exploring the Past Connects Us to the Present
To say that teaching dance these days is drastically different from what most instructors experienced in their youth is a bit of an understatement. From Instagram to TikTok, YouTube to Dubsmash, it’s more likely than not that you’ve found your teen giggling and jumping around in the basement, learning the latest dance challenge, recording it, and hoping to make it to the “For You” page. If all of this app talk has your head spinning, you’re not alone! Keeping up with the trends and sometimes not-so-safe viral challenges poses quite a dilemma both in and out of the
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classroom. And while dance teachers want to make their classes current and relevant to this digital generation, they must also help their students become well-rounded dancers by teaching, explaining and showing them that their present always contains the past. The origins and roots of dance are centered around culture and the fabric of our society. Dance has often been used as a way to understand diversity, values, social change, rebellion, happiness and connection. But as dance has evolved and become “virtually” accessible, we fear that some of its history has been lost. Take for instance The Charleston. Although it’s most commonly known as a step from the 1920s that has found its place among many genres of dance today, its origin dates back hundreds of years to the Ash-Antes Peoples of Africa. According to www.StreetSwing.com, the Charleston dance evolved during the Ragtime-Jazz period but it was performed as early as 1903 in the Southern States. By the 1920s, with the end of World War I and the passage of the 19th Amendment, women (Flappers) were free to move their heels and kick their legs, in celebration of the dawn of a new era. So, although we can teach The Charleston by simply showing and explaining the steps, learning the history of this iconic movement is what gives it meaning and connection. It allows a dancer to understand the significance and appreciate the journey, which in turn lends itself to a more meaningful performance. It is, no doubt, tough these days to keep up with the lightningfast world we live in. But beyond the apps, challenges and trending topics, we have the ability and responsibility to give our dancers the opportunity to take a few steps back to bring them forward. NS
