FALL 2021, ISSUE 17
daCi USA Newsletter Dance and the Child International | USA Chapter INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Dance for the Very Young: Movement, Play, and Relationship......................... 4 daCi USA Days of Dance "Be Where Our Feet Are"......................................... 9 Seasonal Musical Instruments....................... 11 Member Spotlight: Hannah Park..................... 13 Lesson Plan: "Coyote Steals Fire: A Native American origin story" ....................... 15 Lesson Plan "Force" ...... 19 Recommendation Zone ..................................... 21 Voices of Young Dancers .............................. 23 daCi USA Bulletin Board.................................... 26 News & Events ................. 27
Chair's Message Dear daCi USA members, Living in the northeast, I feel fortunate to experience all four seasons…okay, winter lasts a little longer than I would like, but I love the warm, sunny days and cool, crisp nights of autumn. The season ignites all my senses. The other day, I held my class outdoors and as we formed our closing circle, my thoughts went to how passionate I am about this art form, how it impacts our youth and our world, and how the daCi mission brings it all to light. Our mission acknowledges that in addition to the kinesthetic benefits, dance is social and emotional learning, community-building, cultural
humility, social justice, global engagement, and…well, all that makes us good humans. This sense of belonging was so prominent during Be Where Our Feet Are, the 2nd annual daCi USA National Day of Dance. Although virtual, we were creating with and connecting to one another. In this next year, we encourage you to use the organization’s seed money to dance together locally or even regionally, following your area's guidelines and protocols. We invite you to join our global family for Dancing into Communities, the 15th international conference hosted in Toronto, Canada from July 10-15, 2022. And be sure to hold the end of July/beginning of August 2023, when we will be coming together to dance at the daCi USA National Gathering at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. We will be celebrating so much at this Gathering, including the 25th anniversary of daCi USA. I, along with this dedicated daCi USA board, are proud to have completed a very productive first year of leading this amazing organization. Despite a year of uncertain and unusual times, we seized opportunity and found energy and solace in working together to reassess and reimagine current practices. Most importantly, we explored new ideas that will propel us forward as a passionate, vibrant, diverse, and multi-generational community of dancers, dance educators, and dance enthusiasts. It is an exciting time to be a member of daCi USA.
Joy Guarino with her cat Kane in Buffalo, NY,
I hope you and your loved ones are happy, healthy, and safe! Warmly, Joy Guarino
2
Editor's Corner Greetings, daCi USA members! Things seem to be moving to a new normal, at least here in Philadelphia. My teaching is scooting along, albeit with the ever-present masks. In the past week I saw two live dance performances! It was beautiful to hear the footfalls and the breathing of the performers and to feel their connection to the audience. There is hope on the horizon!
Among the dance practices that have given me hope and sustained me during the pandemic is an outdoor neighborhood dance collective that meets weekly. It is a ragtag group of dance enthusiasts with backgrounds that include folk dance, belly dance, African dance, concert forms, dance therapy and more -- dance nerds of one kind or another. We warm up, experiment with improvisation prompts, crowdsource dance phrases and sometimes devise small dances. It’s fun and joyful, and reminds me that dance can take place in parking lots, in the dusk, among strangers and friends.
article on dance for the youngest among us. We are also glad to bring you a report from Deborah Lipa-Ciotta, member from Buffalo, on the recent successful daCi Days of Dance. We share a Member Spotlight on Hannah Park, and continue our practice of sharing lesson plans from around the daCi sphere, this time from Washington and Utah. This issue inaugurates the daCi Bulletin Board, a place to share announcements, requests, and other member communications. Keep sending your contributions for the Recommendation Zone so that we can all be inspired and enlightened, and continue to share the perspectives of your students in the Voices of Young Dancers. Send it all to newsletter@daciusa.org. And ongoing thanks to Heather Francis for her design skills and energy! Best wishes to all for a good, dance-filled fall,
Mady Cantor
The hospitable convenor of this group Is Monica Frichtel, a dance researcher and practitioner who wrote, for this issue, an 3
DANCE FOR THE VERY YOUNG: MOVEMENT, PLAY, AND RELATIONSHIP by Monica J. Cameron Frichtel As a dance educator, my classes have included participants spanning decades − infants, children, adults, and seniors. It has been a privilege to engage creatively with all of them through dance. Within this broad spectrum of ages, I have found that there is a unique energy that the youngest dancers − infants, babies and toddlers − bring to class. About seven years ago I had an opportunity to develop and teach a dance curriculum for this young cohort of students and their caregivers. Classes were offered in local libraries, a dance studio, and a multi-purpose community arts space. Recently, I have turned my attention to researching best practices in teaching children under age three and their adult caregivers. My study is informed by dance education literature and by conversations with expert teachers and artists who shared insights from their years of practice. One of the main outcomes of the study is the conceptualization of dance for the very young in terms of three interconnecting and overlapping dance processes—movement, play, and relationship. I would be remiss not to mention that others, including Luna Dance Institute,
have envisioned dance curriculum in similar ways. A more fully developed manuscript based on the study is set to be published by Palgrave MacMillan as a chapter in Dancing Across the Lifespan: Negotiating Age, Place, and Purpose, edited by Doug Risner, Pam Musil, and Karen Schupp.
Dance for the very young is a term borrowed from a theatre movement that began in London in the late 1970s, known as Theatre for the Very Young or TVY. TVY typically recognizes children under five and their adult caregivers as actively engaged audience members and participants. I envision dance for the very young in comparable ways, creating spaces for young children and their adult caregivers to move, create, play, connect, develop, and grow as members of communities. Understanding child development and how children come to know the world informs the choices dance educators make as they develop environments to support children and their caregivers.
MOVEMENT Young children come to understand the world through movement. This is the first way children begin to make meaning, according to Lev Vygotsky,
seminal 20th century psychologist focused on child development. Childcaregiver dance creates unique opportunities to support continued understanding and development through exploration of movement in novel ways. Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen’s work has significantly expanded the field’s knowledge and practice of developmental movement patterns. This is particularly evident in my conversations with prominent dance practitioners and educators, who are invested in work with very young children. Anne Green Gilbert of the Creative Dance Center in Seattle, created the BrainDance, a warm-up guided by “fundamental movement patterns that babies discover in the first year.” Nancy Ng from Luna Dance Institute in Berkeley explores movement with babies and their mothers through a practice in which participants move through a series of “progressive developmental movements,” such as laying on the floor and curling and stretching, lifting the head from a belly-down position, crawling, using the arms and a surface such as a wall to pull up to standing, and walking. In Vancouver, BC, Julie Lebel from Foolish Operations has a creative dance practice with very young dancers and their parents which begins with a warmup “informed by
neuro-developmental movement patterns” that includes mirroring and movement. For all of these dance artists and educators, an understanding of child development guides their work. In child-caregiver dance, the adult supports the child’s exploration of movement, while also exploring movement themselves. For infants and prewalkers, especially, but also for young and competent walkers and movers, the caregiver creates opportunities for the child to experience movement on different planes, varying levels, and in multiple directions. Adult dance partners create physical opportunities that would otherwise not be available to the children. A parent lifts a baby high into the air and gently turns. Both the child and caregiver experience the vestibular motion of spinning. A caregiver may hold the hands of a toddler as the child pulls away, experimenting with counterbalance. Dance educators facilitate an environment where movement can be explored with minimal risk. Adult participants carry, hold, move, and respond to their very young dance partners. They have the opportunity to 5
evaluate, mitigate, and encourage risk while becoming aware of developmental skills.
PLAY Creative play is central to dance experience for the very young. It offers opportunities to make choices and is characterized by exploration, discovery, and improvisation. The relationship between dance and play has been theorized by dance scholars such as Karen Bond and Sue Stinson, Jan Deans and Susan Wright, Carolien Hermans, and Nancy Ng. Through play, children learn and develop. Anne Green Gilbert describes dance for the very young as “free play and parent education.” She says, “We teach [the parents] how to be on the floor and have interactive playtime.” Similarly, Nancy Ng articulates the importance of educating caregivers by communicating the socio-emotional values of play and the importance to “mindfully craft dance activities that are play-based.” Naming what is happening in the dance environment attunes participants to the experience, placing value on what may easily go unnoticed — the creative problem solving of maneuvering through an obstacle course or the improvisational movement relationship with a scarf.
Props and games invite and guide play. I use balls, scarves, musical instruments such as shaker eggs and rhythm sticks, felt leaves and snowflakes, circles cut out of yoga mats, foam noodles, and large fabric sheets as some of the ‘toys’ of dance class. Playing with songs and rhythms, stopping and going, variations of peek-a-boo, and obstacle courses are foundational to the games that I use to structure dance class for the very young.
Yoga mat circles create markers that can be danced on or serve as islands where dancers find stillness. Toddlers can balance the circles on their heads, or use them as steering wheels for driving their ‘cars’ as they explore fast and slow. I use felt leaves and snowflakes in games of catching, collecting and falling. Scarves provide a myriad of options for hiding and discovering. Balls can be rolled, caught and held. Children and adults can sit, bounce and roll on balls of different sizes. Adults guide, support, balance and play with children as they experience movement with the balls. Play invites engagement in movement and relationship between the child and caregiver, and also among the childcaregiver dyads. 6
RELATIONSHIP Child-caregiver dance classes create opportunities to reinforce relationships between children and parents and other caregivers. For the very young, secure relationships are essential to support development according to psychological and educational research. Dance offers relationship-building where caregivers dedicate focused time engaging with children. Positive experiences in dance may inspire and extend play, movement and relationship-building at home.
Dance for the very young creates opportunities to model and practice developmentally appropriate play and engagement, building competence and confidence in those caring for the very young. Nancy Ng describes curricular approaches of Luna Dance Institute’s Moving Parents and Children Together (MPACT) program. The curriculum offers opportunities for parents to learn about child development while simultaneously engaging their children. Motor and socio-emotional skill development is discussed. Parents
physicalize stages of movement development, embodying an understanding of developmental movement and practicing being with their young children in intentional ways. Improvisational dances such as mirroring, call and response, moving with props, invite participants to relate to one another and the environment. Carolien Hermans theorizes this as relational play. Anne Gilbert describes caring dance as a practice of relating to one another. She recalls her teaching of parent-infant dance classes, “It’s parentinfant couples coming together...it's almost like a folk dance.” Adults may be invited to mirror the movements of their young dance partners. Often very young children organically begin mirroring their adult dance partners. Even babies will begin to mimic the simple movements of their caregivers—facial expression, hand clapping, and covering the eyes are commonly some of the first movements. Similarly, a call and response structure often begins with the same movements. The adult and toddler take turns stomping feet or using a scarf to hide and reveal their faces while exclaiming “boo!” This is often followed by many giggles. Importantly, such relational play establishes expectations of attending to others, taking turns and building relationships. In my dance curriculum for very young children, every movement activity is an invitation to explore, play, and relate. Toddlers are free to dance with caregivers, alone, or with others. 7
Sources Bond, K.E., and Stinson, S.W. (2000/2001). "I feel like I'm going to take off!": Young people's experiences of the superordinary in dance. Dance Research Journal, 32(2), 52-87. Bond, K.E., and Stinson, S.W. (2007). “It's work, work, work, work”: Young people's experiences of effort and engagement in dance. Research in Dance Education, 8(2), 155-183.
Opportunities to move away from caregivers, explore independently, and return to trusted adults is fundamental to attachment theory’s understanding of a healthy and secure parent-child. In the child-caregiver relationships, the caregivers facilitate and participate in an environment where infants, toddlers, and young children are brought into a community—relating and engaging with others, while also fostering the more intimate child-caregiver relationship.
Movement, play, and relationship are interconnected themes that cannot be fully extracted from one another. Framing these themes separately provides an opportunity to consider the relationship of each to dance for the very young and in relation to the other two themes. For me, conceiving of dance for the very young in terms of movement, play, and relationship reminds me of the possibilities that dance can support and encourage human development in significant and meaningful ways. Monica Cameron Frichtel is a dance educator interested in the experience of dance across the lifespan and especially for the very young. She is currently an Assistant Adjunct Professor at Temple University and can be reached at mfricht@temple.edu.
Bruner, J. (1967). Studies in cognitive growth: A collaboration at the Center for Cognitive Studies. New York: Harvard University. Deans, J., and Wright, S. (2018). Dance-Play and drawing-telling as semiotic tools for young children's learning. London: Taylor and Francis. Gilbert, A. G. (2006). Brain-compatible dance education. VA: National Dance Association. Hermans, C. (2019). Becoming animal: Children’s physical play and dance improvisation as transformative activities that generate novel meanings. Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices 11(2), 157-175. Kaplan, L. (1978). Oneness and separateness: From infant to individual. New York: Simon and Schuster Ng, N. (2020). Dance play is serious business: Young minds require freedom. In Dance (Jan/Feb), 9. https://dancersgroup.org/2020/01/dance-play-isserious-business-young-minds-require-freedom. Vygotsky, L. (2004). The function of signs in the development of higher mental processes. English edition: Rieber, R. (1999). (Trans: Hall, M.J.). In Rieber, R. and Robinson, D. (Eds.). The essential Vygotsky (pp. 539-550). Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers: New York. (Original work published 1982-1984). Warburton, E., Reedy, P., and Ng, N. (2014). Engaging families in dance: An investigation of moving parents and children together. International Journal of Education and the Arts, 15(1), 1-26. Nancy Ng, personal communication, October 25, 2020, November 24, 2020 Julie Lebel, personal communication, January 4, 2021 Anne Green Gilbert, personal communication, December 21, 2020
daCi USA Days of Dance "Be Where Our Feet Are" by Deborah Lipa-Ciotta Covid kept us from coming together for our 7th National Gathering at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, originally scheduled for the summer of 2020. Nonetheless we persevered, organized and gathered virtually for our second annual daCi Days of Dance and what a wonderful three days it was! The weekend centered around our theme “Be Where Our Feet Are” as well as the National Day of Dance. Participants celebrated, danced, created and came together as a daCi community. Our feet were in Utah, Idaho, Washington, Arizona, Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Idaho, Maryland and Michigan as well as international members from Toronto, Canada and as far away as Genoa, Italy! Across five time zones, our daCi family of children, teens, college students, and adults came together in a hybrid format and moved their feet from homes, dance studios and school spaces. Old friends connected and new friends were made.
discussion about the multitude of contemporary dance communities filmed around the world. There were site-specific dances with local dancers and interviews with artists about why they dance. Many connected to the simple beauty and universal appeal of physical contact featured throughout the film and mentioned how much it is missed during Covid. daCi college student Elizabeth Karpov shared how moved she was by a particular thought expressed by one of the dancers in the film: “The body is really the shortest distance between two people. It makes an immediate connection across the distance between where I am and you begin….Dance is the most immediate communication compared to other art forms — it provides the most organic connection to our environment and the people in it.” In case you missed the film, or would like to view it again, here is the YouTube link.
The events began Friday evening with a virtual kick-off, welcome and introductions by daCi Chair Joy Guarino, followed by a viewing of the film “Dancing Around the World” by German choreographer and director Nejla Yatkin. It led into a rich 9
Saturday started with skills classes for elementary, middle, high school, college and multi-generational levels led by Kathryn Austin, Amy Crow, Vincent Thomas and Carlos Jones. The cultural classes were led by Yunjia Yang for Chinese traditional dance and Caribbean/Trinidad dance by Patrick Parsons. Deborah Damast, the Director and Clinical Associate Professor of Dance Education at NYU Steinhardt, was our keynote speaker. She shared the five core competencies of Social Emotional Learning (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making) and their connections to caring, safe, and equitable dance education programs and classrooms. We were treated to an amazing presentation by the daCi Youth Leadership group demonstrating their hard work over the past months looking into daCi history and our past and present leaders. They defined what is leadership is, why youth leadership matters and the applications to the daCi Days of Dance and our organization as a whole. Bravo to Heather Francis, Kathryn Austin, Jennifer Florey, Sara Malan-McDonald, Elizabeth Karpov, Natasha du Toit, Lauren Halversen and Bella Stahr. The full presentation can be viewed here on YouTube. We ended the day on Saturday with a fantastic dance party organized and led by our middle school leadership
group and advisor Kathryn Austin. They noted that the “shared expression of dancing socially is the act of being together, accepting each other and finding enjoyment in the gift of movement!” On Sunday morning we were able to gather for a membership meeting with updates from our board members on initiatives and the state of the organization. Three multi-generational creative sessions were led by Chara Huckins, Anna Mansbridge and Rachel Swenson. They organized the sessions around investigating “feet” and what they can do; about the idea of place and space through exploring “where our feet are”; and delved into the idea of “home”. They culminated in a final Zoom showing of the collaboratively-created works. A big thank you to Dr. Susan Koff, the current Chair of daCi International, for delivering closing remarks embracing daCi’s vision and mission centered around the rights of the child. She reminded us of all that daCi International has to offer including the UNESCO goals, upcoming virtual conference summer 2022, Twinning projects, the website and more. Dr. Koff was thrilled to see us carrying on the daCi mission and her words were a wonderful way to end this fantastic weekend. Thank you to all who participated and worked on our Days of Dance! 10
SEASONAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS by Kathy Teck The recent June 2021 daCi Delight about “National Seashell Day” made me dearly wish to see some of the dances that children would improvise! But it also sent me scuttling to my closet of neglected homemade instruments to be reminded of how seashells can be used as simple percussion with young dancers. Here are some suggestions of things to do, any time of the year!
My favorite thing is to take two small clam or scallop shells that fit together nicely, put some dried beans or tiny seashells inside and glue together with glue gun. This little shaker fits comfortably into small hands. A handful of very tiny shells can also be used as rattlers inside various other hollow containers. One easily available is a cylindrical teabag tin, because all you have to do is pop the top back on—and maybe decorate the outside with patterned sticky-backed ribbon.
A scraping rasp needs no workshopping at all. Find the biggest scallop shell you can (or if you are inland and can’t visit the seashore, craft stores often sell very large shells with “corrugated” exteriors). Use the point of a sharp twisted shell to scrape out rhythms. A more challenging use of shells is to drill small holes so that you can mount two of them with laces onto the sides of a small piece of wood with a handle shape sawed at one end—and there you have a double-sided clapper, similar to some professionally-mounted castanets. In keeping with a seashore focus, here is an 8-minute video of musician and instrument designer Bart Hopkin and colleague demonstrating how to assemble and play a “driftwood xylophone.” Scroll to the bottom of the page.
11
To end the year, of course we must have jingle bells. An inexpensive jingler can be made by gluing together two craft sticks with different size bells. I’ve used these to encourage memoryimpaired adults as well as children to physically move with holiday carols and wintry songs.
All this makes one want to go to the beach even in autumn. But I am also reminded of one of our treasured home films—of our four-year-old daughter dancing with her shadow on a beach during a winter visit to her grandparents in Florida. Such is the natural impetus that all young children have to dance, and daCi teachers do so much to encourage this delight! Hopefully a variety of sound qualities can add to the inspiration. I should add something more seasonal, with Halloween and Thanksgiving coming up. Our local Pumpkinville sells dried Indian corn—a natural rasping instrument that requires only a craft stick to make rhythms. Then there are all the myriad varieties of autumn gourds. Teachers may want to consult the book Making Gourd Musical Instruments, by Ginger Summit and Jim Widess. Their projects are more for adults, since many involve sawing and drilling. But the pictures alone are enjoyable to look at and also can provide some global cultural explorations with older students.
Reflecting on seasons gone by, among the most inspiring experiences of my entire life were the two weeks spent at daCi workshops: one in Salt Lake City, the other in Sydney, Australia!
Note: Pictures are of some of Kathy’s homemade instruments described above, and the beautifully carved gourd rattles are from Peru. daCi member Kathy Teck is a dance musician, composer and writer from Virginia. Her latest book is Appreciating Ballet’s Music which contains essays with link that takes viewers to amazing online performances. It can be accessed for free at www.appreciatingballetsmusic.com. 12
Hannah Park MEMBER SPOTLIGHT by Chara Huckins, daCi USA Member Liaison daCi member Hannah Park comes from a family immersed in academia. She says, with a laugh, “I get a lot of tips from my dad.” Hannah was born in Minnesota where her father was in school pursuing an MBA and PhD. Later, he accepted a job at a university in Korea, so the family moved there when she was six. She and her brother grew up visiting their father’s research center and campus office. At home, the family had a library and the custom of playing classical music. The children were exposed to different kinds of arts and sports, and she tried many different activities like swimming, taekwondo, skating and piano, but her attention was captured by dance. Her parents signed her up for a contemporary dance class. At that time, they thought it was acceptable to concentrate on music, but they were a little hesitant about her dancing. However, her parents never said anything negative about her passion for dance.
In Korea, when young students reached a certain level in ballet or modern dance, they began competing in serious artistic competitions. Hannah started to compete and win. She remembers that it was at that point that her father called her into the family’s library. He told her, “Hannah, it looks like you really enjoy dancing. I am willing to support this but here is the deal. I would encourage you to go into dance education and become a professor. I think that it would be more valuable." Her father advised, “to be a true educator you need to go through a conservatory track to get training to become a professional dancer. Then, you should complete a doctoral program in dance education.” Thus, the beginning of her pathway in dance was forming. Hannah’s conservatory training began at the North Carolina School of the Arts, followed by a BFA in Dance from the State University of New York, Purchase. After that, Hannah received an MFA in Dance Performance and page 01
13
Choreography from New York University, followed by a Ph.D. in Dance Education from Temple University with a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies. Hannah was studying at Temple University when her professor handed her a copy of daCi conference proceedings and told her to go home and read it. She said “from the beginning, when my professor introduced me to daCi, I was interested in it because it focuses on how people teach dance as part of a holistic approach to education. I was not so interested in just training dancers.” While at Temple University she was encouraged to submit a project to present at the international daCi gathering in Jamaica, and Hannah has been attending and presenting at daCi gatherings ever since. “daCi is a special organization and experiencing the energy and creative process at the conferences revitalizes me.” Hannah is now an Associate Professor of Dance at Iona College, a liberal arts college located in Westchester County, New York. She directs the program, teaches six courses and leads the Dance Ensemble. The Ensemble is comprised of students from a variety of majors, with differing dance abilities. It is there that she incorporates the creative process while crafting dances with her students. Hannah loves being at a liberal
arts college because she can “integrate everything.” She uses academic language as well as imaginative and descriptive words. “I feel dance is about bringing out your inner child. I don’t hesitate to use the language that I would use with kids.” Hannah’s passion for dance shows in all her endeavors. “What I love about dance is that each of us, whether we are aware or not, have a dancer inside us and crave a better world. We desire this imaginary place. I see dance as a medium for us to connect, understand, and process. The creative process allows us to demonstrate what is in our minds and what we are curious about.” That curiosity can take her to unusual places. For example, she recently followed her students’ interests in chemistry and made a dance on lipid membranes. Dance allows us to learn about other subjects this way, as well as link our brain, mind, and body. “I see dance as a conduit for us to connect, communicate and to understand. I use this as a way to teach empathy, particularly for my students who are not solely focused on being dancers.” Hannah is a dance education advocate. She loves and wants to share dance with everyone. “I want to be remembered as doing something to make dance visible in my community.” Hannah sees herself as a lifelong learner. She is connected to daCi because she sees it as a way to keep learning and be reenergized. page 02
14
Lesson Plan
COYOTE STEALS FIRE: A NATIVE AMERICAN ORIGIN STORY Author: Rachel Marie Kimball, Springville,Utah Age range: grades 1-3 Length of lesson: 30-35 minutes
Introduction (2 minutes)
Introduce the story Coyote Steals Fire by explaining that it is a Native American origin tale, a story that reveals how things came to be. This story is told by different tribes, and this variation comes from the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, located in modern day Utah. In this variation of the tale, we learn about how fire came to be shared in the four directions. Explain that in the oral tradition, it is customary for the Northwestern Shoshone to tell stories during the winter. In keeping with this tradition, if possible, teach this lesson in the winter (first snow to first thunder).
Exploration/Skill Development/Create/Perform (20-30 minutes)
Watch a minute of this outdoor fire video to help students observe the way fire moves and dances. Provide each student with a scarf (optional, as this lesson can still be done without a scarf), and take a minute to explore the way fire moves. Ask students to help provide descriptive words to prompt movement. Play music quietly in the background as you discuss fire and explore movement for it. (See music selections at the end.) Teacher: [With our scarves], let's explore a few movements related to fire. What are some words you can think of to describe the way fire moves or appears? (Possible answers: strong, swirling, reaching, wiggly, sparks, chaotic, energetic, fast, spinning, stretching, explosive.) Read the book Coyote Steals Fire by the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation prior to exploring the rest of the movement lesson and/or during the movement lesson. Identify the main characters and elements in Coyote Steals Fire, adding movement to each one. Invite students to use their scarves creatively. 15
Movement Ideas Animals -- shivering, cold, low level, slow Teacher: Using your scarf and various body parts, how can you show shivering, vibratory movements? Can you demonstrate shivering, vibratory movements on a low level? How can we show the cold through slow movement? Fire -- swirling, stretching, spinning, sparks Teacher: Explore fiery movements with your scarf and your body! Landscape -- pine (tall prickly shape), pinyon (low prickly shape), mountain (straight and bent lines and shapes), desert (cactus shape) Teacher: Create a tall, prickly shape like a pine tree. Now slowly change to a similar prickly shape but on a lower level like a pinyon tree. Next, create (on your own or with others) a jagged mountain shape. Now slowly change into a cactus shape to represent the desert. Optional: Instruct half of the class to create pine tree shapes and mountain shapes in one part of the classroom. Guide the other half of the class to create pinyon tree shapes and cactus shapes in the other part of the classroom. Invite a few students to take turns dancing through both parts of the classroom to experience the different landscapes that their classmates created. Coyote -- clever, sneaky, smooth Teacher: Explore different ways to move carefully and sneakily through the space. Try moving big and small, high and low, but very quietly! Now, I'm going to close my eyes as you continue moving for about 10 seconds, and let's see how quietly you can surprise me by where you end up after 10 seconds! Round Dance -- traditional social dance of Native peoples in the United States Refer to this lesson plan about the Native American Round Dance to help guide this part of Coyote Steals Fire. It contains music options. It is important to consider inviting a person of Native American descent to lead the Round Dance during this lesson or on a different day. If you teach in a public school, you can contact your district's Title VI coordinator for assistance with finding someone of Native American descent to help. If you have students of Native American descent in your class, you can invite them to lead the Round Dance with you. If they don't know the Round Dance, you can still invite them to be next to you as you lead it.
Porcupine -- poking/jabbing arms and legs (prickly quill dress) Teacher: How can you move your body in sharp, prickly, jabbing ways like Porcupine's quill dress? Stinkbug -- jumping, hopping, high levels and low levels Teacher: How can you show off your jumps like Stinkbug? Can you jump and hop down low and up high? Dancing All Night -- Free Dance :) Teacher: Since the animals and people danced all night, let's take a moment to have our own Free Dance party! Turn on a fun song and allow students to dance in their own ways. The Shoshone dance their traditional dances, yet we are going to use creative movement to explore our own ideas. Help students avoid imitating stereotypical Native dances. Packrat -- running in place, holding the scarf “fire” close to your body as if trying to protect it. Teacher: Coyote threw the fiery wig to Packrat, so practicing tossing your scarf in the air a few times and catching it! Now, hold your scarf near your belly like Packrat and run quickly in place! Coal to Fire--small shape like tiny coal, then move to combined class shape like fire. Choose from the two options below. Option 1: Teacher: Scrunch up your scarf in both of your hands. Next, as you slowly blow on your hands, gently open your hands and watch the scarf expand, like a fire coming to life. Let's put all of our scarves together in the middle of the space like the coals of a fire, and then sit around it in a big circle. Option 2: Teacher: Create a small shape with your body like a small piece of coal. When I say "GO!" move your coal shape (your body) to the middle of the space to join the rest of the class, and then swirl your scarf around like a fire coming to life!
17
Directions--make unique shapes or movements facing North, East, South and West Leaving the scarves in the middle of the space and sitting in a circle around the scarves, identify where North, East, South and West are in relation to the room. Then, using reaching motions with your arms and moving in unison as a class, imagine you are placing fire in the North, the South, the East and the West — the four sacred directions. Optional: If time allows, assign certain characters/elements to small groups and instruct them to create their own movement to go along with the assigned character/element. Then go through a summary of the story again and have small groups perform their movement when it comes to their part. Cool Down/Discussion (2 minutes) After a brief cool down (stretching and breathing), guide students through a brief discussion about what they learned from this lesson: Teacher: What can we learn from this Shoshone story? What did you notice about the characters in the story? What was your favorite movement to perform/explore during this lesson? Music selections: Fire Dance by rensmusic Natives by Rene Sans The Way it Was by Greg Reiter Dance of the Hummingbird by Greg Reiter Click here to view the entire lesson plan, including Utah Standards, on the BYU ARTS Partnership website. Rachel Marie Kimball has spent the last six years integrating dance with the core curriculum for teachers and students of the Nebo School District through the Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program (BTS Arts). In connection with the BYU Arts Partnership Native American Curriculum Initiative (NACI), she has been humbled and excited by the opportunity to collaborate with tribal leaders of the eight sovereign nations in Utah in developing culturally appropriate and authentic lesson plans and resources for teachers and students to trust and enjoy.
Lesson Plan
FORCE Author: Anna Mansbridge, Creative Dance Center, Seattle Age: 7 - adult Length of lesson: 50 minutes. This lesson is written for a remote class but can easily be adapted to in-person teaching.
1. Warming-up (Teacher-directed) BrainDance: Alternate single and multi focus: Breath - single, Tactile - multi, Core-Distal – single, Head-tail – multi, Upper - single, Lower – multi, Body-Side – single etc Suggested Music: Gradual Motion by Peter Jones, #6,“Perpetual” Introduce the Concept: “see, say, hear and do” Focus: single, multi, internal, external, serial (BCDE, 2nd ed., pg. 100)
2. Exploring the Concept (Student-centered) Single Focus and Multi-focus (BCDE 2nd ed., pg. 106) ABC Suite A I will call out an object in the room. Focus on that object, and I will call out a locomotor skill to dance to that object. B We will keep focused on that object and dance a nonlocomotor skill in self-space. C We will dance multi-focus, viewing objects in a scattered manner. Then I will call out a different object to focus on, and we will repeat the ABC structure. Examples of locomotor and non-locomotor pairings: sneak/twist, grapevine/rise & sink, roll/wiggle, leap/float, dart/stretch & bend etc. Suggested Music: Music for Creative Dance, Vol. 1-5, Potpourri Reflection: Which focus do you use the most in your day, single focus or multi-focus? Free dance demonstrating the focus you use the most.
3. Developing Skills (Teacher-directed) a. Feet in parallel: bend & flex right foot to ball, flat. Repeat. Flex foot, toe reach, flex, flat foot. Extend foot to the front (tendu), close. Tendu, bend knees weight on both feet with forward bend of body, tendu and close. Float to a rise and lower. Do right & left. 16 counts free dance multi-focus general space. Turn legs out to first position and repeat above to the front, 16 counts improv for recuperation, then to the side, and back. 17 19 Suggested music: Joyful Noise by Andy Monroe, Vol 2, #6, “Theresa”
b. Combination 19: Focus. Adapted from BCDE 2nd ed., p. 159 - 4 gallops sideways. Change legs and do 4 more gallops sideways. Repeat (8 counts). - Spin focused on an object in the room (8 counts). - Make a shape focused on a body part (8 counts). - Dance in self-space using multi-focus (16 counts). - Make a balancing shape with eyes closed (8 counts). - Sink focused on the ceiling, Rise focused on the floor (8 counts). Suggested Music: Joyful Noise by Andy Monroe, Vol 2, #9, “Hoedown”
4. Creating (Student-centered) Focus Fun (BCDE 2nd ed., pg.198) Internal Focus: dancers improvise with internal focus in self-space. Single Focus: Dancers copy the movements of another dancer on the screen who may or may not be aware that they are being copied. Multi-focus: improvise using a scattered focus. Suggested Music: New Impossibilities, The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma.
5. Cool Down Share in two groups. Perform one movement you saw that you noticed. Make a shape that you noticed. Sit with eyes closed and reflect on what was enjoyable about the lesson, and think about one thing that you will take-away and explore with your students. Quick review Single, Multi, Internal, External and Serial focus. Resources from Anne Green Gilbert Brain-Compatible Dance Education, 2nd edition. Human Kinetics, 2019. Creative Dance for All Ages 2nd Edition. Anne Green Gilbert. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2015 Teaching The Three Rs Through Movement. Anne Green Gilbert. (1977), NDEO, 2002 BrainDance (2 DVD set). Anne Green Gilbert. creativedance.org/store, 2016 Teaching Creative Dance (DVD). Anne Green Gilbert. creativedance.org/store, 2002 BrainDance Music. Eric Chappelle. creativedance.org/store Music for Creative Dance Volumes 1-5. Eric Chappelle. Anna Mansbridge, educator and choreographer, holds a B.Ed Honors Degree from Bedford College of Higher Education, UK, and an MFA from Mills College, CA. She has taught dancers of all ages at the Creative Dance Center, Seattle, WA (founded by Anne Green Gilbert) since 1999, and she directs Kaleidoscope Dance Company. Anna joined the daCi USA board in 2009, and was the Chair 2017-2020.
13 20
RECOMMENDATION ZONE
daCi members share what they are reading, viewing and listening to, related to dance and dance learning. Send your favorite picks to newsletter@daciusa.org
I enjoyed an internet post from the American Dance Machine : https://www.
Here’s a short clip of 96-year old Stuart Hodes (a WWII pilot turn Martha Graham Dance Company star) reflecting on dancing through life. Gotta love it!! https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=PSX_vh_WnDY Karen Campbell, Chestnut Hill, MA
A documentary about Bill Shannon is coming out soon. Shannon is an extraordinary skateboarder/breakdancer who uses crutches. Here’s the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=rit-4gR3v80 Judith Nelson, Rhinebeck, NY
adm21.org/virtual-videos. It featured a modern rendition of “Moses Supposes” from Singing in the Rain (with Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor). Then I saw the rest of the video offerings. Loved them! After a busy day, they were just what I
May we all bounce with such grace! A French choreographer, a trampoline, and poignant movement.
needed to energize my heart.
https://youtu.be/KQccCwZCkS8
https://www.adm21.org/virtual-videos
Mady Cantor, Philadelphia, PA
Mary Bawden, Redlands, CA
21
education.byu.edu/arts/lessons
The book Modern Bodies: Dance and American Modernism from Martha Graham to Alvin Ailey is now on Audible.com. So, I have been listening and when something strikes my interest I pull my hard copy from the bookcase and find that section and reread! I am catching things I never caught in the past!
Heather Francis, Salt Lake City, UT
Kathryn Austin, Winter Garden, FL
Take a look at the Native American lesson plans on the BYU ARTS Partnership website. They were developed in conjunction with Native Tribes in Utah.
Check out Dads dance on TikTok! Carol Day, Park City, UT
"Performing difference in/through dance: The significance of dialogical, or third spaces in creating conditions for learning and living together" written by Eeva Anttila, Rose Martin, Charlotte Svendler Nielsen This article is amazing! We talk about it a little on our podcast The Artist Arena — so relevant to our current times and how dance and dance education challenges polarity and black and white thinking. Angelica Delashmette Hurst, Phoenix, AZ
VOICES OF YOUNG DANCERS
CELEBRATING THE YOUNG ARTIST Send submissions to newsletter@daCiUSA.org
Reflections, drawings, poems, essays, and perspectives from young dancers around the country.
23
Responses to “Why do you dance?” from young students at Centre for Dance & the Performing Arts, Winter Garden, FL
"A good leader is open to new ideas and believes in his or her friends. A good leader thinks about other people, is kind and nice and willing to help others. Good leaders in dance help their fellow dancers. They notice problems and take care of them or try to help them get resolved. In being a part of daCi's Youth Leadership group over the past year, I have learned that every person has a different definition of what good leadership is, but all of these definitions are valid and teach us something new about ourselves and about others." Poppy Lu, age 12, Mesa, AZ
“Dance is exercise for the body and heart and training yourself to do hard things” Lincoln, age 11, Salt Lake City, UT Lincoln enjoys capoeira and breaking.
24
Ashley Marin, Somerton, AZ
Over the past couple of years, I have learned what it is to dance with your heart and soul. Having the ability to create dance is what kept me moving on a daily basis. But due to the pandemic, my dance life changed. Instead of leaving it all on the dance floor, I would dance in my bedroom which was a little different for me. Dancing helped me to relieve pain, anxiety, frustration, and so much more.
Betzayda Sanchez, Somerton, AZ
For the past five years of dancing, I never thought how much value and impact it would have on my life. Dancing is not just about having good technique; it’s also having the passion for performing, the creativity in choreographing, and the dedication in pushing yourself to keep trying and become a strong dancer. Dancing is my way of letting go of any sort of emotion, whether I’m sad or happy. Dancing has taught me more than leadership skills. It led me to become a strong and independent woman. To set expectations and long/short term goals. To constantly challenge myself to do better and gain my confidence.
25
DACI USA BULLETIN BOARD From Judith Lynne Hanna, dance researcher and author I have been invited to contribute the article "Children and Dance" to Oxford Bibliographies in Childhood Studies. Developed cooperatively with scholars and librarians worldwide, Oxford Bibliographies combines the features of an annotated bibliography and a high-level encyclopedia. So that I don't miss important research on children and dance, I would appreciate your suggestions for books and articles to include. Thanks. Please contact me at jlhanna@hotmail.com.
From Mary Bawden, dance educator and founder of DA:NCE (dance awareness: no child exploited), danceawareness.com. I'd like to share a new 6-minute trailer that DA:NCE (dance awareness: no child exploited) released in June 2021 titled "Wholesome to Hypersexualized: What Happened to Children's Dance?" It explains the cultural shift from educational, wholesome children's dance to harmful, hypersexualized children's dance. It's a wonderful resource for dance educators to share with parents so that we protect children from unhealthy cultural patterns."
Send announcements, queries, requests, etc. to newsletter@daciusa.org 26
NEWS & EVENTS
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
International News A note from Nicki Flinn, your daCi USA National Representative: “There is a child within all of us!” This was a statement made at our daCi International meeting in September. Beliefs like this one remind me of why I, and so many others, love daCi. The organization is rooted in this spirit and the mission to grow and develop dance. In the upcoming year, daCi International is working to build and implement a sustainable strategic plan, grow membership and create connections between members globally. There are a number of initiatives available and ways to become involved. Take time to utilize the website and member resources such as daCi Connect, an interactive platform designed to make the daCi world a little closer. And learn more about the upcoming 15th international conference, Dancing into Communities. It will be hosted in Toronto, Canada from July 10-15, 2022, and delivered online with groups encouraged to gather locally to participate online globally. Programming will include many of the events and activities that we all associate with daCi conferences, including performances by children and youth, scholarly presentations, and opportunities for children and youth to create and collaborate with others. Join in! Registration Opens: Monday, January 24, 2022 Questions can be directed to either of the Dancing into Communities co-chairs: Norma Sue Fisher-Stitt: normasue@yorku.ca Nancy Francis: nfrancis@brocku.ca
27
National News Youth Leadership Training Program The Youth Leadership Training initiative is a emerging program of the daCi Board, driven by a belief in the importance of involving young dancers in all aspects of lifelong learning and leadership in the field of dance and, specifically, in daCi USA. daCi Day of Dance, Arizona In the first cohort sessions, from February 2020 to October 2020, participants brainstormed ideas on what makes a good leader, how to use leadership skills in dance, and the role and potential of the youth voice in dance. The group was actively involved in the recent daCi Days of Dance event, Be Where Our Feet Are. On October 23 the group will meet for a final session to reflect on the experiences of the past year and plan for the 2022 program meetings. If interested in taking part or just hearing more about how your students can benefit, contact Kathryn Austin at kwadance@gmail.com. daCi USA National Gathering 2023 Keep an eye out for news and communications about the mid-summer 2023 National Gathering to be held on the campus of Hope College in Holland, Michigan. Membership Renewal Current members: Be sure to watch your inboxes for your membership renewal reminder in December. New members can join here.
DACI USA BOARD Joy Guarino (New York) - Chair Heather Francis (Utah) - Chair-Elect Carol Day (Utah) - Treasurer Deborah Lipa-Ciotta (New York) Secretary Nicki Flinn (Michigan)- National Representative Chris Roberts (Utah) - Past National Representative
Madeline Cantor (Pennsylvania)Newsletter Editor Chara Huckins (Utah) Membership Liaison Members at Large: Kathryn Austin (Florida), Cally Flox (Utah), Amy Munro Lang-Crow (Arizona). Sara Malan-McDonald (Arizona), Jennifer Florey (Arizona), Vincent E. Thomas (Maryland)
VISIT US AT DACIUSA.ORG 28
