daCi USA Newsletter Fall 2022

daCi USA Newsletter

Dance and the Child International | USA Chapter

Chair's Message

Dear daCi USA members,

At the end of July, the daCi USA board came together face to face! in beautiful Holland, Michigan. The goal of our three day 'retreat' was to brainstorm new ideas for the 7 National Gathering in July 2023 and to kickstart a new era of daCi USA to reach prospective members and reinvigorate returning ones.

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Of course, we plan to include all the daCi favorites at the Holland 2023 Gathering that have been so successful at past gatherings classes, workshops, performances, and time to connect and explore but we were so excited to be together that ideas were flowing in many directions. Our discussions expanded to include commitment to the mission of daCi and our desire to grow the organization.

As you renew your membership for 2023, please consider inviting

likeminded dance educators and advocates to become a member of the daCi USA family and join us at the Gathering, and promote the “daCi Way”! You can be certain that as we climb out of a pandemic to dance together for the first time in six years, we will ensure that this Gathering is a special one. We will be celebrating the 25 anniversary of daCi USA and we will reaffirm our dedication to dance for all children by welcoming our 0 6 year olds to the gathering program along with all other ages, and promoting the unique opportunity for intergenerational creativity and collaboration through the power of dance.

Joy Guarino daCi USA Chair

THIS ISSUE:

National Gathering News.................................

Dance as Community 7

Dance Studios: Ideas and Inspiration

Lesson Plan: Flow and Climate Change

Lesson Plan: Drawn to Dance 15

Recommendation Zone

Editor's Corner

Greetings, daCi members!

Years ago I attended a reading by the cultural historian Barbara Ehrenreich, who is best known for her groundbreaking book Nickel and Dimed, an undercover exploration of the lives of low wage workers. The event was prompted by the publication of her new book, Dancing in the Streets: A History of Communal Joy. The title drew me in.

At the talk she brought in many kinds of celebrations, from carnival traditions to parades to drumming, as well as the repression of those expressions of community and joy. She ended by saying that an antidote or corrective to all the terrible things in the world is … fewer terrible things, of course, but, also more collective joy

Voices of Young Dancers

Board

I was reminded of that encounter when I read that Barbara Ehrenreich passed away last month I went to find my copy of Dancing in the Streets, which she had inscribed “To dancers everywhere!”

I think that dancers and dance educators know something about communal joy and belonging. I think we feel it at peak moments, in our classes, performances and events where people dance together. There is joy when the music meets the movement, when people ride the same wave, when strangers become dancemates. More about this inside, in the article “Dance and Community,” which was sparked by Barbara Ehrenreich’s work

Another path to communal joy is the upcoming 7 National Gathering of daCi USA in July 2023 in Holland, Michigan. Details are inside, including a link to scholarships. Registration will open Jan 1. Start your motors.

Many thanks to all the contributors to this newsletter, and especially to the powerhouse team of Hanna Gemperline and Heather Francis, who provided the technical wizardry to make it look good! Hope to see you next July at the Gathering!

DACI USA GATHERING

DACI HEADS TO HOPE AND HOLLAND IN 2023!

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The 7 daCi National Gathering in July 2023 may seem far in the future….but it’s not!

Special events have a way of sneaking up on us!

daCi National Gatherings are unique four-day experiences for people –- both children and adults, youth dance companies and individual participants -– who are drawn to dance. Classes, workshops and performances all contribute to artistic expression and exuberant good times. From July 26 – 30 we will gather at Hope College in the vibrant small city of Holland in western Michigan. The Gathering chair is Nicki Flinn, Associate Professor of Dance at Hope College and a vital force for dance in the region.

The events will take place on Hope’s beautiful campus, home to 3300 students and a thriving dance program. Hope is big enough to have six dance spaces and a historic theater available for daCi, yet compact enough that the dorms for daCi attendees and the downtown area are just a block away.

The area was originally home to the Ottawa Indians. Dutch immigrants arrived in 1846 and established the town of Holland. The

FUN FACT: THE KNICKERBOCKER THEATER

The Knickerbocker Theater where daCi participants will be performing, is a former vaudeville house. The famous illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini performed there in the 1920s!

downtown is on the National Registry of Historic Places and is full of locally owned shops, restaurants and galleries.

Dance is not the only activity that will be on offer. Before or after the Gathering, take advantage of Holland’s many natural resources and manmade attractions. A quick ten minute drive will take you to the sparkling shores of an inland sea, otherwise known as Lake Michigan, the largest freshwater lake within the U.S. The lake is so big (it’s the size of West Virginia) that its tides cause waves! And big dunes! You can go dune hiking or take dune buggy rides. In town, there is the Aquatic Center, the Dutch Village, and big perennial gardens to visit.

Multiple routes lead to Holland. For those coming from far away, the closest airport is in Grand Rapids, about 35 minutes away. It serves multiple carriers and is a hub for Southwest Airlines. Both Chicago and Detroit are 2½ hour drives away. Amtrak runs train service directly to Holland from Chicago.

So start your planning and see you in Michigan in July 2023!

FUN FACT: PICKLE FACTORY

Holland is home to the world's largest pickle factory The H J Heinz Company has been in Holland since 1897 and currently processes over 1 million pounds of pickles per day Who knew?

Planning is well underway for Anchored in Hope: Expanding Horizons, a creative, fun, and dance filled experience for movers of all ages next July 26 30.

The opening ceremony on the first evening will be a celebration of dance in Michigan and the Holland community including Dutch dancers, Folklorico, StrikeTime Dance Theatre, local school dance programs, professional dance companies and more. Throughout the event participants will take many classes that build movement skills, unlock creativity and promote new perspectives and experiences. Each evening participants will showcase their work with the daCi USA and Holland communities.

Along with dancing, there will be opportunities to meet new people, see pop up performances around campus, explore Holland's downtown and Michigan's lakeshore. daCi USA is excited to welcome each of you to the 7 Gathering and hopes that you will expand your horizons and make enduring dance memories!

Sample

"I learned so many things...But I especially loved working with my core group instructor... He encouraged me to do things that I thought I couldn't do... he encouraged us to reach further...He created beautiful dance, and good friendships, too."

Henry, Age 13: 6th National Gathering, 2017 th

"My dancers were able to experience new forms of dance while also sharing their own skills and ideas with other dancers. It was an opportunity for everyone to try new things, grow, and develop as a dancer." Participant, 6th National Gathering, 2017

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

The daCi USA Board of Directors is delighted to announce a grant from the Cooper Newell Foundation to support scholarships for the July 2023 daCi USA 7 National Gathering in Holland, Michigan. The organization is committed to assisting as many scholarship applicants as possible by covering the Gathering registration fees. The scholarships will be awarded on a first come, first served basis so it is advisable to apply as early as possible.

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The scholarship fund is available to all individual members of daCi USA and those affiliated through group/family or institutional memberships. This includes Youth, College Students, Adults (19+), and Chaperones. One to one dance partners of participants with disabilities are eligible to apply for scholarships. Scholarships are not available to non members.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Fill out the google form at this link to submit your application. The priority deadline for applications is December 1, 2022. The final deadline is March 1, 2023. Applicants will be notified about the awards on January 1 (for those who apply by the Dec. deadline) and April 1 (for those who apply by the March deadline).

Completing the application takes about 10 minutes if you have the items below ready.

For questions about scholarships, contact Carol Day at carolanneday@gmail.com or Mady Cantor at mcantor@brynmawr.edu.

Information you will provide in the application:

Personal contact information

Knowledge of the status of your daCi USA membership

If traveling with a group, you need knowledge of whether your studio, school, or teacher has a current daCi USA membership Statement of financial need (200 words or less)*

Description of how the applicant’s attendance at the gathering will enhance the applicant’s broader life experiences. (200 words or less)

*Chaperones need only complete the statement of financial need on the application. They do not need a description of how the Gathering will enhance their broader life experience.

Dance as Community

by Mady Cantor

A dance class or dance activity is, at its most basic level, a group of people moving together, in the same place, at the same time. How does it grow from that simple objective state into something deeper and more meaningful? How does it become a community where people feel a sense of belonging? What elements are needed to make that transformation? What kind of alchemy is at play?

To get some answers I looked for dance practices in which the sense of communal engagement is high. I focused on classes and groups designed for adults, in different parts of the country and in different styles. Four practitioners shared their experiences and insights about community formation through dance. Their perspectives differ but some common themes emerged.

occupational and physical therapists plus parents and grandparents of children who dance at the school. There are always newcomers who join the regulars, some of whom have been taking the class for over ten years.

The first example comes from Seattle where Anne Green Gilbert teaches at the Creative Dance Center, the school that she founded 40 years ago. For the past 18 years she has taught a weekly class called "Keep Dancing: mOdern for 40+." The class is going strong, at maximum capacity with 22 students. It typically attracts school teachers,

The development of a sense of community and belonging is built into the five-part class structure that Anne has refined over time. It starts with the BrainDance warmup and the exploration of the movement concept that threads through the class, including a game like improvisation which often has the students dancing to duets and trios. It is followed by a substantial skills section with floor and standing technique, a folk dance, and a dance created by Anne. This leads into the choreography section which is the part of the class which offers

Creative Dance Center class

Photo credit: Bronwen Houck Photography

the most opportunity for bonding. Small subsets of four to five dancers disperse to various parts of the building to develop and negotiate their ideas, and then return to perform the resulting dance for the group. A reflection section follows with a sharing of impressions and opinions in response to open-ended questions such as “what did you notice about (the underlying concept), what grabbed you?” Two rules in the reflection section: no names are mentioned, and no one is invited to say how the dance could be improved.

The sessions culminate with a performance of a piece choreographed by Anne with improv components. The piece has been embedded in the class structure and developed incrementally from class to class. Just like five year olds, they are quick to ask about costumes (which tend to be something simple and effective, like a mix of brightly colored tops and black bottoms, or shades of blue). Veterans encourage new folks who sometimes are anxious about performing. They film it in the final class and have an immediate class only showing, accompanied by snacks and drinks. They watch it twice the first time the expectation is that they will watch only themselves, and the second time they can relax and take in the whole piece. It’s a low pressure/ high involvement experience.

The result of all this is a cohesive, inclusive group friendly, warm, often ery chatty when the class is over. Anne

feels that the class has become a community because they feel connected, seen, and accepted.

A less formal example of creating community through dance is found in northwest Philadelphia in a neighborhood called Mt. Airy. The Mt. Airy Dance Collective was conceived in 2014 by dance educator Monica Cameron Frichtel. She had young children and little free time, but wanted to keep dancing and knew it would be difficult to get to classes in the downtown area of the city. She was looking for a way to move, create and dance with others right in her own neighborhood. She found a local dance school with a studio available on Sundays for a nominal fee and put out the word.

It turned out that there were a number of people looking for the same thing. They came from a variety of backgrounds with dance experience ranging from the informal to the professional, in modern, West African, club, belly dance, salsa, jazz, ballet, folk dance, tap. The group included dance teachers as well as photographers, media specialists, entrepreneurs, college professors, and landscape designers. They ranged in age from 30 to 70. What they had in common was an appetite and curiosity for dance.

During the pandemic the collective met outdoors in the unused parking

lot of a train station, with random dog walkers as an audience. According to one member, “to dance as a community felt like a lifeline during the intense months of social restrictions. It was one of the only ways to both socialize and move.”

One member said that “ideas from the group get me out of my own movement rut. The group gives me new rhythms and ways of shaping movement.” Another said “all of our dance ideas find a home here.”

Over eight years the group has coalesced into a core of six regular members and others who attend when they can. A format has developed there is no teacher, and no plan, but a lively series of crowd sourced ideas for a warm up, movement phrases, and sometimes improvisation prompts. Someone might say, “I feel like doing some floor work” or “My back feels stiff, who has a shoulder and hip idea?” or “Let’s travel through space” or “I heard this great music. Let’s dance to it.” Movement sequences might be drawn from past experience or might emerge on the spot. The style can come from any corner of the dance sphere, supported by the excellent music ideas brought in. The group shares an interest in movement analysis, of understanding the subtle details of physicality, rhythm and accent. One

The collective has done a few informal performances in the local area, including an election day celebration and a procession at a local arboretum, for example. The focus, however, remains the weekly dance experience. It offers community, friendship, exercise and joy. There is camaraderie, warmth and jokes, but above all, there is dancing. Said one member, “What I love most about the collective is the surprising burst of shared creativity every Sunday, driven by a need to express.”

Social dance, by definition, fosters a sense of community. In many styles, the feeling of being part of a community is bolstered by the close physical contact, deep attention to music and to a partner, and cultural connection.

One example is Argentine tango, where community formation is rooted in the milonga, a tango dance party tradition that exists all over the world, everywhere that Argentine tango is practiced. Carolyn Merritt is a long time

Argentine tango dancer, frequent milonga attendee, and the author of Tango Nuevo (University Press of Florida, 2012), part memoir and part ethnographic study of contemporary tango. She shared her knowledge of milongas.

Mt Airy Dance Collective at the height of the pandemic

Photo credit: Gabrielle Mahler

Carolyn explained that milongas are generally held at night, typically from 9 pm until at least midnight or sometimes until 2 or 3 am. About 25 50 people tend to show up at the milonga Carolyn attends in Philadelphia. The group tends to be multi generational; the lighting is dim; there is usually a bar with wine and beer available.

Although tango has a strong improvisatory element, the milongas are not free wheeling or impromptu events. They have a structure and are governed by certain social codes.

First, there is an expectation that beginners do not just show up at a milonga but first spend some time learning the basics of tango, usually in a class. Tango schools often sponsor milongas and sometimes the classes flow into the milonga.

The evening proceeds in “tandas” which are sets of three or four songs. There are three types of songs: tango (traditional, romantic), vals (3/4 time), and milonga (more upbeat, syncopated, faster). Tandas are bounded by “cortinas” which are brief sections of non tango music, sometimes pop music. The cortinas serve as a transition between the sets. To change partners, dancers offer a simple “thank you” which provides a way to move on, with no need for further explanation.

When looking for a new partner there is a practice called “cabaceo” which is understood as a face saving custom. The inviter, historically the man, initiates the invitation by making eye contact and

perhaps a subtle gesture toward a desired partner. The invitee can hold eye contact to accept, or simply look away, which avoids any public embarrassment on the part of the inviter.

Another practice is that a pair often holds stationary in the tango embrace when the music starts, for about half a minute. They can use the time to just listen to the music, or to chat. Once they start moving there is no further talking. What then happens in the embrace is improvised, based on tango vocabulary.

The style calls for a leader and follower in every pair and the partnership requires a high level of physical trust. It is not uncommon for followers to keep their eyes closed while dancing. Traditionally men are the leaders and women the followers, but this has opened up in recent years, after much discussion in the tango world. Women can lead; pairs can be same sex in many milongas.

Additional protocols include dancing around the space only in counterclockwise direction. Expectations surrounding dress have been relaxed in recent years, but

Milonga: Photo credit: Matthew McLaughlin.

dancers are expected to wear shoes in which they can easily do the pivots that are central to tango movement.

Sometimes the tangueros get together for a drink beforehand, or to celebrate life events or even travel together to milongas in other cities, but it is the dancing itself that creates the sense of belonging. Dancers, even when they might be strangers to each other, are very close in the moment of the dance, always in physical contact and moving in unison. The dancers belong to each other and to the larger group, supported by the music, the spatial patterns and the social codes.

were wide ranging and organized in year long themes, drawing from nature and environmental writing, ecofeminism, memoir, liberatory texts as well as from dance sources. They read an article by Efva Lilja, a Swedish choreographer who danced in the Arctic, and dance writers Andrea Olsen and Melinda Buchwalter. They read a book by Kazuo Ohno on Butoh and texts by James Baldwin and adrienne maree brown and others.

The Dancing Reading Online Group offers evidence that a sense of community can develop even without in person contact. DROG, as it is called for short, is an unusual project founded in 2017 by Michael Richter, an artist, teacher, performer and researcher who had moved from Los Angeles to Baja California Sur, Mexico. He felt isolated from the dance world and reached out to a small group of dance friends and colleagues around the US and Canada to form an online group. This was a few years before the pandemic would make commonplace the use of Zoom.

DROG has met monthly since 2017. The group has nine members, including Dawn Pratson, of Rockport, Massachusetts who has been a member from the start. She said that at the beginning everyone was asked to suggest books and articles that were meaningful to them. The selections

What makes the project unusual is that the readings are discussed and turned into fodder for online movement exploration and dancemaking, with different members rotating in the facilitator role. The group discovered that dense and even difficult texts open up and come alive when approached through movement. A book on moss, for example, led to a memorable movement warm up. Malcolm Gladwell’s description, in Talking to Strangers, of the practice of word completion tasks inspired a translation into movement.

Other texts led to “assignments,” in which each member selected three paragraphs of interest and improvised in and around that section and then created a phrase. Sometimes that led to further development in a call and response format and the addition of music; sometimes they went into break out rooms where they would share their phrases and design a group composition that they performed for the others. The sessions have more movement than talking, about a 60/40 split.

Some members of DROG have met a few times in-person, at an NDEO conference

Online Reading Group

and at a factory in NY where they made a dance, but it remains primarily an online project. Dawn said that despite the distance and the screen, DROG has produced an intimate connection among members. The process of grappling with challenging ideas and sources has become a way to forge meaningful bonds. Dawn described it as “a pure meeting of minds and bodies.”

them, process is valued over product. There are performative moments built in, but rehearsal and performance do not dominate.

Interestingly, none of the groups rely on external social activity, like getting together for meals or having other gatherings. It is not prohibited or discouraged, but it is not an important component. The dance experience itself is the central language in the formation of the communal character.

Finally, these dance settings appear to be sites in which the usual social armor is softened. Perhaps because the participants are moving and breathing and maybe sweating together, or because they are sharing aesthetic and sensory experiences, other things become possible: intimacy, trust, vulnerability.

A careful look at these dance events and activities reveals some commonalities. They all rely on the power of continued engagement over time. The feeling of belonging does not emerge overnight but takes sustained participation. The class in Seattle has been going on for decades; the tango dancers have to commit to learning the fundamentals before joining in at a milonga.

The participants share a genuine curiosity about movement and a willingness to take risks and experiment collectively. DROG, for example, asks its members to read and think in novel ways. The dance collective thrives on the close examination of movement. In all of

DANCE STUDIOS:

IDEAS AND INSPIRATIONS

Dance studios can be many things – gloomy, dark, cramped, cluttered, grimy, with uneven or unsafe floors ….or they can be light filled, airy, magical places to learn and teach and perform. DaCi members teach in a wide variety of settings private studios, public schools, colleges, community centers. They have a wealth of knowledge about studios and shared their design ideas and adaptations, hacks, and ingenious solutions for a workable, comfortable and inspiring place to dance and teach.

Considering Studio Size

Deborah Lipa Ciotta teaches at a charter school in a low income area of Buffalo, NY where she is the K 4 dance educator. When the school was planning an expansion in 2014 for a new building for K 4, she made sure she was on the facilities committee. She had to do a lot of persuading and educating of administrators, designers, and contractors about dance, but her voice was heard.

For example, the original design had a small studio. She brought in the square footage per student recommendations of the Opportunity to Learn standards of the National Arts Standards and was able to get a significantly larger studio.

Now it is a large open space with windows and high ceilings, wall mounted mirrors, and a sprung dance floor covered with marley. It is outfitted with a built in teacher desk area and a large counter for a computer, music, books and other teaching materials. Students can leave socks, shoes, and jackets in 36 cubbies. It has a large pull down screen with a ceiling mounted projector, built in sound system with speakers in the ceiling, and two magnetic white boards on wheels. A full length curtain covers the mirrors for performances. Deborah selected a white curtain to keep the space bright for her young dancers.

Props and Studio Storage

Many dance educators make frequent use of props. The list of props is long – scarves, hoops, balls, sticks, -anything that can stimulate the imagination and that offers opportunities for movement exploration and design -- and that brings up the need for storage. Liz Borromeo, director of studios and youth companies in both Vancouver, Washington and Johnson City, Tennessee, is adept at managing storage. She shares her ideas:

“Storage ottomans are useful, as we always need to maximize space. We have been able to keep our spaces neat and well organized by putting costumes, decor, seasonal teaching supplies and so much more into them. They can also be used for seating in the hallway where space is at a premium.

Cubby boxes are usually advertised as closet type storage or for use in kids' rooms. They have fabric drawers we use for teaching props and supplies. They are great in the studio because their footprint is really small and they can be secured to the wall.”

Studios as Performance Spaces

Studios often have to serve as performance spaces. The Creative Dance Center in Seattle utilized parent expertise to come up with some ingenious and inexpensive ways to convert the large studio space (40’x30’) into a black box theater.

For audience seating with good sightlines, a parent built six wooden boxes three big and three smaller ones (so they fit inside each other for storage). The boxes are hooked together to create two levels of platforms for chairs. Another row of chairs is set up on the floor with mats for kids in front of them.

Another parent created a backdrop curtain with frames made from plastic plumbing pipe that screw together. Five big plastic tubes across the top hold rolled-up black curtains which are pulled down for shows, held together with pins or Velcro.

To create wing space, yet another parent made four large black flats. Black fabric was stapled onto a light wood frame about 3' by 6'. For stability, each flat is slotted into a perpendicular wooden triangle and held in place by a hook. These flats can be easily slid together for storage.

A Splendid Example: Tanner Dance

Support for flat

Perhaps the gold standard for studios designed for dance education is Tanner Dance, located in the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts & Education Complex at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. It opened in 2014 after a ten year planning process.

There are six huge dance studios with sprung floors and floor-to-ceiling windows with both shade blinds and blackout blinds. One of the ground floor studios has a folding accordion glass door that opens out to a small amphitheater seating space used for informal performances.

Two adjacent studios on the second floor are separated by a sound insulated folding wall. That wall can be folded back to create a large performance space. With the push of a button, bleachers slide out from the back wall, complete with theater seating affixed to them.

One of the studios has a medical grade harness lift system, currently used in the Adaptive Needs Dance Wheelchair class. The students have the opportunity to dance upright.

Each studio is equipped with a piano, rollaway plastic tower for teaching supplies, and drop down projector and screen. Right outside the studios are padded chairs, benches and small tables so dancers can wait comfortably for their class.

Tanner Dance gave a lot of attention to the experience of parents and others in the building. The beautiful large lobby provides a place to gather, meet, wait and/or ask questions to the office staff in an adjacent window. Photos, dedication plaques, and inspiring quotes adorn the walls.

Adaptive Needs class

LESSON PLAN: FLOW (FREE/BOUND) AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Author: Anna Mansbridge | Creative Dance Center, Seattle Age Group: Upper elementary and middle school

Length of lesson: 40 Minutes

1. Warming-up: (teacher-directed)

BrainDance: Alternate Free and Bound Flow throughout the BrainDance.

Breath -- Free Flow; Tactile -- Free/Bound; Core-Distal -- Bound/Free; Head-Tail -- Free/Bound; Upper-Lower -- Bound/Free; Body Side -- Free/Bound; Cross-Lateral -- Bound/Free; Vestibular -Free.

Suggested Music: Eric Chappelle, Music for Creative Dance Vol. IV, track 6: “Bottle Rock”

2. Introduce the Concept: “see, say, hear and do”

Free Flow: movement that is not easily stopped. It is uncontrolled and off-balance. Movement pours freely in and out of the body. Think of a river flowing freely, or painting a surface with broad, sweeping strokes. Bound Flow is movement that is careful and restrained, controlled, on balance and easily stopped. Think of a robot, or water slowly freezing. Paint a window frame with a steady hand, being careful not to get any paint on the glass. Stillness: a still dancer is completely bound, but expresses a continuous flow of energy. Stillness is exciting as it creates a sense of anticipation.

Successive Flow: travels from one body part to another, like the movements of a snake. Simultaneous Flow: body parts move at the same time, in the joints (flexing, extending).

Reference: Brain Compatible Dance Education (BCDE), 2nd Ed., pp. 101-102

3. Exploring the Concept (student-centered)

Free and Bound (Water and Ice) BCDE, p. 107

Climate prompt: the earth is heating up, and icebergs are melting at the poles, causing the water levels to rise, and flooding. The world’s largest iceberg cracked off Antarctica in May 2021 – five times larger than New York City.

Optional Prop: scarf or plastic

Begin in bound shapes, like an iceberg, then begin to melt until flowing freely in the ocean. Keep responding to the music, flowing freely then becoming frozen.

Suggested Music: Music for Creative Dance by Eric Chappelle, Vol. I, track 4, “Lucky Stiff”

Reflection: Move your arms freely if you found that moving with free flow was more challenging. Make a still shape if you found moving with bound flow more challenging.

4. Developing Skills (teacher directed)

Creative Folk Dance: Mayim (BCDE, p. 177)

Mayim is a dance from Israel, and means "water" in Hebrew. This dance is usually done in a circle, but can also be done with a partner, or solo.

Section 1: Grapevine step (free flow)

Section 2: 4 walks forward, bringing arms up over head with free flow like the ocean waves, clap, then walk backwards. Repeat.

Bridge: Hold still in a bound shape

Section 3: Turn with free flow like a whirlpool for 8 counts one way, then the other.

Suggested Music: Rhythmically Moving 5, “Mayim”

5. Creating (student centered)

Cinquain (BCDE, p. 211)

Together create a cinquain on climate change.

Use the one below, or have each group create their own, starting with “Climate” and ending with “Change”. Improvise to the poem.

Noun

Adjective, adjective Verb, verb, verb, Four-word phrase (or short sentence)

Noun or synonym

6. Cool Down

Climate Urgent, Reversible Burning, Melting, Flooding How do we save the planet? Change

In groups, share the cinquain improvisations. Perform one movement you saw 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 of Flow: Free/ /Bound.

Anna Mansbridge, MFA, choreographer, dancer and educator, is originally from Australia and the UK and now resides in Seattle. She is the Director of Kaleidoscope Dance Company, a youth dance company founded in 1981 by world-renowned dance educator Anne Green Gilbert, and she has been on the faculty of the Creative Dance Center teaching modern, ballet and creative dance to all ages since 1999. Anna joined the daCi USA board in 2009, and was the Chair 2017 2020. She is the secretary for daCi international.

LESSON PLAN: DRAWN TO DANCE

Author: Sara Malan McDonald | Phoenix, AZ

Age Group: Open to all ages and levels. Adapt as needed. Length of lesson: 50 Minutes

Lesson Description

This is a 50(ish) minute movement lesson inspired by the work of contemporary visual artist Nick Fagan. In this lesson, participants will use the artist’s visual works to inspire the creation of both visual and movement based art It involves careful observation of the artwork, a variety of movement responses, and has a connection to dyslexia.

Materials List:

* Choose several works from Nick Fagan’s Love Hours 2022 exhibit: His work includes metal and wood sculpture and woven fiber work. Choose some of each.

* Something to color with (pencils/crayons/markers etc.) and something to draw on (multiple pieces of paper).

* Music of your choice, with an engaging and interesting quality

Lesson Progression

1.

Have participants get paper and something to write/color with. Ask them to doodle while listening to the music selected by the teacher. After the song share the doodling and some thoughts on how that was influenced by the music. Put the papers away for now. (7 minutes)

2. Show the class an image for one of Fagan’s installations made from hard materials like metal or wood and have the participants embody the artwork on various levels and with various body parts. Explore balancing fulcrum shapes where a lever can pivot. Encourage them to choose their favorite shape inspired by the metal/wood installation. This is the inspiration for the beginning shape of the dance they are making in this session. (5 minutes)

Nick Fagan, metal scuplture

3. Take out a new piece of paper and fold in half and then again in half/2 (so, in fourths). Show participants four of Nick Fagan’s art works/installations. Each installation gets a square on the paper that students divided the paper into fourths. Look at each piece of art and write a word for each. Give participants at least 30 seconds for each art work. Then flip the paper/turn it upside down and trace the inverse of the word on the opposite side. Now guide participants to trace the first upside down and backwards words with their bodies/parts of their bodies. (This relates to the artist’s experience with dyslexia.) Depending on participants’ focus, repeat this with all four of the upside down/backwards words they wrote. (20 minutes)

4 Break Talk about how Nick Fagan’s experience with dyslexia has shaped his art and how it relates to his exhibition and the dances in this session. Optionally, consider referring to Nick Fagan’s artist statement in which he explains his perspective. (3 minutes).

5. Review the first two sections of the dance. (2 minutes)

6. Show class an image of one of Fagan’s woven fiber installations. Guide participants in a movement exploration that juxtaposes sharp/hard/angular/ straight movements (like the metal/wood sculpture) and soft/flexible/curving/woven/ movements (like the woven yarn). End dance in a weaving, connecting shape. Encourage participants to make this weaving shape with another person or object in the room. (5 minutes)

7. Assemble the entire dance together and prepare for the big share with the other group. The dance can be created as solo or in small groups. (6 minutes).

8. Wrap things up. If you have time, pull out the first drawing inspired by the music and talk about it. (2 minutes)

9. Share the dance compositions with the entire group.

10.Conclusion and Reflection: Ask participants if making dances inspired by Nick Fagan’s work helps them appreciate/interact with the art differently than

Nick Fagan, fiber scuplture simply viewing it with their eyes. Whether their answers are affirmative or negative, ask them why they feel the way they do. (5 minutes)

Sara Malan-McDonald resides, teaches dance and makes art in the greater Phoenix, AZ area. She is the mother of five wonderful humans. She believes that everyone who has the desire to dance, has the right to do so and tries to facilitate as many dancing/dance making experiences as she can.

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

Check this out when

theater genius Lin Manuel Miranda’s wedding dance for his bride.

Teaching What You Want to Learn: A Guidebook for Dance and Movement Teachers by Bill Evans

"I enjoyed so much about this book. It's a wonderful perspective on teaching and learning processes, and a wealth of ideas and inspiration. I think it could be a great reference for students, teachers, choreographers and performers."

Liz Borromeo, Johnson City, TN

"Wonderful video of "Geometric Dance" by Géométrie Variable. It's a good one to use when exploring shapes, parallel lines, perpendicular lines, and angles."

Judith Nelson, Rhinebeck NY

Chris Roberts, Springville, UT

Ethical Dilemmas in Dance Education: Case histories on Humanizing Dance Pedagogy, edited by Doug Risner and Karen Schupp

"If, like me, you absorb theory through examples rather than generalized discursive text, this book is for you.

It contains fictional scenarios that arise in dance education settings. It covers the dance “waterfront” including issues of grade extortion, gender identity, sexual harassment, religious practice, cultural preferences, administrative disrespect, power dynamics and more. The case histories often have the ring of familiarity, and are followed by an exploration of the pedagogical elements of the situation."

Mady Cantor, Philadelphia, PA

Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance is a terrific documentary on jazz dance, available on HBO Max. And enjoy the physical antics of Snowball the Cockatoo at https://youtu.be/iMjr8MsB1qo. He has 14 distinct moves!

Kathryn Austin, Winter Garden, FL

Dance for older adults improves health, physical strength, balance, overall moving abilities, as well as uplifting emotions. This article published in JAMA Network frames research data into ways that dance is beneficial. The study reviewed 29 controlled trials comparing dance with other types of exercise in healthy people over 65. Those who engaged in dance, which they described as “involving coordinated upright movements, structured through music or rhythm, with distinctive choreography and interactions with other people” had a 31 37% reduced risk of falling.

Mary Lynn Babcock, Denton TX

Jon Baptiste’s video I NEED YOU on Youtube!

Jon Baptiste is so joyful. Everyone looks like they are having fun dancing. I like the people coming out of the picture. And the swing dancing is great and there is even a museum guard who briefly dances at the end!

Jeanne Traxler, Brookline, MA

VOICES OF YOUNG DANCERS

Kate, Age 12

Borromeo Dance

Human Architecture exploration

Borromeo Dance

Chara Huckins Classroom

Lake City, UT

I think dance is important because it is a way to express yourself."

– Isaiah S.

"I think dance is important because every time I dance I feel like I am special and it's in my heart because I can always be myself."

- Desire

"I think dance is important because you can show your movement, you can bring out all that energy out and I've been doing it since pre-K and kindergarten and I saw some dance on YouTube and it's beautiful. I love dance and I hope dance stays here forever."

– Isaiah H.

"I think dance is important because you may want to become a dance teacher and then you will know all the moves."

– Allison

"I think I love dance because it gets into your soul and you can learn awesome moves."

– Janelys

This is how some 3rd grade Tapestry Charter School students in Buffalo, NY answered the questions:

"Why dance is important?" and "Why do you love dance?"

DACI USA BULLETIN BOARD

E W S A N D

P D A T E S F R O M D A C I M E M B E R S

From Judith Lynne Hanna, Bethesda, MD

daCi USA member Judith Lynne Hanna, from Bethesda, MD, wrote an article in “Children and Dance” which appears in Heather Montgomery, ed. Oxford Bibliographies in Childhood Studies.

“Developed cooperatively with scholars and librarians worldwide, Oxford Bibliographies offers exclusive, authoritative research guides. Combining the best features of an annotated bibliography and a high-level encyclopedia, this cuttingedge resource directs researchers to the best available scholarship across a wide variety of subjects.”

Note from Judith: “Knowledge about children and dance is broader than I thought after conducting dance research since the 1960s. Researchers from at least 22 disciplines worldwide have conducted studies on the topic. Since Oxford University Press updates articles, please let me know any errors you find or material I should include at jlhanna@hotmail.com.”

From Deborah Lipa-Ciota, Buffalo, NY

Exciting news! This fall Tapestry Charter School in Buffalo, NY started two afterschool “daCi Dance Clubs.” One is for our 1st and 2nd graders and one for our 3rd and 4th graders and over 60 students signed up! In our first session, we learned about the daCi organization, about daCi

USA and the National Day of Dance event on September 17. We then moved into dancing "the daCi way!" Students had fun making new friends, creating and sharing their joy of dance together. The fall session will culminate in an informance/performance for our Tapestry families and community.

From Mary Bawden, Redlands, CA

Call for Choreography • $5000 prize • from Dance Awareness: No Child Exploited

Healthy dance is a wonderful activity for children. However, the internet, the media and the porn industry have changed the joy of educational dance into harmful dance. Adult costumes, choreography and music that hypersexualize kids have become normalized. Music producer Steve Siler created She Loves to Move, a song that wonderfully captures just how beautiful and innocent children’s dance can be. To celebrate the art of healthy, age-appropriate children’s dance we invite you to choreograph to it! Take a minute to listen to She Loves to Move.

daCi Day of Dance, Arizona

To share with colleagues, here's the video invitation:

We hope members of daCi will submit an entry by following these three steps:

1. Fill out the form to download the song She Loves to Move

2. Choreograph a dance to the song. Use the judging rubric to direct your choreography.

3. Record your dance and upload your video by June 30th, 2023.

All the details are available here.

1.

Arizona daCi Day of Dance

A successful daCi Day of Dance was held in Mesa, Arizona on Sept. 3, organized by Sara Malan-McDonald. The theme was Movement Stories, carried out through classes in Body Percussion, Folk Dance, Yoga Stories and Dance Making. The day culminated in a performance by the multi-generational participants.

daCi Days of Dance are regional events organized by members. Funding is available to daCi USA members to help cover expenses. See the website for more information.

New Online Resource

daCi member Kathy Teck, from Lanexa, VA, has published a free resource for dance students and teachers. She is a longtime dance musician and invites daCi members to go to Appreciating Ballet’s Music, her website which offers essays in non-technical language about the history of music for theatrical ballet and has links to allow readers to instantly see and hear performances related to the essays. Share and enjoy!

From Heather Francis & Cally Flox, Salt Lake City, UT

We are excited to share our new podcast, the CHLL Podcast! CHLL is an intergenerational podcast hosted by Cally, Heather, Lois, and Louise (CHLL) that explores the intersections of education and our world. We started this project to elevate our thinking and practice as artists and leaders in our schools and community and are now offering it to you!

In our introductory series, we introduce the five generational focus groups we met with during the last school year: GenZ, millennials, GenX, baby boomers, and members of the greatest generations (this is how we refer to the post-war generations). We discuss how each group described the issues and opportunities for education and the world. You can listen NOW on our website, Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon Music, and more.

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)

Find the latest daCi news and renew yourmembership (or become a member) at daciusa.org.