WHAT HAppEns In
DAnCE nEW sHOEs bArrE WOrk frEEzE DAnCE mAkInG sHApEs
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Dance isn’t something that can be explained in words. It has to be danced. —Paige Arden
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Come to Center Warm-up and stretches
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I’m Too Hot First Graders rehearses
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Wednesday Elective, Grade 2
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All That Jazz First Grade Wednesday Elective
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Oh, I Just Can’t Wait Kindergarten rehearses
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Waving Good-bye Dismissal routine
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A kindergarten scholar gets a kick out of the baby in class. photo by Madeline Vega
setting the stage A 52-page supplement to a 4-page newsletter might be a bit much, but this is nothing compared to the tomes that have been written about elementary school dance instruction. This is a visual guide to what’s happening in Ms. Hayes’ dance studio to prepare for the Winter Performance—from learning how to stand at the barre to experimenting with different poses. The scholars are trying on hats and manes and, mostly, a whole new way of expressing themselves. While I’m looking forward to the Winter Performance for the sheer adorable factor, the National Dance Education Standards explains why dance curriculum is so important: “If young people are to be fully educated, they need to a well-rounded instructional program that promotes development of the whole person so that students are physically and emotionally healthy, knowledgeable in many areas, fully engaged in learning, and motivated to achieve. Over the years, the dance curriculum has fostered these elements and much more.” Dance helps scholars think critically, solve problems, and make wise decisions. The SA-BH dance program is starting huge with a recital three months into its existence. If you’d like to volunteer to make the Winter Performance run more smoothly, contact Ms. Hayes at heresia.hayes@saschools.org.
—Madeline Vega
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Come Center
Stretches, pliĂŠs, and more help scholars prepare to practice routines for the Winter Performance. 4 SA-BH PCEC Newsletter December 2015
to r
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A sign on Ms. Hayes’ wall counts down to the Winter Performance. On this day, it proclaims 16. Kindergartners start with pliÊs, stretching tall, and then bending to touch their toes.
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When the music changes, so does the dance. —African proverb
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Dance is music made visible. —George Balanchine
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Kindergarteners take turns making shapes with their bodies. Scholars who are not making shapes watch quietly. Some of the things to look for are twisted, curved, angular, wide, narrow, low, and high.
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Dancing can reveal all the mystery that music conceals. —Charles Baudelaire
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First Grade scholars warm-up with ms. hayes, growing tall and loosening up.
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Dancing faces you towards Heaven, whichever direction you turn. —Terri Guillemets
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Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion. —Martha Graham
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I’m
too hot Say my name you know who i am
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We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance. —Japanese Proverb
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First Graders rehearse “Uptown Funk” for the Winter Performance.
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On with the dance! Let joy be unconfined. —Lord Byron
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dancing is like dreaming with your feet! —Constanze
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wednesday elective, grade 2 24 SA-BH PCEC Newsletter December 2015
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To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. —Agnes De Mille
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The barres and mirrors are moved for scholars in the Second Grade Wednesday elective. After removing their shoes, the scholars each take place at the barre and follow Ms. Hayes’ example.
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Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. —Dave Barry
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I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself. —Mikhail Baryshnikov
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When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It’s to enjoy each step along the way. —Wayne Dyer
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All that jazz
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First Grade scholars in the wednesday elective try on new shoes. Ms. Hayes and scholars work together to get them all tied.
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Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart is another.
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Talk about dance? Dance is not something to talk about.
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Dance is to dance.
—Peter St. James
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Ms. Hayes assures the boys their parents will understand “dress shirt” as part of the costume for the winter performance.
put music to our troubles and we’ll dance them away. 42 SA-BH PCEC Newsletter December 2015
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Oh, I Just Can’t Wait...
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At the performance, all Kindergarten scholars will wear lion’s manes made from paper plates and folded paper.
There are shortcuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them. —Vicki Baum
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Scholars switch from rehearsal to playing Freeze Dance, which can be quite competitive.
Every time I dance, I feel like a better version of me.
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waving good-bye At the end of the lesson, Ms. Hayes picks one Kindergartener for a special job—the Wake-Up Fairy, who dismisses classmates with the wave of a pair of scarves tied together. Ms. Hayes turns out the lights and plays a special song while the scholars lie on the floor for this cool down exercise.
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