Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Philosophy October 2010
Erika Cravath
10/18/2010
School
Observations
In the school observations during this course, I was able
to experience what dance education in Utah public school looks like, as well as
observe teaching styles and management techniques of many teachers. This allowed me to have a better idea about
my chosen future profession. I also
enjoyed seeing how students react to different lesson plans and instructional
strategies. Throughout these observations,
I had many ideas and impressions, which are described below.
High
School Observations
In high schools, the teachers we observed seemed to
demand excellence and had a very student-centered, democratic approach. They expected students to participate and had
a very friendly, trustworthy relationship with their students. The teachers exhibited passion for the
subject, guided students in the learning process, and demonstrated
student-centered and democratic teaching.
Passion for teaching dance is incredibly important as a
dance educator. If the teacher loves the
subject and believes that students should love it, then students are more
likely to be motivated to perform. Also,
the students will often only dance as well as the teacher dances. They will not progress if the teacher does
not demonstrate well. Therefore, one
must demand excellence not only from students, but also from him or herself.
As one guides students through the learning process, one
must remember that teaching students about something is different from
scaffolding and guiding them through a process.
While they may understand the concept, they may not understand its
application. For example, at Timpanogos
High School, Kristi explained what the choreographic structure meant, but they
had never experienced it before, so it was hard for them to be creative within
a given framework. A good way to build
this might be to go through each as a class and create a piece together as a
class, using input from everyone, then progressing to group and individual
choreography and manipulations.
Students with disabilities can be actively involved in
the dance class. Especially for students
with learning disabilities, dance is a good opportunity to level the playing
field. Most students have about equal
experience when it comes to educational dance, and they can often choose for
themselves how to move their bodies within a certain framework. I believe that when children with
disabilities dance, they all appear as geniuses. One cannot tell the ADHD child from the child
that is completely engaged in the lesson plan because dance addresses the needs
of the body and allows for high expressivity.
Teaching needs to be student-centered; if a student does
not understand a skill or concept, it needs to be thoroughly explained in a
different way. Restating what was
instructed before will not be adequate.
Instead a teacher must model, describe, or help the student to do it him
or herself. Also, teaching must allow
the students to have input on material covered in class. While there are national and state standards
that must be followed, different students will be interested in different
topics and will benefit from varied experiences in the classroom.
In addition, teachers must learn to give power to the
students. While giving power to the
people may seem a little scary and seem like a possibility for anarchy, the
distribution of power is what our American government and society is founded
upon. If students feel that they have a
contribution to make to the classroom society and that their voice will be
heard, they will feel better motivated to participate and be actively
engaged. I believe that students who are
expected to make decisions about the class and be a part of decisions about
content, management, and distribution of class time between activities will be
more motivated to come to class everyday prepared and willing to learn.
Middle
School Observations
Teaching in middle schools is very experiential, giving
students the opportunity to learn to dance with correct technique, to express
themselves, and to develop a personal identity.
Excellence in dance form is difficult for many students at this age who
are having a difficult time understanding how to use their bodies during and
after their growth spurt. However, it is
a perfect time to explore meaning making and personal creativity in dance as
students are building confidence and beginning to form the identity they will
carry with them throughout adulthood.
Dance plays on the emotions. I believe that students who need the most
help academically, often need the most help socially and emotionally as
well. Dance is a great vehicle to teach
appropriate social skills through collaborative group work, as well as teaches
students how to express their emotions in an appropriate way. While students may act as though they don't
need or want help, instruction, or to learn anything, when you really care
about the students and teach them topics that they can enjoy, they will reap
benefits. I think dance is necessary for
students, especially those who do not excel in the traditional school system/
classroom setting.
Additionally, students need a strong foundation before
moving on to more complex principles. For
example, if students understand how a plie is used and why it is important or
how to employ various energy qualities, they will be better able to create
interesting and excellent choreography utilizing safe dancing practices. When students have a sound understanding of
basic principles, their advanced skills come more easily and improve quickly.
Elementary
School Observations
Elementary school focuses on discovery. Students discover how to learn new things,
discover their world around them, and discover ways to behave in a social
environment. Dance benefits students of
this age because of its physical nature, as students have a need to move and
physically explore. Dance can also benefit
this age group by teaching students how to work together in groups productively,
as well as keep focused on the task at hand.
Specifically in elementary schools, dance is used effectively as a
method of teaching other subjects as well as a way to fully engage students in
their learning.
Dance can also serve as a means to a different end. Dance can help students understand geometry
and shapes. This symbiotically helps
students better understand shaping, pathways, and formations in dance, so that each
piece of learning can enhance the students' understanding of the other. As we learn one thing, if we really
understand and apply it, I believe that it can influence and enhance many other
learning areas in our lives.
Through dance, students become actively engaged in the
learning process. Students can be
entirely engrossed in the lesson, not thinking about anything else, but only if
the teacher does not break character.
Teaching can sometimes be like acting on a stage; the teacher must set
the stage and the atmosphere and stay true to its authenticity throughout the
lesson to keep the students' attention.
If the lesson moves quickly enough to keep students' attention and
retains a clear structure, students may learn things that they did not even
know they were learning. When students
are completely engaged and having fun while they learn, they are truly
experiencing learning.
My
Personal Dance Education Philosophy
Because of my inexperience, I feel quite inadequate
writing my own philosophy of a field that I have yet to experience
first-hand. However, I have a few ideas
that I hope will serve me as I do begin teaching in the dance education
field. Dance develops the student
socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. It reaches out to emotionally troubled
students, provides a means of expression, challenges preconceptions, inspires
creativity, and connects the body cognitively and physically,
I believe that dance is able to reach students who may
otherwise be unreachable. Steven Wolk
states, "No longer can schooling be primarily about creating workers and
test takers, but rather about nurturing human beings" (Wolk 5). By empowering the individual and
acknowledging all ideas as worthwhile, dance creates a safe environment where
students learn how to work together in a social environment. Teaching dance also gives the teacher the
opportunity to practice what they preach by allowing them to move with your
students and help them along the way, addressing students' need to learn to
communicate with people other than their peers.
As a tool of expression, dance can help a student learn
how to express him or herself nonverbally.
Nonverbal communication is often more powerful than verbal communication,
or as the traditional saying states, "Actions speak louder than
words." Because of its communicative and expressive
abilities, I yearn to share dance with others.
I desire for others to feel the same way about movement that Martha
Graham expressed, “What I long for is the eagerness to meet life, the
curiosity, the wonder that you feel when you can really move” (Graham
120). The sense of wonder and excitement
communicated through dance can leave vivid, lasting impressions. A powerful mode of communication, to dance is
to communicate that the dancer knows what his or her own body feels (Fowler
2). Every opportunity to dance is an
opportunity to share with others the eagerness, curiosity, and wonder that stem
from movement (Graham 120).
I believe that dance has power inherent in the subject
matter. Dance is often put down as just
fluff or unimportant, but it has the capabilities to enrich lives. As Plato stated, "The purpose of
education is to give the body and soul all the beauty and perfection of which
they are capable" (Gibb 22).
Learning is about developing the body and enriching the intellect. In addition, dance can be applied to
varied learning styles and forms of intelligence. Dance can be learned by listening to the
teacher and discussing concepts, watching others dance, whether it is peers or
professionals, or kinesthetically through experience. Dance can be used to learn about other
disciplines such as music, interpretation of visual art and poetry, fractions,
cell structure, weather patterns, historical time periods, sentence structure,
and vocabulary. It can help students who
speak English as a second language to see, hear, say, and experience a new
word. Dance helps students to have
experiences that give a word meaning a substance, providing them with an
experiential connection to what they have learned.
I personally believe that dance can be a product in
itself. It is not only a vehicle for
teaching many concepts in school, but has power in and of itself. In a world where more and more people do more
and more things, a specialist of only one trade or art is a rarity. I think that in many ways, people believe
that technology can make up for their lack of ability. Dance, however, teaches students to have an
eye for beauty and brilliance. Students
are trained to recognize what a well-crafted piece of art looks like as well as
how to create their own. Dance employs
creative skills that will benefit the student in all walks of life; from
businessman to teacher to fast food employee, all careers can benefit from
creative thinking and improvements to operations. Creativity empowers and inspires. As Steven Wolk states, "There is a
special pride in bringing an original idea to fruition. It empowers us and encourages us; it helps us
appreciate the demanding process of creating something from nothing" (Wolk
6). This creative ability is taught and
refined throughout a student's experience in educational dance.
Dance develops a student's body by teaching the student
coordination and the ability to feel emotions; it also physically strengthens
the body and helps students understand the purpose of healthy nutrition. As movement of the body, dance energizes both body and soul and helps
to maintain physical health, which is unbreakable tied to mental health. Therefore, the health of one influences the
other. President Ezra Taft Benson stated,
“The condition of the physical body can affect the spirit…Wholesome recreation
is part of our religion and is a necessary change of pace; even its
anticipation can lift the spirit” (Benson 4).
Physical exercise brings joy and promotes happiness within the
body. Physical health also enhances
abilities of expression. Dancing is a
means of communication and expression, and “… the condition of the body limits,
largely, the expression of the spirit. The spirit speaks through the body and
only as the body permits" (Widtsoe 171).
Through dance, the body's capabilities is enhanced and strengthened,
promoting a lifetime of healthy living and strong communication skills.
As a dance educator, I teach because I enjoy observing the growth of others as they learn
how to more fully access their body’s potential. Dance develops person to person social and
communicative skills and teaches the student to access and acknowledge his or
her emotions. As students learn to move
creatively and safely, they make connections between dance and other disciplines. Creativity learned through dance enhances
school and work projects and critical thinking skills. Dance educator Joan Russell said, “We are
concerned with…fostering the child’s love of movement, and with giving scope
for discovery, imagination, and intuition” (Musil 126). I am interested in teaching the whole child,
by giving each student access to the skills necessary for success in all areas
of life.
Works
Cited
Benson, Ezra Taft. “Do Not Despair.” Ensign 10 (1986): 2-5.
Fowler, Charles B. “Dance As Education.” Dance 261: Orientation to Dance Resource and Selected Readings Packet. Provo, BYU Academic Publishing, 2009.
Gibb, Sara Lee. "Dance: An Integral Element in
Education." Utah Journal of
Health. Autumn, 1983: 22-3.
Graham, Martha. “I Am A Dancer.” Dance 261: Orientation to Dance Resource
and Selected Readings Packet. Provo,
BYU Academic Publishing, 2009.
Musil, Pam. “Department of Dance: Thoughts on
Teaching.” Dance 261: Orientation to Dance Resource and Selected Readings
Packet. Provo,
BYU Academic Publishing, 2009.
Widtsoe, John A. A Rational Theology. 5th
ed. Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book Company, 1967.
Wolk,
Steven. "Joy in School." Education Leadership. 66:1, 8-14.
Erika Cravath
10/18/2010
School
Observations
In the school observations during this course, I was able
to experience what dance education in Utah public school looks like, as well as
observe teaching styles and management techniques of many teachers. This allowed me to have a better idea about
my chosen future profession. I also
enjoyed seeing how students react to different lesson plans and instructional
strategies. Throughout these observations,
I had many ideas and impressions, which are described below.
High
School Observations
In high schools, the teachers we observed seemed to
demand excellence and had a very student-centered, democratic approach. They expected students to participate and had
a very friendly, trustworthy relationship with their students. The teachers exhibited passion for the
subject, guided students in the learning process, and demonstrated
student-centered and democratic teaching.
Passion for teaching dance is incredibly important as a
dance educator. If the teacher loves the
subject and believes that students should love it, then students are more
likely to be motivated to perform. Also,
the students will often only dance as well as the teacher dances. They will not progress if the teacher does
not demonstrate well. Therefore, one
must demand excellence not only from students, but also from him or herself.
As one guides students through the learning process, one
must remember that teaching students about something is different from
scaffolding and guiding them through a process.
While they may understand the concept, they may not understand its
application. For example, at Timpanogos
High School, Kristi explained what the choreographic structure meant, but they
had never experienced it before, so it was hard for them to be creative within
a given framework. A good way to build
this might be to go through each as a class and create a piece together as a
class, using input from everyone, then progressing to group and individual
choreography and manipulations.
Students with disabilities can be actively involved in
the dance class. Especially for students
with learning disabilities, dance is a good opportunity to level the playing
field. Most students have about equal
experience when it comes to educational dance, and they can often choose for
themselves how to move their bodies within a certain framework. I believe that when children with
disabilities dance, they all appear as geniuses. One cannot tell the ADHD child from the child
that is completely engaged in the lesson plan because dance addresses the needs
of the body and allows for high expressivity.
Teaching needs to be student-centered; if a student does
not understand a skill or concept, it needs to be thoroughly explained in a
different way. Restating what was
instructed before will not be adequate.
Instead a teacher must model, describe, or help the student to do it him
or herself. Also, teaching must allow
the students to have input on material covered in class. While there are national and state standards
that must be followed, different students will be interested in different
topics and will benefit from varied experiences in the classroom.
In addition, teachers must learn to give power to the
students. While giving power to the
people may seem a little scary and seem like a possibility for anarchy, the
distribution of power is what our American government and society is founded
upon. If students feel that they have a
contribution to make to the classroom society and that their voice will be
heard, they will feel better motivated to participate and be actively
engaged. I believe that students who are
expected to make decisions about the class and be a part of decisions about
content, management, and distribution of class time between activities will be
more motivated to come to class everyday prepared and willing to learn.
Middle
School Observations
Teaching in middle schools is very experiential, giving
students the opportunity to learn to dance with correct technique, to express
themselves, and to develop a personal identity.
Excellence in dance form is difficult for many students at this age who
are having a difficult time understanding how to use their bodies during and
after their growth spurt. However, it is
a perfect time to explore meaning making and personal creativity in dance as
students are building confidence and beginning to form the identity they will
carry with them throughout adulthood.
Dance plays on the emotions. I believe that students who need the most
help academically, often need the most help socially and emotionally as
well. Dance is a great vehicle to teach
appropriate social skills through collaborative group work, as well as teaches
students how to express their emotions in an appropriate way. While students may act as though they don't
need or want help, instruction, or to learn anything, when you really care
about the students and teach them topics that they can enjoy, they will reap
benefits. I think dance is necessary for
students, especially those who do not excel in the traditional school system/
classroom setting.
Additionally, students need a strong foundation before
moving on to more complex principles. For
example, if students understand how a plie is used and why it is important or
how to employ various energy qualities, they will be better able to create
interesting and excellent choreography utilizing safe dancing practices. When students have a sound understanding of
basic principles, their advanced skills come more easily and improve quickly.
Elementary
School Observations
Elementary school focuses on discovery. Students discover how to learn new things,
discover their world around them, and discover ways to behave in a social
environment. Dance benefits students of
this age because of its physical nature, as students have a need to move and
physically explore. Dance can also benefit
this age group by teaching students how to work together in groups productively,
as well as keep focused on the task at hand.
Specifically in elementary schools, dance is used effectively as a
method of teaching other subjects as well as a way to fully engage students in
their learning.
Dance can also serve as a means to a different end. Dance can help students understand geometry
and shapes. This symbiotically helps
students better understand shaping, pathways, and formations in dance, so that each
piece of learning can enhance the students' understanding of the other. As we learn one thing, if we really
understand and apply it, I believe that it can influence and enhance many other
learning areas in our lives.
Through dance, students become actively engaged in the
learning process. Students can be
entirely engrossed in the lesson, not thinking about anything else, but only if
the teacher does not break character.
Teaching can sometimes be like acting on a stage; the teacher must set
the stage and the atmosphere and stay true to its authenticity throughout the
lesson to keep the students' attention.
If the lesson moves quickly enough to keep students' attention and
retains a clear structure, students may learn things that they did not even
know they were learning. When students
are completely engaged and having fun while they learn, they are truly
experiencing learning.
My
Personal Dance Education Philosophy
Because of my inexperience, I feel quite inadequate
writing my own philosophy of a field that I have yet to experience
first-hand. However, I have a few ideas
that I hope will serve me as I do begin teaching in the dance education
field. Dance develops the student
socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. It reaches out to emotionally troubled
students, provides a means of expression, challenges preconceptions, inspires
creativity, and connects the body cognitively and physically,
I believe that dance is able to reach students who may
otherwise be unreachable. Steven Wolk
states, "No longer can schooling be primarily about creating workers and
test takers, but rather about nurturing human beings" (Wolk 5). By empowering the individual and
acknowledging all ideas as worthwhile, dance creates a safe environment where
students learn how to work together in a social environment. Teaching dance also gives the teacher the
opportunity to practice what they preach by allowing them to move with your
students and help them along the way, addressing students' need to learn to
communicate with people other than their peers.
As a tool of expression, dance can help a student learn
how to express him or herself nonverbally.
Nonverbal communication is often more powerful than verbal communication,
or as the traditional saying states, "Actions speak louder than
words." Because of its communicative and expressive
abilities, I yearn to share dance with others.
I desire for others to feel the same way about movement that Martha
Graham expressed, “What I long for is the eagerness to meet life, the
curiosity, the wonder that you feel when you can really move” (Graham
120). The sense of wonder and excitement
communicated through dance can leave vivid, lasting impressions. A powerful mode of communication, to dance is
to communicate that the dancer knows what his or her own body feels (Fowler
2). Every opportunity to dance is an
opportunity to share with others the eagerness, curiosity, and wonder that stem
from movement (Graham 120).
I believe that dance has power inherent in the subject
matter. Dance is often put down as just
fluff or unimportant, but it has the capabilities to enrich lives. As Plato stated, "The purpose of
education is to give the body and soul all the beauty and perfection of which
they are capable" (Gibb 22).
Learning is about developing the body and enriching the intellect. In addition, dance can be applied to
varied learning styles and forms of intelligence. Dance can be learned by listening to the
teacher and discussing concepts, watching others dance, whether it is peers or
professionals, or kinesthetically through experience. Dance can be used to learn about other
disciplines such as music, interpretation of visual art and poetry, fractions,
cell structure, weather patterns, historical time periods, sentence structure,
and vocabulary. It can help students who
speak English as a second language to see, hear, say, and experience a new
word. Dance helps students to have
experiences that give a word meaning a substance, providing them with an
experiential connection to what they have learned.
I personally believe that dance can be a product in
itself. It is not only a vehicle for
teaching many concepts in school, but has power in and of itself. In a world where more and more people do more
and more things, a specialist of only one trade or art is a rarity. I think that in many ways, people believe
that technology can make up for their lack of ability. Dance, however, teaches students to have an
eye for beauty and brilliance. Students
are trained to recognize what a well-crafted piece of art looks like as well as
how to create their own. Dance employs
creative skills that will benefit the student in all walks of life; from
businessman to teacher to fast food employee, all careers can benefit from
creative thinking and improvements to operations. Creativity empowers and inspires. As Steven Wolk states, "There is a
special pride in bringing an original idea to fruition. It empowers us and encourages us; it helps us
appreciate the demanding process of creating something from nothing" (Wolk
6). This creative ability is taught and
refined throughout a student's experience in educational dance.
Dance develops a student's body by teaching the student
coordination and the ability to feel emotions; it also physically strengthens
the body and helps students understand the purpose of healthy nutrition. As movement of the body, dance energizes both body and soul and helps
to maintain physical health, which is unbreakable tied to mental health. Therefore, the health of one influences the
other. President Ezra Taft Benson stated,
“The condition of the physical body can affect the spirit…Wholesome recreation
is part of our religion and is a necessary change of pace; even its
anticipation can lift the spirit” (Benson 4).
Physical exercise brings joy and promotes happiness within the
body. Physical health also enhances
abilities of expression. Dancing is a
means of communication and expression, and “… the condition of the body limits,
largely, the expression of the spirit. The spirit speaks through the body and
only as the body permits" (Widtsoe 171).
Through dance, the body's capabilities is enhanced and strengthened,
promoting a lifetime of healthy living and strong communication skills.
As a dance educator, I teach because I enjoy observing the growth of others as they learn
how to more fully access their body’s potential. Dance develops person to person social and
communicative skills and teaches the student to access and acknowledge his or
her emotions. As students learn to move
creatively and safely, they make connections between dance and other disciplines. Creativity learned through dance enhances
school and work projects and critical thinking skills. Dance educator Joan Russell said, “We are
concerned with…fostering the child’s love of movement, and with giving scope
for discovery, imagination, and intuition” (Musil 126). I am interested in teaching the whole child,
by giving each student access to the skills necessary for success in all areas
of life.
Works
Cited
Benson, Ezra Taft. “Do Not Despair.” Ensign 10 (1986): 2-5.
Fowler, Charles B. “Dance As Education.” Dance 261: Orientation to Dance Resource and Selected Readings Packet. Provo, BYU Academic Publishing, 2009.
Gibb, Sara Lee. "Dance: An Integral Element in
Education." Utah Journal of
Health. Autumn, 1983: 22-3.
Graham, Martha. “I Am A Dancer.” Dance 261: Orientation to Dance Resource
and Selected Readings Packet. Provo,
BYU Academic Publishing, 2009.
Musil, Pam. “Department of Dance: Thoughts on
Teaching.” Dance 261: Orientation to Dance Resource and Selected Readings
Packet. Provo,
BYU Academic Publishing, 2009.
Widtsoe, John A. A Rational Theology. 5th
ed. Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book Company, 1967.
Wolk,
Steven. "Joy in School." Education Leadership. 66:1, 8-14.
Philosophy April 2009
Erika Bambas
Dance 261
Movement
Philosophy
As
art, science, education, tradition, expression, and culture, dance is a
versatile and complicated activity. For
some, walking across a stage is a dance, while others must see a ballerina
performing feats on pointe to consider the performance as true dance. I believe that dance is a matter of the
individual heart and can never be the same for all people. My personal definition of dance as well as
reasons to perform, choreograph, and teach dance, are particular and unique.
Dance
is organized movement performed with a specific intent. However, it is also an art form with
aesthetic qualities. Another definition
of dance is “…art that deals with the motions of the human body” (Feibleman
302). A movable, living, and changing
art, dance is created through the human body.
“Dance is human movement which is designed in time, space, and quality
of motion” (Bond 86). A broad spectrum
of movement can be categorized as dance, so identifying what is and is not
dance is an individual and subjective matter.
I
have many reasons for dancing, yet a prevailing motivation is the physical,
mental, and spiritual health that I gain from dancing. As movement of the body, dance energizes both
body and soul and helps to maintain physical health. Physical health and mental health are
unbreakably tied together; therefore, the health of one influences the
other. President Ezra Taft Benson stated,
“The condition of the physical body can affect the spirit…Wholesome recreation
is part of our religion and is a necessary change of pace; even its
anticipation can lift the spirit” (Benson 4).
Physical exercise brings joy and promotes happiness with the body. Physical health also enhances abilities of
expression. Dancing is a means of
communication and expression, and “… the condition of the body limits, largely,
the expression of the spirit. The spirit speaks through the body and only as
the body permits (Widtsoe 171). Through
dance, my instrument, or my body, is enhanced and strengthened so that I can
communicate clearly and with passion.
I
also dance to praise God for the healthy and able body that I have been blessed
with. We are commanded to “praise his
name in the dance” (Psalm 149:3), and I feel privileged to do so. The joy that I experience when dancing is
unique and inspiring, and arouses feelings of gratitude. Dance is again mentioned in scripture as a
form of thankfulness in the Doctrine and Covenants, “If thou art merry, praise
the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise
and thanksgiving” (D&C 136: 28). In
addition, as a child of God, my body is a tabernacle and temple for His Spirit
(D&C 93:35). As I dance in a form of
worship with a spirit of gratitude, I can invite the Spirit to reside in me as
is described in Corinthians, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God
Because
of its positive repercussions for me, I yearn to share dance with others. I desire for others to feel the same way
about movement that Martha Graham expressed, “What I long for is the eagerness
to meet life, the curiosity, the wonder that you feel when you can really move”
(Graham 120). The sense of wonder and
excitement communicated through dance can influence or change the viewer
forever, leaving vivid, lasting impressions.
A powerful mode of communication, dance is to communicate that the
dancer knows what his or her own body feels (Fowler 2). Every opportunity to dance is an opportunity
to share with others the eagerness, curiosity, and wonder that stem from
movement (Graham 120). Additionally,
dance is a talent from God. Although
everyone can dance, not everyone has the determination, desire, or capacity to
train successfully in dance studies. To
gain more talents, we are commanded to develop those talents that we do have
before we can receive more (D&C 82: 18).
So, training, practicing, learning and applying principles, and sharing
talents is imperative to our growth and development. There have been many times during my dance
training when I have thought that I am not good enough to pursue dance or that
I have nothing to offer the dance field.
However, after much soul searching and prayer, I have come to realize
that I have been blessed with a love for dance, an ability to dance, and a
strong desire to do so, and any comparison to another dancer’s talents is
belittling my own gifts. I perform to
share my love for dance and my God-given talents.
As
a choreographer, I create dance in emulation of The Creator, Jesus Christ. I am one of His creations, and the act of
creation is a divine heritage. “The
desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter
our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent
wish to create something that did not exist before”(Uchtdorf 118). I view choreography as a challenge to make
something that has not been before with unique characteristics that reflect my
personality, intent, and style. I learn
new things about myself, my beliefs, movement potential, and the topics that I
choreograph about every time I create a new dance. “Creation brings deep satisfaction and
fulfillment. We develop ourselves and
others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into
something of beauty” (Uchtdorf 118).
There is a great sense fulfillment when you watch a dance that you
choreographed, look on it with satisfaction, and can say that it is good
(Genesis 1:18).
Teaching,
by giving new thoughts and ideas to minds, is another form of creation. I teach because I enjoy observing the growth
of others as they learn how to more fully access their body’s potential. This is especially true with children. As children learn to move creatively and
safely, they make connections between dance and other activities. Creativity learned through dance can help
with school and work projects, critical thinking, and service in the future. Dance educator Joan Russell said, “We are
concerned with…fostering the child’s love of movement, and with giving scope
for discovery, imagination, and intuition” (Musil 126). Teaching a child to dance gives him or her tools
for creativity and healthy movement for life.
In
addition to teaching dance movement, I hope to teach dance kinesiology in a
university setting to help dancers use their bodies without hurting them. Because of traditions, many dance practices
are unsound and should be modified, such as stretching before class and large
amounts of deep knee work in class. The
study of human movement, kinesiology can help dancers to make informed choices
for their bodies. “Dance science has
made an enormous contribution to dancers’ well-being and athletic abilities by
offering a wealth of information on body conditioning, by challenging
established teaching and technique, and by offering modified protocols” (Batson
66). Sally Fitt, a dance kinesiology
instructor at the University
of Utah
As
an activity that is dear to my heart, sacred to me, and my chosen profession,
my views on dance are constantly growing and changing and cover a broad
spectrum. I dance to maintain physical
and spiritual health, to perform, to create, and to teach. Dance affects my soul and helps me to find
alternate means of expression. It is an art form where human beings are the
medium and living movement is the work.
As a means of expression, communication, teaching, and creation, dance
inspires me to become more than I ever dreamed I would become.
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