Like
Be the first to like this
The dancing has begun! This week, I had 6 hours of dance to teach: a group of young children, a group of girls who are a bit older, and finally, my smallest group of teenage girls. I teach dance in the hall where events, performances, and gatherings take place. I usually prepare an introduction, where students will share how they feel about the day and other emotions they would like to express during the dancing session. We then complete warmups where I lead cardio, stretches, and short dance phrases that usually feed into our main choreography.
🌱
For the introductory weeks, I chose a song that the students would like and kept them engaged. For the younger children and a group of girls that are a bit older, I choreographed a piece to Rosé & Bruno Mar’s APT. This choreography was coupled with a presentation on the origins of hip hop dance. I talked to the kids about the birth of hip hop dance in the Bronx, as well as key figures such as Richard “Crazy Legs” Colón and their significant contributions to hip hop dance. Focusing on park jams and street jams, I emphasized how integral community gathering and co-creation are for the art.
🌱
For the older girls, I feel that I am given the opportunity to challenge myself with the choreography and have discussions with them as my peers. We have discussions about what gives us strength when we feel burdened, and how to overcome adversity. I have found it deeply fulfilling to have these conversations and have shared some of my journaling practices with the girls. This week we danced to Missy Elliott’s Ratata, which is a fast paced, challenging hip hop piece. While choreographing this piece, I was challenged not only in putting together the piece but also in learning it thoroughly enough to teach it. Teaching dance has encouraged me to think about describing movement in creative ways.
🌱
My work has expanded as I am learning the specific skills and light in each of my students. I am eager to teach about salsa and bachata next week!
Elizabeth Wallace
(She/Her)
Student , Columbia University
Please sign in
If you are a registered user on Laidlaw Scholars Network, please sign in