Category: Blog Series: Becoming a Teaching Artist

Photo found on Pinterest from buggyandbuddy.com   Props have endless possibilities. Solo work…duet work….the whole group. Over, under, around, and through. Toss, stretch, spin, and balance. Young children love dancing props, and even middle schoolers do as well! For hesitant and shy students, props can bring their focus to the task at hand and literally…

From Blog Director Jill Randall: One of my passions in creative dance classes is the intersection of language and movement. Books can spark ideas; the text can narrate a dance. For teaching artists and students alike, picture books can inspire improvisational activities as well as help shape a group dance. The colors, pictures, imagery, story,…

From Blog Director Jill Randall: I created this list of 30 questions/ideas for my employees this week, and I thought that you might enjoy joining us this fall semester as we reflect each week on our teaching practice. Here is the complete list of ideas, plus the third week's two big ideas. Week 3 Reflecting…

From Blog Director Jill Randall: I created this list of 30 questions/ideas for my employees this week, and I thought that you might enjoy joining us this fall semester as we reflect each week on our teaching practice. Here is the complete list of ideas, plus the second week's two big ideas. Week 2 Reflecting…

"The Figure 5 in Gold " by Charles Demuth From Blog Director Jill Randall: Recently, I posted and shared about the language of childhood and favorite moves of 1-5 year olds (in the words of their parents). Today, I share some ideas about 5 year olds, in their own words. A previous school year, I…

As we prepare for the new school year, I asked 20 friends and colleagues to share the favorite moves these days with their children ages 1-5  years old. Which moves do they love to do on their own? How about with an adult? I hope that these examples can offer a word bank and starting…

Creative-based projects….community-based dance….and the beginner's mind…. From Kristin Blatzheim of Apple Valley High School (Apple Valley, MN): After a few experiences with my students last year, I want to be sure to incorporate more choreographic opportunities on a regular basis into my classes, especially my beginning classes. I normally leave time for 1 or 2…

Today's post comes from Valerie Gutwirth, a master teaching artist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Valerie currently teaches in the Berkeley Unified School District. I am tinkering with the progression of my dance classes, trying to streamline transitions in an effort to have More Time More Dancing (the ultimate goal, always). Starting with a…