Life as a Modern Dancer

Category: Blog Series: Becoming a Teaching Artist

  • Summer Events at the Luna Dance Institute in Berkeley, CA

    Creativity & Technique Practitioner Exchange Tuesday, 6/14, 4:30-6pm, $15-40 sliding scale, free to PL users Peer educators gather to explore issues of practice & get inspired at these soft-facilitated group discussions.  For Dance Teaching Artists curious about how creativity and technique can support each other in the same curriculum. Summer Institute 2016 Monday, July 22-29,…

  • The Playlist Project: Music for Preschool Dance Classes

      By Tanya Chianese   Below is this week's creative movement class plan and music (3-5 year olds): We warm up in a circle to my voice, which includes stories and songs. I ask a question (this week – "What's your favorite bug?"), then one at a time we each answer and share a short…

  • An Incredible Music Resource for Choreographers and Teaching Artists: Mike Wall and soundFORMovement

      By Mike Wall   I am a composer, performing musician and faculty in The Department of Dance at The University of Utah. My family and I moved out to Utah 3 years ago and really love it out here. I was born in Mississippi and grew up in New Jersey, attending Rutgers University to study…

  • Teach dance in a high school? 14 reflection questions as you grow and develop your program

    I recently was reflecting with a colleague about her program at an independent high school and how she can further build the program. While reflecting, it is valuable to have a comprehensive view of your school, other classes on campus, and opportunities for outreach about your program. I hope that these questions will be useful…

  • The Playlist Project: For PreK-12 Teaching Artists

    In 2016, I am pleased to offer a new resource on the blog for teaching artists working with preschool, elementary, middle school, and high school students. I will ask teaching artists around the United States to share their current playlists. What music are the students loving these days? What music inspires you as a teacher? …

  • Leadership in Dance 2016: Kathryn Humphreys

    During 2016, we will publish stories about leaders in the field – artists, activists, innovators, mentors, and teaching artists. Who is inspiring you? If you would like to suggest a person to be featured in this column, please email Blog Director Jill Randall at randalldanceprojects@gmail.com. ————– Kathryn Humphreys is the Director, Education, Youth and Community…

  • Articulating Experience

    Articulating Experience By Jan Erkert, Author of Harnessing the Wind, The Art of Teaching Modern Dance I spent my career making dances in Chicago, so as a city girl, I didn’t know much about nature. Suddenly, a yearning appeared to be away from cement and small spaces, so for a year I moved to five stunning…

  • 2015 Wrap Up: Becoming a Teaching Artist

    One of my passions and areas of interest is supporting dancers as they begin to explore teaching. Here are valuable resources and articles. All material can be used within a college dance education course as well. Speaking as a Teaching Artist: Thirty Perspectives Article: The Beautiful Relationship of Being an Artist and a Teacher A…

  • Article: The Beautiful Relationship of Being an Artist and a Teacher

    For the November 2015 issue of Dance Studio Life Magazine, I wrote a piece about being a teaching artist. The term "teaching artist" captures the relationship and interplay between our identities in dance.  If you teach college undergrads, please share this article! Let's keep having this conversation with up and coming artists. Find the article here. —————————–

  • Becoming a Teaching Artist: A Graphic Organizer

    The other day I stumbled upon this great visual for dance teaching artists from the Dance Education Laboratory. I hope that you too will like the key words and categories. It offers us a way to check in and reflect on our work. ——————–