Dance Education in School
Dance at a studio vs. dance in school
Studio dance is dance whose main goal is the development of technique and the acquisition of one or several dance styles. Dance in school has very different goals. Dance education has to be accessible to every individual enrolled in a class which includes, but is not limited to, beginner to advanced dancers, English as a second language students, students with physical or cognitive exceptionalities, and students from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
The goal of dance education is to ensure the continuing development of the whole individual and their cognitive, emotional, social and physical development in preparation for life long learning skills.
Does this mean that studio dancers won’t learn anything in the program?
Short and simple the answer is no! Students who have trained (or are still training) in a private situation will have acquired some technique, strength, focus and performance skills, but we also give students the opportunity to further develop their skills as leaders, choreographers, collaborators and creative thinkers. Often times, because these dancers have already been opened up to the world of dance, they will be the students in class who can take a new idea and grow as artists. There are plenty of ways to ensure that all students reach their full potential and Ms. Hodanic works with students to find appropriate balances for students in each class.
Students who stay in the program for more than one year really start to show the acquisition of dance technique and more developed creative ability. These students are always a pleasure to have in class. They are the ones who have the most commitment to the program and frequently produce some of the most interesting creative work over time.
The BC curriculum for dance, grades 10-12, will focus on the following four major areas: Exploring and Creating, Reasoning and Reflecting, Communicating and Documenting, and Connecting and Expanding. The new curriculum will continue to build off of the Core Competencies that were introduced into the grades 8 and 9 curriculums in 2017. The Core Competencies focus on the development of the following skills: Critical & Creative Thinking, Communication, and Personal & Social Responsibility. These core competencies have been embedded into the new curriculum and all dance students from grades 8 through 12 will continue to develop all of these skills as they move forward in their education careers.
Students who enrol in this program should love to move or love to learn. They should have a curiosity about movement and an interest in trying new ideas, stretching and growing intellectually, as well as physically. Students will be asked to consistently step outside of their comfort zones as learners to help them grow as dancers and learners more quickly, as well, students will be asked to reflect, respond and share in a variety of settings. Day-to-day classes will involve warming-up with cardio or technique based movement patterns, learning new dance vocabulary, working with class-mates to either create or rehearse, and understanding their role as a member of their team.
The benefits to taking dance are outstanding; the benefits to taking dance in school are even more outstanding, because it’s free! So, why not?
Studio dance is dance whose main goal is the development of technique and the acquisition of one or several dance styles. Dance in school has very different goals. Dance education has to be accessible to every individual enrolled in a class which includes, but is not limited to, beginner to advanced dancers, English as a second language students, students with physical or cognitive exceptionalities, and students from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
The goal of dance education is to ensure the continuing development of the whole individual and their cognitive, emotional, social and physical development in preparation for life long learning skills.
Does this mean that studio dancers won’t learn anything in the program?
Short and simple the answer is no! Students who have trained (or are still training) in a private situation will have acquired some technique, strength, focus and performance skills, but we also give students the opportunity to further develop their skills as leaders, choreographers, collaborators and creative thinkers. Often times, because these dancers have already been opened up to the world of dance, they will be the students in class who can take a new idea and grow as artists. There are plenty of ways to ensure that all students reach their full potential and Ms. Hodanic works with students to find appropriate balances for students in each class.
Students who stay in the program for more than one year really start to show the acquisition of dance technique and more developed creative ability. These students are always a pleasure to have in class. They are the ones who have the most commitment to the program and frequently produce some of the most interesting creative work over time.
The BC curriculum for dance, grades 10-12, will focus on the following four major areas: Exploring and Creating, Reasoning and Reflecting, Communicating and Documenting, and Connecting and Expanding. The new curriculum will continue to build off of the Core Competencies that were introduced into the grades 8 and 9 curriculums in 2017. The Core Competencies focus on the development of the following skills: Critical & Creative Thinking, Communication, and Personal & Social Responsibility. These core competencies have been embedded into the new curriculum and all dance students from grades 8 through 12 will continue to develop all of these skills as they move forward in their education careers.
Students who enrol in this program should love to move or love to learn. They should have a curiosity about movement and an interest in trying new ideas, stretching and growing intellectually, as well as physically. Students will be asked to consistently step outside of their comfort zones as learners to help them grow as dancers and learners more quickly, as well, students will be asked to reflect, respond and share in a variety of settings. Day-to-day classes will involve warming-up with cardio or technique based movement patterns, learning new dance vocabulary, working with class-mates to either create or rehearse, and understanding their role as a member of their team.
The benefits to taking dance are outstanding; the benefits to taking dance in school are even more outstanding, because it’s free! So, why not?