Dance Teacher Blog: Music for K-12 Dance

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Dance Teacher Blog: Music for K-12 Dance
By Brandy Curry

When the music changes, so does the dance. - African proverb

Music shapes the flow, mood, and energy of my dance class.  Be it a movement class, ballet class, or modern class.  Classical music is the music I hear in my head when choreographing and that's why ballet is my favorite style of dance to teach.  I have found in recent years of teaching dance in education that sometimes I'm the one that introduces classical music or jazz music to my students.  After all these years I have finally uploaded all of my CD's to my iTunes.  I use iCloud for backup and storage. iCloud also keeps my music library up to date on all of my devices. Visit: iCloud.com and login with your Apple ID!

Here is a list of great Artists I have used teaching K-12 Dance in school.  

BY GRADE

Putumayo Animal Playground

Grades K-2nd

Putumayo for Kids

Lynn Stanford Classical Music

Enchanted Soundtrack

Kidz Bop 

Disneymania

Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang

Johnny Only

Scott Killian Classical Kids

Grades 3rd-5th

Putumayo for Kids

Lisa Harris Classical Music 

High School Musical Soundtrack

Cheetah Girls Soundtrack 

Kidz Bop

Radio Disney 

Disneymania 

Aly & AJ

Taylor Swift

Shake it Up (Disney)

Wreck it Ralph Soundtrack

Selena Gomez Courtesy of Disney Music

Grades 6-8

Introduce pop and jazz music. Check lyrics of pop music before you play in your class. 

Carly Rae Jepsen 

Aly & AJ

Selena Gomez

Justin Bieber

Taylor Swift

Coco Jones

Bridgit Mender

Corinne Bailey Rae

Grades 9-12

Continue Pop Music, but feature an assessment unit on Jazz Music (Visit: PBS Kids)

Charlie Parker

Miles Davis

Billie Holiday

Movie Soundtracks w. Instrumental music

Adele

Coldplay

Steven Cravis

Imogen Heap

Frou Frou

Don Caron Classical Music

Lisa Harris Classical Music

Miro Magliore (Contemporary & Modern)

Michael Roberts (Contemporary & Modern)

Dance Teacher Blog: Austerity vs Energy

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Dance Teacher Blog: Austerity vs Energy
By Brandy Curry

Debbie Allen in FAME Courtesy of Wikimedia

Put your rulers, spoons, popsicle sticks, pencils, and cane away! The generation of using objects in the dance classroom to "rear fear" is fading away.  My ballet teacher was as strict as she was beautiful.  Always polite, but oh-so stern.  I never knew how I faired in her class until she asked me to join the youth ballet company.  I was overwhelmed and shocked and excited, but a sense of panic set in that I would fail her.  I never saw her smile and I grew impatient with it.  Some might say I lacked the seriousness in my youth that compliments the austerities of a ballet teacher.  I think I just wanted to know she was pleased at my accomplishments.  Yes, I agree her attitude made me the dancer I am today, but it was my high-energetic jazz teacher whom kept me coming back and gave me the confidence to continue to dance.

The first few weeks are crucial in setting up classroom normals and expectations.  I have found a way to present myself as a stern and optimistic ballet teacher in order to achieve great technique from my dancers.  (Although, I occasionally use spoons, and popsicle sticks to demonstrate proper turnout...I'll blog about that later)

MY CLASSROOM NORMALS & EXPECTATIONS

• List rules visibly in the classroom (Make a poster or have your students make a poster for extra credit)
• List consequences clearly on your syllabi(us)
• Make a contract for both your parents and students
• List expectations of dress code on your syllabi(us)
• Stick to your syllabi(us) and pacing plan(s)...and brag about it to other faculty! Knowing a performing arts teacher is serious about discipline shows a united front with Administration.
• Smile, laugh, and tell cheesy dance jokes every once in a while! Be human! I have laughed with my students, cried with my students over dance films, it makes them want to dance forever.
• Show them your rubric for assessments, quizzes and tests.  Prove to them that you expect them to get an "A" on an assessment and that you have confidence in them
• Make general class corrections, and one-on-one corrections
• Teach with passion, energy, and as though they are all pre-professional dancers.  Respect the best and the not so best dancer.  Give them all a chance to share their artistry.
• DANCE WITH THEM!!

Dance Teacher Blog: The Right College for Your Dancers

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Dance Teacher Blog: The Right College for Your Dancers
By Brandy Curry

When I became the Department Chair of Dance in 2011 at a performing arts school in Los Angeles one of my responsibilities was to help guide 12th grade dancers into the audition process of dance major university and college programs.  I flew to New York over Spring Break to seek out the small colleges first, and visit the prestigious NYU.  I knew I could get my students into the California schools having gone through the audition process myself but I wanted to see Pace University and Marymount Manhattan up close and personal.   I contacted each of the school's Admissions Department and scheduled a tour as an educator, not as a student.  You get essential information from the Admissions office if you schedule your tour as an educator.  I came back from my trip with an entirely new perspective on how to get my dance students ready for college auditions.

2013 DANCE COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: My favorites!

Most programs require an audition or video audition submission
(In alphabetical order)

1. Boston Conservatory
2. California State University: Long Beach
3. Chapman University
4. Cornish College of the Arts
5. Fordham University: The Ailey School
6. Goucher University
7. Julliard School
8. Marymount Manhattan
9. NYU Tisch Performing Arts: Dance
10. Oklahoma City University
11. Pace University 
12. Point Park University
13. Texas Christian University
14. University of Arizona
15. University of California: Irvine (UCI)
16. University of California: Los Angeles (UCLA)
17. University of North Carolina School of the Arts
18. University of Oklahoma
19. University of Texas: Austin
20. University of The Arts

Marymount Manhattan Dancers in their 2012 Spring Repertoire

Dance Media LLC publishes a yearly college guidebook titled Dance Magazine College Guide.  (Copy/Paste into your browser: http://www.dancemagazine.com/thecollegeguide) Check it out online at Dance Magazine or Dance Spirit Magazine. 

Dance Magazine College Guide 2012-2013

Dance Teacher Blog: Creating an Original Ballet

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Dance Teacher Blog: Creating an Original Ballet
By Brandy Curry

Creating new content for K-12 dance classes in schools is often difficult if you don't have a budget for shows, recitals, performances or concerts.  I worked at a performing arts high school in Los Angeles and was given a small budget to put on a Winter Ballet.  Being in Los Angeles there are over 50 dance studios that put on The Nutcracker so putting on a Nutcracker was out of the question.

I did some research on my favorite ballet companies, Pacific Northwest Ballet, American Ballet Theater, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, and the English National Ballet.  I looked at their repertory for choreography ideas.  Teaching K-12 ballet is very different than teaching at a private studio; from budgets, to costumes, to commitment.  The K-12 parents are not expecting a dance department to put on a full length ballet.  I emailed the other performing arts faculty and even the english faculty for some ideas.  They all agreed that one of my favorite books, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, would make an excellent ballet!

Christopher Wheeldon had just premiered Alice in Wonderland with the English National Ballet to amazing reviews.  So I watched youtube clips, ordered the DVD, and began writing a script with lighting cues, budget ideas, and choreography notes.

I worked with our Theater Tech class for sets and lights ideas.  I hired a production manager, and divided a few of the scenes with my dance faculty.  Alice in Wonderland premiered on January 27th at the NOHO Arts Center in North Hollywood, CA.

Alice in Wonderland, Artistic Director & Choreographer: Brandy Curry 

We ran for two weeks, and sold out all of our shows.  There was a cast of over 90 dance students ranging from basic level ballet- advanced pointe work.  The dance students were some of the most articulate pantomime and character dancers whom made the ballet come to life.  It wasn't the performance that made it memorable for the dancers, it was the notion that a high school could put on a full length ballet.

Brandy Curry, and two Alice in Wonderland dancers

Dance Teacher Blog: Preparing Parents for Your Class

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Dance Teacher Blog: Preparing Parents for Your Class
By Brandy Curry

Being a dance educator in Los Angeles has its rewards and its challenges.  One of the challenges I find is that the LA dance parent has superior knowledge about the dance biz and wants to know that your resume will help their starlet become the next, great dancer.  While I appreciate the enthusiasm these parents have for their children, I always have to set boundaries.  It takes time away from lesson planning, but I also have more support when I need parent volunteers because I set clear boundaries and appease them by answering their many, many questions.

MEET THE TEACHER
Before my classes get started I set up a "Meet the Teacher" for my dance parents.  If an Open House or Back-to-School night is not scheduled on the master school calendar I email my class roster and invite parents to meet me.  Sometimes forty parents show up, sometimes I get a hundred parents.  I prepare a speech about my classroom expectations, I print out copies of my syllabus, and leave time to answer questions.  I always dress like a dancer, but mix it up with a blazer.  (Thank you J Crew and Banana Republic for catering to the educator; you get up to 15% when you show your school ID card.)

POST HEADSHOT & RESUME
Depending on my bulletin board space I always post a headshot and resume.  If there is no space, I upload my headshot and resume onto my Haiku page, or onto the school website.  Dance parents want to know you've performed before, and have professional dance experience. See my headshot below:

SYLLABI
I create a syllabus for each of my dance classes.  If I teach nine (9) classes then I create nine syllabi.  I list what I expect my students to wear from jazz shoes to proper dance wear.  I list books I require or books I suggest students read.  I put my expectations for student behavior, and put a behavioral contract for parents and students to sign and return to me.  One of the most important parts of my syllabus is my contact information, and parent expectations.

Even if your Department Chair or Principal tell you it is unnecessary, it is still the best way to sell your program, and to keep your class(es) organized.  Putting it down on paper also gives you ammunition should your program receive news of budget cuts, or being dissolved.  Even as a Performing Arts teacher in Los Angeles I found my program year-to-year being cut, or re-tasked, and the only thing that kept my classes untouched was my solid syllabi.

HAIKU, FACEBOOK, BLOG, TWITTER
If your school allows you to create a class Haiku page, a class Facebook page, a class Blog or class Twitter...do it!  Check with your Department Chair and Principal about what you are allowed to post.  Connecting to your students and parents via social media is fast, and easy. Have your pages or posts ready before your "Meet the Teacher."

DANCE WEAR FLYER
I contact my local dance store and leave a list of my class requirements for each of my classes.  I also put a link on my Haiku page or website to Discount Dance.  Discount Dance is an excellent, easy to shop place for your teacher dance wear and they have an excellent Teacher Program that allows you to select and suggest dance wear for your students.  Visit Discount Dance Teacher Program

PARENT VOLUNTEERS
I ask for the support of my parents the first meeting I have with them.  I get them excited about my classes and excited for the dance program.  I inherited a parent organization from my school, and I have the parent representatives talk at my "Meet the Teacher."  The representatives bring sign up sheets requesting parents to volunteer for various shows not just in the dance department, but in the overall performing arts department.  It's always nice to have parent volunteers at my shows to help from applying make up, to manning the concessions, or helping secure buns.

If you are new to the school ask the parent organization to introduce you to the school at their first meeting.  Introducing yourself to the school community will put nervous parents at ease.  Dress professional, smile and be prepared to speak.