Dance Teacher Blog: What is K-12 Dance?

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Dance Teacher Blog: What is K-12 Dance?
By Brandy Curry

The ballet cast of Tchaikovsky's Ballet Sleeping Beauty1890 

I get asked all the time why I teach in education versus teaching at a private dance studio or why I choose to teach children instead of working with professionals.  The answer is simple: I'm not just teaching the choreography, dance tricks, and advanced technique, I'm teaching a 200 year old tradition to students whom may not otherwise get exposed to it.  Be it ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop or modern, teaching dance in education solidifies our great dance world.

José Limón was taught how to dance in my school district LAUSD.  Do I think I can make the next José Limón?  Of course I do! Why not?

"The gap between a private dance studio and K-12 Dance in school is narrowing.  Many private dance studios and professional dance companies are building enrichment arts and education programs that hold master classes in K-12 schools.  Instead of Arts programs dissolving, they are evolving and giving K-12 schools a reason to have dance as an academic and performing art class in their schools!  There is now a tangible forum and a necessity for dance in schools."~ Brandy Curry 2009


DANCE ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS 2013
Debbie Allen Dance Academy
Limon4Kids
Silverlake Contemporary Ballet
Performing Arts Workshop Los Angeles
Creative Kids Los Angeles
Beyond the Bell
Star Education

One of my favorite things about teaching dance in a K-12 school is the focus on one particular element of dance that may be used in the form of an assessment, quiz, or test.  Instead of teaching pique turns, I get to focus on the academic and intelligence of learning how to turn, learning where the foot and head are placed, etc.  Teaching Dance History is a fundamental part of dance in K-12 education.  There are great textbooks out there that help set the tone of dance in an academic setting.  At first, I was skeptical about teaching a piece of choreography, and then giving a quiz on it it.  Seemed impossible.  (I will talk about Dance Rubrics later in this blog.  In the meantime visit: http://rubistar.4teachers.org) Once I developed an optimal rubric, I watched my dancers improve, and their grades climb to high marks.

A proper rubric is very similar to private dance studios giving examinations to their students in the Royal Academy of Dance R.A.D syllabus, Imperial Ballet Syllabus, or Cecchetti USA syllabus. Making dance an academic in K-12 education is keeping dance in forefront of the performing arts.  While there are great music, and great drama teachers in K-12 education, dance teachers have the advantage of being part of the physical education curriculum and the performing arts curriculum.

Dance Teacher Blog: Netflix for Educators

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Dance Teacher Blog: Netflix for Educators 
By Brandy Curry 

I know that working in a public K-12 or an independent K-12 school is tricky when it comes to showing dance on film.  Most of the content is not suitable for children, and the sensuality and tone of the film is often misunderstood by teenagers.  Every summer I surf Netflix to find age-appropriate movies.  I plan on showing at least three (3) You Tube clips of dance and two (2) short films or movies as part of the Dance History component with are CA State Dance Content Standards.

I love Netflix
I love PBSkids.org
I love You Tube

These sites are great tv/film resources for educators.  We don't always have time to show a 2 hour film, but in Netflix you can put the movie in your instant cue and when you're ready to show it, hit play and fast forward to the dance sequence.  I only personally only show Rated-G content, and if I am going to show a movie that is PG-13, my students are 13 and older.  I send an email home to parents with an attached permission slip.  (Rated-R movies are simply out of the question, and always inappropriate.)  I use a different Netflix account for my classes than I do at home.  This allows me to organize the movies and short films in my instant cue and see what Netflix suggests for me.  Recently my class watched Ballets Russes on Netflix which was an exciting timeline of ballet history.

I subscribe to several different channels of ballet companies on You Tube.  I watch their videos and then play them for my dancers Grades 2nd-6th.  One clip we keep visiting on You Tube is of the Royal Ballet:

Sleeping Beauty Ballet Waltz - Royal Ballet

Royal Ballet at Covent Garden

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: Costumes for Your Piece

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Dance Teacher Blog: Costumes for Your Piece
By Brandy Curry

I taught a costume design class at a performing arts high school in Los Angeles and I still had trouble deciding on the right costumes for my piece.  I sketch, and doodle, and sew, and still have trouble choosing the right costume that will compliment my choreography.  I love flipping through catalogs and surfing online, I recently used Discount Dance for basic tutus and leotards and jazzed up the look with silk flowers, and rhinestones.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT COSTUME

• Ask your dancers about the piece; my students responses often inspire the "look"
• Does the music convey mood, emotion? Do certain colors convey those moods?
• Tight budget may mean you take an old tutu and add rhinestones.  Or just have dancers wear their class leotards and purchase dance pants, skirts, or tutus.  Add a hairpiece and voila!   
• The style of dance should be conveyed in the costume...i.e., tutus for ballet!
• If your K-12 school has purchased the costumes 

Costumes can be expensive but I have used these Dance Costumers for years and haven't gone over budget.

AFFORDABLE COSTUME COMPANIES 

• Discount Dance
• Art Stone Costumes
• A Wish Come True
• Revolution Dancewear
• Marcea

I recently had one of my classes wear their class leotard, and I purchased new hairpieces and had snowflakes sewn on the tutus.  Total cost was less than $50.

Dance Teacher Blog: Teaching Dance vs A Career in Dance

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Dance Teacher Blog: Teaching Dance vs A Career in Dance

By Brandy Curry 

So...you think you can teach...dance?  Yes, we've all heard the saying, "Those that can't...teach!"  Um...while that may apply to a very, very, small few...Have you ever been to Edge Performing Arts Center in Hollywood, CA?  Yes, that place where legends TEACH DANCE! I wouldn't go uttering those words "that they can't," around the hallway at Edge.  The faculty at Edge teach their classes and maintain a booming career in the industry.  Dancers can dance forever, and learn another trade in the industry from producing, directing, to choreographing and even dabbling in fashion and costume design.  All the dancers I moved out to LA with in 2001 are still forming their craft.  In a recent article in Dance Spirit Magazine, cover girl Mia Michaels said about her career path:

“Be open to where life takes you. Follow your instincts.” Mia Michaels

Mia Michaels courtesy of WikiMedia Commons

While all dance teachers make a decision to teach full time and no longer pursue their career full time, the decision is not the same for every dancer.  When I made the decision to teach full time, another door opened...CHOREOGRAPHER!  I began to keep a journal and write down ideas of full length ballets, plays, musicals, even music videos.  I was taking my dance training and molding my ideas on young dancers.  It was exciting...it is still exciting!

Some K-12 schools and private dance studios have strict policies about substitute teaching when you are out on auditions, but working as a dance teacher means you have a set schedule to go out on auditions.  Todays technology allows you to coordinate your classes, and make it out to your auditions.  A word of caution: Never miss a class if you say you'll be there to teach it.   Be on time for your classes, and if you book a dance job call your supervisor immediately so they can replace you.  Your students will be overjoyed that you booked a job, and keeping on good terms with the school or studio means you can come back as a Guest Teacher.