So I'm doing a new thing with a new dance friend.
I enjoy collaborating with other dance teaching colleagues to create programs, events, series, etc. I just like talking with other people about teaching dance. How we do what we do.... why we do things the way we do them... These kinds of talks energize me! It's so interesting to hear about teaching experiences that another teacher has gone through. Thankfully, I have special people in my life to have these kinds of conversations with. People who honor the integrity of international folk dance.
Sharon fits the bill!
She moved here last year and we share similar values about teaching folk dance. So we're doing a thing. We're calling it Two Four Dance. That's because we want to help people remember when it takes place -- on the second and fourth Sunday of each month from 2 --4 pm. Doing a series bi-monthly can cause confusion. "Is it THIS week?" Now they have to look at a calendar to determine if this week is a 2nd or 4th Sunday.
I like the format we're using -- we start with 3 warm up dances. Then, ONE new dance is taught and the last session's new dance is reviewed. After that, we play music for dance requests. Sadly, the warm up dances have morphed into being micro-taught. I guarantee - the request dances will not be taught!
One of the purposes of this series is to give experienced dancers a place to cut loose and just -- dance! That doesn't happen at my class at the college, except for our end-of-semester party. To me, that's a fundamental difference between a folk dance class and a folk dance party. Dances are taught in a class or a workshop. But sometimes people want to get together and just enjoy dancing together. At a dance party, there is no teaching. Two Four Dance is a lovely mixture of class and party.
I can't believe this is my first documented thought about dancing in 2023.
I enjoy collaborating with other dance teaching colleagues to create programs, events, series, etc. I just like talking with other people about teaching dance. How we do what we do.... why we do things the way we do them... These kinds of talks energize me! It's so interesting to hear about teaching experiences that another teacher has gone through. Thankfully, I have special people in my life to have these kinds of conversations with. People who honor the integrity of international folk dance.
Sharon fits the bill!
She moved here last year and we share similar values about teaching folk dance. So we're doing a thing. We're calling it Two Four Dance. That's because we want to help people remember when it takes place -- on the second and fourth Sunday of each month from 2 --4 pm. Doing a series bi-monthly can cause confusion. "Is it THIS week?" Now they have to look at a calendar to determine if this week is a 2nd or 4th Sunday.
I like the format we're using -- we start with 3 warm up dances. Then, ONE new dance is taught and the last session's new dance is reviewed. After that, we play music for dance requests. Sadly, the warm up dances have morphed into being micro-taught. I guarantee - the request dances will not be taught!
One of the purposes of this series is to give experienced dancers a place to cut loose and just -- dance! That doesn't happen at my class at the college, except for our end-of-semester party. To me, that's a fundamental difference between a folk dance class and a folk dance party. Dances are taught in a class or a workshop. But sometimes people want to get together and just enjoy dancing together. At a dance party, there is no teaching. Two Four Dance is a lovely mixture of class and party.
I can't believe this is my first documented thought about dancing in 2023.
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