BodyVox in the Schools

This year has been off with a bang! We started the school year with a full roster of classes in our Dance Center, and a long list of in-school residencies on our schedule including Laurelhurst, HayHurst, View Acres and more!

So far this year in school has been delightful for me, in part because of our amazing Education Intern, Treszka Bench (her help in residencies and at our front desk has been priceless), and in part because of our first K-5 dance and science integrated residency was at SpringWater Environmental Sciences School in Oregon City.

I always enjoy the students, at any school I go to. The light that they bring into a room, no matter their mood, is so strong. The same was true for Springwater, the students are amazing, intelligent, respectful and always willing to try something a little quirky. But I most enjoy the teachers. It is not often in our school systems that an artist can work alongside teachers in a positive, uplifting and supportive way. The teachers at Springwater were always available when I had curriculum questions, logistical needs, or an extra pair of eyes. What a treat; with a great assistant and attentive teachers I was the luckiest teaching artist in Oregon!

One of the most important things to me about integrating any academic studies with a dance lesson is that its something the students are specifically working on at the same time in their classrooms. I really go in and focus on my expertise, teaching dance—in the schools, I generally work with creative dance unless I have a specific request for modern, jazz, ballet etc. Throughout the lesson I keep the academic focus in mind, and find ways to integrate it, however I let the students be the experts in the subject matter.

I create the dance “problems” and they solve them using the movement knowledge they’ve gained from me, and the subject knowledge they gained in their classroom. For example, one of the problems for the 2/3 classes at Springwater was to choose three US National Symbols (such as the eagle, Statue of Liberty and the Liberty Bell) and in small group of 4-5 people create four shapes that demonstrate one, some or all of those symbols. The amount of teamwork, brain power and creativity that went into their work was astonishing and touching!

We can all hope and work for the day when each child in school has the opportunity to participate in arts classes that enrich their creative spirit and interpersonal skills—until then, I’m so excited to be doing my part in opening doors for curiosity, learning and passion!

~Renee