give em what they want

Dancing is to the eye

what music is to the ear.

~ Marjorie Forney, dance arts pioneer

I'm teaching dance this week at a local arts camp.  While I've assisted in a few classes over the past decade, this is the first time I've pulled out my ballet slippers in the great northwest.  Let's just say it was exciting but uncomfortable!  Uncomfortable mostly because of the wardrobe challenges: either the shoes and clothes are smaller, or I am bigger. Um, yeah.  Like that's a question. 

Anyway, about 22 kids signed up for "dance" class.  The brochure had a sentence about creative movement and introductory dance when describing my classes.  Evidently this was widely read as "hip hop dances" by the young students.  While they seem to be having fun in spite of this, I've been mildly amused at the parents who've let me know they were surprised their children were getting "ballet instead of hip hop."

"I'm excited she's getting ballet.  It's just that we thought she was going to learn some new hip hop dances.  But ballet is great.  Really."

First, folks, it's hardly ballet.  If it were ballet, there would be technique.  And bars.  And mirrors.  Have I mentioned I don't need mirrors?   Moreover, I wouldn't teach ballet to sweet, unsuspecting, introductory "art camp" kids.  I've safely proven (in my mother's studio) that I'm a strict ballet teacher, even for trained students. 

So, I'm teaching creative movement.  It's a simple combination of basic ballet, jazz, and modern technique, to give them a small taste of dance.  A wide variety of music inspires them to move with lots of rhythms, instruments, and musicality.  I hope they'll finish the week with some safe ways to warm up their muscles, several basic movements (and vocabulary) from different dance disciplines, a few short pieces of choreography, and some basic performance and theater etiquette.  Most of all, I hope they have an overwhelming urge to put on some music and dance!

What I'm not teaching is hip hop.  When done well, it's incredibly technical and impressive.  However, it's not my area of expertise and it's not something that is well taught in a 5-day kids' camp.  Let me be clear: I do not oppose hip hop dance.  In fact, I have a healthy appreciation for the cultural and artistic contribution it has provided the dance world.  That said, there are a few problems with me teaching hip hop dance to this group of 1st - 6th graders:

1.  Skill Levels.  Most of my week's students have little to no dance background.  Hip hop quickly leads to injuries if done poorly.  In this type of class structure, I can't possibly make sure everyone is using perfect technique or following complex choreography safely.

2. Influence.  Often, the hip hop seen in music videos and even dance squads is charged with provocative moves and outfits.  I can't control what ideas kids might have of this genre, and so it's hard to teach appropriate choreography and not disappoint.  Plus, one of my primary goals is to give them creative space, and I don't want the shake-yer-booty moves they have learned elsewhere influencing our time.

3. Exposure.  Hip hop is the most common form of dance most of these kids have experienced.  This being a camp and all, I'd like to offer a taste of the art of dance that they may not know.  It's a chance to broaden their horizons and expose them to something new.

So, surprise or not, we're just doing "dance."  Not hip hop, not ballet, and not really any other specific genre.  This is not going to take the place of a high quality class from a trained and experienced teacher.  It's simply a fun way for them, and I, to use our bodies as instruments - dancing with joy to the song set before us.