The process of teaching choreography to children

 Over the past few years I've been fortunate enough to work on the side as a chorographer. I've done a lot of work with one dance school in particular and I've learnt so much from the process of teaching the children that attend this dance school. Through teaching choreography to them whether it be for a show, audition or class I've learnt a lot about how children learn and process information. 

Lens 2 focus

Before I create a piece of choreography, I'm usually given a rough brief with regards to how many children I'm working with, the preferred style I should use and their ages. From there I find a suitable piece of music and start creating. The way I teach the children could be linked to Kolb's experiential learning cycle which is 'a theoretical perspective on the individual learning process that applied in all situation and areas of life'(Kolb, 2015, p.34). I will have the concrete experience of teaching them my choreography, reflect on the experience taking into consideration how well they picked it up and their strength and weaknesses and from learning from that experience I may actively experiment and try a different approach to my teaching. This way I can learn more about them as individuals but it also enhances their learning so they can get the most out of the situation. It's important to take into consideration 'multiple intelligences'(Gardner) when teaching children so you can focus on their preferred learning style too. Sometimes you have to 'reflect in action' (Schon, 1991), to accommodate each child's ability and therefore change movements if necessary.

Lens 3 focus 

When teaching, I look for inspiration from others in my professional network:

-My Mum (who was a professional dance teacher)

-My teachers through training 

My mum was excellent at her Job! She even taught children dance in Brazil where their only communication was through movement until my mum learnt the language. 

Through my training I've been fortunate enough to connect with some wonderful teachers who have inspired me and I often think about how they taught me and use the methods that I personally felt were most effective. Through others you 'can capture and disseminate the main insights gained from someone's hard years of experience'(Reed, 2016, p.13). 

Lens 1 focus

During the pandemic, teaching children dance has become quite a challenge. Teaching via Zoom has become very common as it has 'become the standard for connectivity with others face-to-face virtually'(Antonelli,2020). Zoom is a wonderful piece of software but it is very hard to teach children dance virtually. You have to ensure that they understand what's right or left and that you're either allowing them to mirror you or you are very clear as to what arm or leg you're using. I personally feel that children are less likely to speak up via zoom, whereas in a studio setting they can ask you more privately if they don't understand things. I've noticed that some children have been fortunate enough to have dance studios created in their homes or gardens during the pandemic where other children barely have enough space to move. Could Zoom classes be affecting children's mental health with regards to their practice space not being as good as their peers? In a studio setting all children are equal but online some children face unfair disadvantages through no fault of their own.

I feel that with regards to teaching children choreography there are many things you have to take into consideration. Their is a lot of preparation you need to do yourself in order to be fully prepared for a variety of situations and circumstances. Making children feel comfortable and at ease is a huge part of the teaching process, which is very different nowadays to what it used to be when teachers would scream at their pupils and approach things without ethically considering what they were going to do or say. Teaching dance has changed once again due to the pandemic but has been a huge learning curve for myself and something I wish to focus on and progress with. 

References

Antonelli, W. (2020). What is zoom? A comprehensive guide to the widely popular video-chatting service for computers and smartphones. [online]. Available at: https://buisnessinsider.com/what-is-zoom-guide?amp. [Accessed 25th Feb. 2021].

Gardner, H. (2006). Multiple intelligences; new horizons. Basic Books. 

Kolb, D. A. (2015). Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. 2nd edn. Pearson Education.

Reed, R. (2016). If I could tell you one thing. Canongate Books.

Schön, D. A. (1991). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Routledge.