Exhibition Statement

Introduction 

Let's dance! As ballet is usually a very strict and rigid environment, my project will create a fun and welcoming space for students to dance. My capstone project is a one-time ballet class for UMD students with all background levels. At the conclusion of the class, participants will be given a survey that gathers data on their previous dance experience, enjoyment level of the class, and what they learned. Also a friend of mine will take pictures and videos of the class so that the audience can get a feel for the environment that was created. 

Literature Review

My capstone project took inspiration from my previous dance teachers: Stephanie Powell, Maria Royals, and Maia DeBaugh. They taught me how to be a fun, organized, creative, technical, welcoming, and motivating dance teacher. One source that inspired me was written by a college student who took a ballet class in school after taking a break from dance. She discussed how the class was comprised of many different people with different abilities but everyone was “struggling together” (Lescault, 1). While the class is not designed for participants to feel like they’re struggling, the goal is for them to feel empowered because they are doing it together. Another source outlines how to be an effective teacher by creating a positive learning environment, demonstrating positive communication skills, being a positive role model, etc (Ausdance National, 1). My class will incorporate those teaching techniques. In the words of a college ballet professor, “I tend to remark on or call out ballet’s ideologies during my demonstrations and explanations. As I articulate a particular line with my body,I might say, ‘Ballet calls this beautiful because…’ (Alterowitz, 5). This would be a great idea in my class so that students can understand the tradition of ballet and how my class format reworks it to create a better environment.

Methods

Dance is the primary artistic method that my project revolves around. With my personal background in ballet and gathering tips from my previous dance teachers, I have a good foundation for teaching this class. My class structure will include a barre, center combinations, an across the floor section in groups, and a final combination that includes tendus, port de bras, arabesques, pirouettes, piques, and releves. After verifying with class participants that it is okay, videos and pictures will be taken of the class by my friend to be exhibited at ArtsFest. One of my research methods is a survey where I will gather data from my students so that I can determine if the class was successful. I’m interested to see if there is any correlation between my participants’ previous dance experience and their feelings of comfort and welcomeness in the class. Finally, I will use a literature review to learn more about teaching methods and the perspective of my students. 

Audience & Impact

My audience includes college students, and specifically Arts Scholars, at any level of ballet experience looking for a welcoming and judgement-free environment to dance. I chose this audience because I want to help college students learn something new that can be fun for them. I hope my audience will walk away with a new hobby and a sense of pride for trying ballet. Additionally, I want my participants to feel welcomed in the space and carry that with them into any new activity they might try. Personally, completing this capstone project has been a really great way for me to improve my teaching abilities and confidence. As an elementary education major, getting practice with creating a lesson plan, answering students’ questions, and conveying content is really important. 

References

Alterowitz, Gretchen. “Toward a Feminist Ballet Pedagogy: Teaching Strategies for Ballet Technique Classes in the Twenty-First Century.” Journal of Dance Education, vol. 14, no. 1, 2014, pp. 8–17., https://doi.org/ 10.1080/15290824.2013.824579. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023. 

Lescault, Sarah. “What Taking Beginner's Ballet in College Taught Me about Perfection in the Professional Ballet...” Medium, Medium, 16 Jan. 2022, https://sarahlescault.medium.com/what-taking-beginners-ballet-in-collegetaught-me-about-perfection in-the-professional-ballet-c870c0a311fb. 

National, Ausdance. “Effective Dance Teaching Methods " Ausdance: Dance Advocacy.” Ausdance, 27 June 2012, https://ausdance.org.au/articles/details/ effective-dance-teaching-methods.

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge Heather, my faculty advisor, who gave me ideas for my project and helped me work out any problems. Also, I want to acknowledge Stephanie Powell, Maria Royals, and Maia DeBaugh for being inspiring dance teachers throughout my life. Thank you to all the participants, I couldn’t have done it without them. Finally, I want to thank Yuma Sasaki for taking pictures and videos of the class.