Dance is a way for students to express the movement of their bodies through time, motion, space, and energy (Joyce). It serves as a creative outlet and a way to grow artistically. A creative outlet is something that is necessary for all students and dance is an outlet that should be available to everybody in all educational settings. Any age, body-type or gender can benefit from the rewards of dance. Dance inquires and challenges students to explore their individuality, more than looking for the correct answer. This helps students keep an open and engaged mind, which in turn helps them see the value of differences. Everyone moves and thinks differently, and this is accepted in the dance community. This idea is important because there are many different viewpoints and strategies that will come from other people. It is vital to teach students that other appropriate opinions or strategies are valid and should be respected. This ideology comes from Creative Dance for All Ages, by Anne Green Gilbert.
There are many skills that students acquire from participating in dance. Dance advantage says, “they learn good listening skills, proper classroom etiquette, and how to move safely with other children, as well as learning respect and tolerance for others.” It heightens the senses and makes one aware of their surroundings. Dance also can help with developing necessary social skills. Usually, a student will work with a partner or group to solve a challenge or problem. This is a great way to develop the skills needed in life, such as working with a team or coming to an agreement with others. It helps them interact with others and think outside of the box. These skills are especially helpful in dance, but also in many other subjects as well. They can take the skills they have learned such as discipline, respect, collaboration, and confidence and use those in their own lives outside of dance. All of these skills and attributes will help in getting jobs, meeting new people, and being successful in many situations in the future.
Dance plays a vital part in education. It is not just a break from other classes, but an important addition to education. The arts and other creative classes can help students express what they want to, and give them the freedom to do so. It is an important class because it connects mind and body. Many general education classes have students sitting at desks, which means body movement is limited. The body craves movement, and anybody can move passively and/or actively. This is why dance is so important. It allows the body to move and the mind to think. It is different than a dance class you would take in a studio. Studio classes focus on a certain way a child needs to look by doing a specific technique. Dance focuses on the experience and helps students “develop the strength and intelligence in their bodies that enable them to express themselves through dance,” (Creative Dance Studio).
There are several statistics from Americans for the Arts that support the question of why having the arts in education is benefitting our students. These statistics were taken from low-income areas, so money is not a huge factor in students participating in the arts. Students that participate in an art form in their secondary curriculum are two times more likely to go to college than their peers who have not been involved in arts education. The dropout rate is five times lower if a student is in the arts, and their attendance is higher. They are also more likely to attend the science fair and they are more recognized for their academic achievement. Many artistic groups/teams in the school require a certain GPA standard to be on the team. This is a good motivator for students to try hard, even in their other classes. In the workplace, 72% of employers interviewed stated that creativity is one of the most important attributes in a new-hire. There is no better way to gain creativity than to experience it in an educational setting with your peers.
Marc Prenscy, a writer for Education Week, states that “the real goal of education, and of school, is becoming—becoming a "good" person and becoming a more capable person than when you started. Learning is nothing but a means of accomplishing that goal, and it is dangerous to confuse the ends with the means.” This goes along perfectly with the goals associated with dance. It’s about becoming better than when you started. Each day there is room for improvement, and the most important thing is that you are working to become better than you were in the past. Dance is a journey; it is the “means” of accomplishing an end goal. The benefits of dance can and will help anyone succeed in many facets of life.
I will make my classroom a safe place for all of my students. They will be able to express their opinions and ideas without the fear of judgment from me. It will be a place of community and a place of learning. I will encourage students to help each other and to look out for one another. I will do everything I possibly can to help students understand the benefits of dance, and most of all to have fun! I will personally care for my students by knowing their needs and their interests. They will be active participants in the learning process. I will encourage them, challenge them, and learn from them (Effective Teaching Traits).
Works Cited
“Creative Dance Studio.” Creative Dance Studio, 2016, www.creativedancestudio.org/.
Effective Teaching Traits worksheet
“Facts & Figures.” Americans for the Arts, 20 Apr. 2015, www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/networks-and-councils/arts-education-network/tools-resources/arts-ed-navigator/facts-figures.
Gilbert, Anne Green. Creative Dance for All Ages: a Conceptual Approach. Human Kinetics, 2015.
Joyce, Mary. Elements of Dance Worksheet.
Prensky, Marc. “The Goal of Education Is Becoming.” Education Week, 9 Feb. 2017, www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/05/06/30prensky_ep.h33.html.
Suzanne, Nichelle. “New? Start Here.” Dance Advantage, 25 Aug. 2008, www.danceadvantage.net/creative-dance/.