Review your previous blog entries and identify common issues/questions.
Upon re-examining my dance lessons and previous blog entries, I see a pattern to address a common issue. How, as an arts educator, can I bridge the gap for my students to acquire more profound and meaningful encounters with movement within their art-making experiences. My journey in the Master of Arts Education program through Ohio State has invigorated me to engage my dancers in looking beyond the final product creatively. Most significant, I have acquired critical lenses to identify my practice's inadequacies to construct a much more enriching one.
At the beginning of my graduate program journey, my prerogative was to strengthen my skills as a teacher. More descriptively, aid me in addressing the repeated challenges when students choreograph, considering the foundation of their Balletic art as a type of vocabulary to voice themselves through movement- how they could create dance works with meaningful messages and intention. The common issue I had to accept is it has not been that my dance students did not want to engage in the practice; the structure may have been insufficient to have my students inspired to engage in my classes.
From a professional dancer's perspective, having worked with many people from diverse backgrounds, I understand how the performing arts can be considered a vocabulary. When I have found myself in a studio, for instance, we as artists, though we may not be able to communicate with each other, can express ourselves through the language of dance. When I transitioned from performer to dance educator, I desired to allocate students these tools to structure dance phrases transcending language barriers.
When I began to compare the growth in the repertoire selection I have used this past year, I understand that subconsciously, as a woman of Hispanic heritage, there has been underlying passion wanting to show students how diverse artists are. As a ballet instructor, I use classical works alongside works deemed by the Ballet community's status quo as Contemporary. In addition to explicitly perpetually seeking classical pieces performed by diverse or restaged casts. All these artists, regardless of eras, have commonality because the foundation of the art form (the Balletic Arts) allocates dancers or choreographers to voice emotions and tell stories. Messages may not be all identical, but beyond the steps on a stage, the artist's movements are meticulous with intention.
My attention to repertorial selection stems from the reality that living and teaching within a diverse city as Los Angeles, my student demographic, does not parallel the Eurocentric curriculum that Ballet typically showcases. As a Hispanic woman, I identify with the immense value to acknowledge differences in the dance studio; restructure the dance curriculum accordingly. To show students that dancers/choreographers work today are as necessary, and their works' messages are as significant as the classical works created in opera houses in Europe of eras past. This aim to create a multicultural environment through repertorial selection stems from the welcoming environment I am driven to sustain teaching students of all backgrounds to feel included. For, "equity pedagogy, exists [only] when teachers use techniques and methods that facilitate the academic achievement of students from diverse racial, ethnic and social-class groups" (Banks and Banks, 2004, p. 5)
How have you addressed these issues/questions?
One of the most significant reading that captured my attention to thoroughly scour the material I use as teaching tools is, A Critical Race Theory Analysis of Online Resources for Creating Native American Art by Dr. Joni Boyd Acuff. This chapter, presented in the Summer of 2020, Reel Injuns: Identity, Artists, and Representation 7768, navigated my practice to be not only subconsciously aware but consciously observant, how "projects [can perpetuate and] help sustain a particular narrative … such as a narrative about mysticism and exorcism and the life of the 'other'" (Acuff, p.147). In particular, the author made me reflect deeply on the repertoire selection I incorporate from online sources. Adapting the reading to my practice, I considered how dance teachers could use Youtube. To display a visual presentation of dance works and links showcasing dance/choreographing artists; how important it is to normalize the vast array of performers that can dance/create classical dance works.
For centuries the Balletic arts, in particular, have had a less than a favorable proportionate amount of diversity within casts or positions of power. I have always been observant of my class demographic, taking the time to vet repertoire to present and parallel my classes' ethnic and diverse ranges. Subconsciously, my actions are fueled by my experience of how precious and impactful imagery is. Like many of my students, I am a first-generation American. When I looked at my practice, I realized perhaps if I was presented images of superb Latin(a/o) dancers or casts that matched my tone of skin, I might not have settled with the idea at a young age that my only opportunity of entering a professional dance company was to study abroad; audition in Latin America. Where I felt accepted and could perform a balletic repertoire with the inclusion of Hispanic composers/choreographers. My talents awarded me scholarships and internships at a very pinnacle age in my development as a young dancer to attend private studios in the United States. Though my dance community may not have been the most diverse, I was most welcomed for my talents. Yet visually, I was always aware of my differences. I am much darker in tone, and my pointe shoes, unlike my fairer partners, always needed to be covered in foundation to match my skin when performing neoclassical works. I highlight this detail because Pointe shoes accentuate the ballerina's lines, making the shoes an extension of the artist's limbs. Today, more shoe companies in response have addressed this (and found in the Youtube repertoire I extract from online sources) pointe shoes and ribbons have wider ranges of "nude" colors.
Apart from a lack of diversity, Ballet companies too predominantly have a history to have been led by European male choreographers. To this day, Ballet's forefront image, when thought about the art form coin works from predominantly artists such as Marius Petipa: The Nutcracker/ The Sleeping Beauty/ La Bayadere, Julius Reisinger: Swan Lake or, Jean Coralli: Giselle, etc.
Returning to the State of my birth, having an accomplished career with El Ballet Nacional de Cuba and other dance companies, I knew my purpose was to share the balletic terminology that I have acquired, which allowed me as a dancer/ artist to express my experiences/stories. My experience working with Alicia Alonso, a leading female artistic director of a national dance company, empowered me as an educator to show female choreographers. A pioneer as a disability artist (losing her sight yet never ceasing to stop; taking a position of power as choreographer/director) also provided me with a perspective to show the diversity of artists who can practice and engage in the dance arts. Choosing repertoire from dancers of ethnically rich backgrounds allows students to view how anyone can choose to perform or create dance regardless of gender, race, or physical impediment. Most important, the image of a dancer as diverse as my students is not an anomaly but can and is our reality.
How could you address these issues and questions?
I made a grave realization, analyzing past digital media I have incorporated as teaching material. I have not included enough of the plethora of tools within our community. Living, performing and teaching in the heart of Los Angeles, my city, and students' is exceptionally diverse. Like me (choreographers I have come to collaborate with in the past decade in Los Angeles), many of my students are first-generation Americans.
Looking forward to the next chapter in my journey in the Masters of Arts Education Program, I realize I have not incorporated enough representation from first-generation choreographers. If I were to stem teaching material from the dance companies that have emerged in the past few years within my studio's vicinity, I would make my practice much more relevant. Reflecting on an article in the Los Angeles Times, Diavolo Dance Theatre is one of the city's twelve leading dance companies. I think back to my experience working with Masha Balakove. A first-generation American dance artist of Russian ancestry, she incorporates diverse men and women to perform various pieces at Diavolo, located in Downtown Los Angeles. Her companies mission used performance to partner with a hospital in Africa where ticket sales aided children with severe disabilities, issuing them with the financial ability to attain proper medical attention. The dance arts at this moment had become more than an exhibition of entertainment. This dance show was a platform that empathetically enriched our community and informed of social issues relevant to the choreographer.
When I think back to my experience working with BE Dance LA, I recall how Heather Ruban's cast of performers and performances presented dance work during outdoor festivals. More so too, as an engagement to inform our community members how to physically beautify the city of Los Angeles—partnering with local muralists; the choreographer transforms many of the graffitied walls with exuberantly colorful murals. BE Dance La socially sparked the attention of our neighborhood's tagged buildings through awareness by our performances, catching the attention of sponsors craving to collaborate with local artists.
Finally, when I measure the power of performance, I revert to my experience dancing for Louise Reichlin, Director Los Angeles Choreographers & Dancers. In the particular role as "the magician" within "A Jewish Child's Story," This work is "an autobiographical dance ...of early dreams from [the choreographer as] a granddaughter of Jewish immigrants. [ Which tells the stories of ] the Holocaust [bridging a] connection to [her] relatives [and in the process, an invitation for her public to find commonalities to human experience through sentiments of love, loss, and the magic of remembrance]" (Louise Reichlin).
What is so significant about these professional dance experiences in my life is that these companies are a prime example of how one does not have to be confined to a studio or theatre walls to express oneself. These native Los Angeles companies repurposed shipping warehouses to rehearse, exhibit, come to life in parks and other outdoor locations or, fuse technology to enhance its message in local festivals. In an art community dominated by primarily male choreographers, these companies are run by women of diverse backgrounds and socio-economic standing to fund their dance companies. More so, these dance companies are an excellent example of a successful collaboration of casted artists of diverse backgrounds. Embedded in each dancer's movement or dance phase's emotional expression is an opportunity to teach and share a message on improving, informing, or educating our community, teaching material I can incorporate as a studio dance instructor.
Curtesy of the San Pedro Arts Festival. BE DANCE LA presents multimedia work Dance and Paint. “BEConstant” by Heather Rabun
How are the courses so far affecting your classroom practice?
In Fall 2019, Professor Richardson in Curriculum Teaching Assessment 7607 immensely challenged me with the ideas of Deterritorializing, breaking, habitual ways of thinking for my students to create art in unexpected or traditional spaces. In particular, this course evoked my professional dance experiences, inspiring me to revisit and use as examples in class as teaching material- how anyone could dance anywhere to express oneself. Reviewing my Big Ideas Lesson Plan, I insufficiently had not used tools right in my community’s vicinity for my students to see the impact dance companies in our neighborhoods are doing.
Forced to engage and continue to teach my students entirely online for the next foreseeable future. As the loom of COVID has halted all physical face to face contact, I am pushed now more than ever to reexamine lessons such as My Big Ideas Lesson. To continue to engage students, having them explore dancing in unlikely places like the home. I am continually trying my best to more concise on how to bridge collaboration and community once held in a verbal engagement within a studio through an entirely online experience. As a studio instructor with limited experience using technological forums, had it not for the Summer 2020’s course, Technology and Digital Texts 7606, I would have been reduced to only continuing ZOOM dance classes. Dr. Clayton Funk provided me with a means to digitally envision how to fuse media to create art-making dance experiences and learning possible. The seclusion of our new way of life heightened my fuel to create lessons that would allow students to consider their movements within their choreographic work as a vocabulary to express what may be challenging to articulate in words regarding our new normal. Detertolizing from our habitual ways of presenting art-making in class, providing students the ability to perform/learn/practice a physical art form online.
When I reflect on why I create lessons beyond the studio, I am not only faced with the reality of our current new normal, not being able to dance or practice in a room. But, forced to readdress how many dance students can not afford (without scholarship or discounts) to take multiple dance classes. Or supplement their dance education outside the studio with private lessons. Adapting to changes in my teaching has been paramount. For “multicultural education to be implemented [within a dance curriculum] successfully, [must be done through] institutional changes. [Such as within] the curriculum, teaching materials, teaching and learning styles, attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of teachers in administration… the goals, norms, and culture of the school” (Banks and Banks, 2004, p.4).
When I reflect on how the courses have influenced my practice, it has affected how I see the institution in which I work; how, as an instructor, I am part of the institutionalization of learning the art form itself. Much more in-depth, my lessons have had tremendous growth. My teaching material and lessons are much more incredibly diverse as I have come to understand how “the main goal of a multicultural education…is to reform the school and other educational institutions so students from diverse racial, ethnic and social groups will experience educational equality” (Banks and Banks, 2004, p3). Much more descriptively, before COVID, Teaching Studio, and Digital Texts affected my practice and studio by allocating me the tools and inspiration to create lessons outside the studio. For my students who could not afford to buy portable barres, for instance, to use the tools readily available in the home-Allowing me to reimagine how to teach a physical art form or practice it in new spaces that needed no additional monetary means. In the realm of studio dance, these courses have given me a perspective that multicultural dance education is more than the inclusivity of repertorial material. A teacher’s enthusiasm to construct classes that impact and allow students to practice beyond the studio’s time is also integral. So, students of any socioeconomic background can continue to practice and cultivate their passions beyond the studio.
References:
Acuff, J.b. A Critical Race Theory Analysis of Online Resources for Creating Native American Art.
Banks, J., Banks, C. (2004). Handbook on research on Multicultural Education. Chapter 1. Multicultural Education: Historical Development, Dimensions, and Practice. pp. 3-25.
The guide to dance in L.A. (2018). 12 standout companies to know and how to see them. Retrieved from: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-ca-cm-los-angeles-dance-companies-20180513-story.html
Identify 2-3 themes in your practice, and a possible research focus. This can be an issue, question… You will be delving into this topic in 7200.3 and it will be the basis of your final paper for the master’s program. Write a paragraph about each theme and conclude with a paragraph about your focus.
Evaluating my practice, two very instrumental questions have always echoed in the back of my head when creating, choosing teaching material, and structuring lessons for my dance students:
A. What are the origins of why I have been challenged to have students engage or want to willingly participate in dance activities?
B. Am I sustaining and cultivating a welcoming environment for students of diverse gender, race, and socio-economic backgrounds when teaching a Eurocentric art form as the Balletic Arts?
Before COVID (which has significantly impacted my regular scheduled classes), I taught many courses tri-weekly. Students attend my classes according to their monetary availability, and our studio offers scholarships and discounts to support our young emerging dancers to pursue their dreams. My class' socio-economic reality allows some students to supplement their dance classes outside their studio courses through private lessons. Yet, not all students have this luxury. As an instructor, I intend to award all my students equally a professional dance education to strengthen their technical abilities and explore/ enrich their artistic endeavors. I am fully aware at the beginning of the year privy to information who will schedule private classes outside our regular scheduled courses. This information allocates my knowledge on how to foremost formulate goals and objectives in my regularly scheduled classes. More descriptively, I will never set goals at our standards knowingly that students can not afford to practice said steps or material outside our studio with the necessary tools (barres, mirrors, rehearsal space, etc.). Thus, I must be meticulous in the first two weeks of instruction and assess the group. I must make the appropriate change and be open to my student's necessities to set the proceeding semester standards. So students are not discouraged by the inability to practice outside our studio time.
Secondly, how do I approach my classes reality that some students can afford private courses, and some can not? As the dance instructor, I must acknowledge my power and use the ingenuity to construct take-home exercises to use tools readily available to them at no monetary cost. (Such as substitute ballet barres for chairs, kitchen sinks, or railings of the sort). "Many schools … efforts fail [to engage students] because the roles, norms, and ethos of the school do not change in ways that make the initialization of reform possible" (Banks and Banks, 2004, p. 20). Multicultural education means more than the inclusivity of teaching material paralleling the diversity of a dance studio. It is also a recognition of the socio-economic differences. "It is imperative [to give students] experiences that prepare them for equal status interactions before assigning group tasks to students from different races [and backgrounds]" (Banks and Banks, 2004, p. 18). Case in point, our studio prides itself on bridging the community through professional dance opportunities for our students. Centered in Los Angeles in the heart of the entertainment industry, we offer our student professional paying dance opportunities and pride in our professional-level instruction. My students' balletic preparation is significant in my life because, as a retired professional dancer, I feel I have succeeded as an instructor providing and seeing my youths' dreams come to a reality performing on the stages of theaters I once performed in myself. When I reflect on last year's 2019 performance at the Wiltern Theatre, Located in Hollywood, California. My group of dancers whom auditions all (who come from diverse backgrounds and various socio-economic backgrounds) passed. They were paid for a series of performances with the Moscow Ballet's rendition of the Nutcrackers "party scene" in Act I. A paid performance; my youths realized their professional passions dancing and performing on a stage.
As COVID looms over my current practice, I continue to reimagine my practice offering students the lessons to practice in the safety of their homes or with parents in parks, yards, or outings to the beach. I have recognized the importance of taking it in my power as an instructor to change the status quo of what is deemed "dancing." By making the proper modifications so my students can continue to practice their passions if our new normal is to check in every so often as an extracurricular activity during a pandemic or who can not afford during these trying times to spend money on dance activities. Reflecting on Tech— I have had to adapt to our new normal and changed the traditional ways to teach or retain dance students' engagement with our new normal.
Though I may not see my students face to face, I have played with changing my approach and introduce links where my students can continuously see dancers, choreographers, artistic directors, and companies practice and dance/practice/create in new forums. Integral has been accepting how students interact with social media and revamp my teaching material with more at home Youtube/ Instagram links as motivational visuals to keep youths engaged in their passion without cost. Or send parents Facebook links to share recordings of performances and dance support groups.
Technology within a physical art form in the means of integrating apps has allowed me to engage students of all ethnic and diverse backgrounds connecting with diverse artists and making their experiences relevant at the touch of a fingertip. I have come to apprehend that to provide a well-rounded multicultural education; I had to analyze my class' demographic and reevaluate what a multicultural representation meant in the balletic arts world. More descriptively, more than racial and gender identity differences, I have become much more aware of the representation of diverse economic backgrounds I need to consider. For I, as an instructor, I am critical in "prejudice reduction…[considering and] suggesting strategies that can be used to help students develop more democratic attitudes and values" (Banks and Banks, 2004, p.5). For an equity pedagogy only can exist "when teachers use techniques and methods that facilitate students' academic achievement from diverse racial, ethnic and social-class groups" (Banks and Banks, 2004, p. 5).
How could I expect my students whom many of which are multicultural or first-generation Americans from a plethora of South, Central, and Asian countries feel welcomed and valued if I only show a repertoire or present material of choreographers from the opera houses of Europe from which, many of the classical works were created? Or never demonstrate how the artform can be executed will little to no monetary means. "Educators, [as I who teach, especially in culturally diverse cities] must be cognizant of the type of society in which they are education students. This consciousness enables educators to visualize relevant pedagogical strategies that attend to the specific needs of society [and our students]" (Acuff, 2015, p.31).
References:
Acuff, J. (20150 Failures to operationalize Investing in Critical Multicultural Art Education. Journal of Social Theory in Art Education 30-43.
Banks, J. Banks, C. (2004). Handbook on research on multicultural education. Chapter 1. Multicultural Education historical Development, Dimensions &Practice.pp. 3-25
Over the next week or so, experiment with different ways of collecting observations of these themes in your practice. Try video, artmaking, poetry, photography, collage, mapping, or narrative writing. Describe what you did and why, and then reflect on the process. What did you learn? How did this process help you refine your thoughts, questions, ideas about your research topic?
Then, from your observations, write a paragraph about your specific research topic and 2-3 possible research questions from your observations (referring back to the Agee article for assistance).
Reflecting on how the Balletic Arts were practice before COVID, what does instruction look like in our new normal; how can I continue to inspire, engage and cultivate my students’ passions beyond the studio?
How can I as a dance teacher reimagine the tools my student use to practice &create their art; will it spark creativity ?
Previous Studio Curriculum (2015-2018)
Examining the Curriculum of a typical Ballet Class, including that of our studio a few years prior to revitalizing the material, the eras predominately covered are:
The Renaissance
The Baroque
Classical
Pre-Romantic
Romantic
Impact of the Russian Era/ Soviet Union
Ballet Russes in Europe and Emergence of the art in America
Referencing the timeline above, Ballet can be seen as a predominantly Eurocentric art form. Many of the classical works still performed today, for instance, were once choreographed by male ballet masters in the Opera Houses in Europe. How do I approach this imbalance not to alienate my students of color, sex, and socioeconomic standing who today can not afford studio practice or who may not look like the dancers/choreographers from these eras?
Demographic
Taking an inventory of my typical classes’ beautifully diverse demographic, I have Asian-American, Pacific Islander, African American, Caucasian, Eastern European, South American, Central American, and Mexican-American dancers. As a fluently bilingual teacher in Spanish and English, I have had the pleasure of engaging in conversation and realizing how culturally rich my classes are. Many of my students who speak Spanish are for example, first-generation Americans as I. As I reflect on the challenges I have had having my dance students connect to my lessons, I realized my studio’s material was outdated. I could not connect with students showcasing predominately European dance works to groups of diverse students in Los Angeles. Looking at the representation of my classes and analyzing Ballet’s historical diversity imbalances, I have identified how schools and other institutions of learning, such as studios’ “role in structuring inequality [can] demotivate ... students [of color]” (Ladson-Billings and Tate, 1995, p.50.). For instance, when looking at Ballet’s classical renditions, those coined from the Masters predominately stem from European artists. Covering only these artists from these eras would have detrimental consequences. For, “the same education process which inspires [can] stimulate the oppressor with the thought that he is everything and has accomplished everything worthwhile. Depressing and crushing at the same time, the spark of genius in [students of color] making [them] feel his[/hers’] role does not amount to much and never measure up to the standards of other people” (Ladson-Billings, 1995, p.50). Moreover, showcasing solely European artists/choreographers, etc. covertly presents the message as a dance teacher, I do not acknowledge my student’s racial or cultural diversity. Nor value anyone’s contributions to the balletic arts, having no visual teaching material showcasing positions filled with diverse representations alternatively to the mention or visual showing of the 14-18th century’s archaic repertory.
Reflecting on previous encounters engaging in private classes, I have become much more observant of my racial diversity and my students’ socio-economic differences. Noticing an imbalance in the affluence of my students’ ability to supplement their dance studies through private classes or the use of scholarships, I have become passionate about the quality of my instruction more so than ever before. Remote teaching has been a blessing in disguise because I have had to reevaluate choreographic lessons. I want to provide “intellectual property. [Professional company level instruction that does not rely on or] ...delimit[s my students] opportunity to learn” (Ladson-Billings, 1995, p.54). Such as, integrating and considering the facility or resources, my students can safely; without much monetary cost attend or engage with the art form. I did not connect with my student because I had lacked the insight to look at my community through their eyes. I have become much more in tune than I have ever been with, reconceptualizing dance activities outside our norm. If students could not afford private instruction, then what could I do in my power to cultivate their passions and inspire a genuine interest in a choreographer to explore their emotions?
One of the greatest assets is our city’s museums. They supplement websites for free and offer workshops/events at low/no-cost, besides serving as theatrical stages for performances. Secondly, in our social distancing time, I reimagine activities where parents and dance students can safely take a small venture to the permanent sculptures that beautify our city; how these forms inspire choreography. How the different locations can expose us to something new about our community is that we can communicate through our bodies as dancers.
Map
Permanent Public Art Installations (free of charge to engage with)
Museums (Platforms where dance is frequently exhibited free to low cost)
Studio Curriculum (2020)
Revamping our dance curriculum, one of the focal points of integrating companies from our community's vicinity in the class's choreography portions, connected our community into the classroom. Most significantly, the array of companies I selected are founded, create works by and perform repertoire with a diverse selection of artists. The underlying message in showing these works is, I as my students' dance instructor, value the contributions of artists of different backgrounds and that their art-making is no less valuable than the works of the coined Masters of ballet or dance. Beyond the technical aspect of the movement, all artists have foundations in the Balletic arts. Yet, the physical execution is not as important as how the body expresses itself with movement to present messages, sharing stories through choreography that pertain to or affect our community. Some of the local dance companies in our direct dance vicinity include:
BE Dance
Body Traffic
Brockus Project Dance
California Contemporary Ballet
Diavolo Dance Theatre
Los Angeles Dancers and Choreographers
Los Angeles Dance Festival
San Pedro Dance Festival (exhibits leading dance companies and performers from Los Angeles)
How do I engage and cultivate learning without any additional monetary means?
Looking at the impact of technology, I consider at no-cost applications like Instagram to spark students creativity through age appropriate links. A few include:
@Isabellaboylston (principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre) exhibits at home warm-up routines, challenges that exhibit herself, fellow male artist in pointe work (challenging the sautés quo males do not perform en pointe)
@nationalballetdecuba (National Ballet in Latin America) exhibits photographs, performance experts at no cost. Ex and current Artistic Director are women.
@fransicogelladanceofficial (male Phillip-American ex dancer and choreographer) shares at home strengthening exercises, inspirational slogans/support, and introduction of Los Angeles matters and guest virtual discussions
Sustain community and discussion once had in the studio space in healthy and safe ways no free of charge I have sent parents links as a means for additional support as links:
Facebook community link: Kathryn Morgan Ballet Community (parents, students, teachers, post and share experiences, exercises and support)
Finally, fully aware how some students may not afford private instruction of have the tools to support their dance studies outside the studio, I have had to reimagine tools, space, and material to cultivating my dancers passions.
Tools to replace barres include
Chairs
Desks
Kitchen Sink Rails etc.
Reimagining our platforms and space beyond the theatre, I have considered: backyard, parks, etc. To create meaningful connections, how our environment inspires us to move, and what could my students share about where they/we live? Observing how awe-inspiring it is to see professional works right at our neighborhoods' tips, I take an interceptive look at the repertoire the companies of our vicinity are creating—allocating me to make my teaching material and pedagogy relevant to our experiences—at the same time, developing pride in our city and the people who make it a creative and artistic place.
References:
Ladson-Billings, G Tate, W. (1995). Toward a Critical Race Theory of Education. In Teachers College Record, (97) 1, 47-68.
From your observations, write a paragraph about your specific research topic and 2-3 possible research questions from your observations (referring back to the Agee article for assistance).
Observing the changing within my practice, I first acknowledge how looking my classes demographic, led me to take a more in-depth look at my studio and our students’ neighborhoods. To question the available resources to supplant their dance studies at no or little monetary charge outside the studio, which has allowed me to conceptualize class tools to make the dance arts accessible to all dance students, considering, for instance, technology in the realm of a physical art form. More than ever, these factors have led me wanting to research:
- How do dance instructors who teach only bi or tri weekly help create meaningful bonds with movement? Specifically, among studio practice. Where, tuition is a mitigating factor how many classes or privates classes a student can take.
- How can balletic studio instruction become more equitable; how specifically does students’ engagement change if one amalgamates tools through diverse socioeconomic lenses??
These specific questions arose from authors Acuff, Banks, and Ladson-Billings, whose articles forced me to question and address my studio practice’s insufficiencies. Also, challenge those of other dance studios. More descriptively, for many dance studios like the one I teach, the great European choreographers’ classical repertoire is always at the forefront of most visual material teachers use to demonstrate the terminology, technical execution, and creation of the art form through choreography. As a woman of color and a professional dancer, my prerogative has always been how I can expose my students to the idea of how the balletic arts can serve as a vehicle to express themselves—a type of nonverbal communication. By integrating repertoire from the dance companies of my community, who are funded and perform works by artists of diverse backgrounds, it can be an opportunity to make my class’ experience relevant in correlation with classical works. By offering the various companies, my students may enter if they choose to pursue the art form professionally. Showcasing our cities companies has been an incredible asset for students to create meaningful choreographies that illustrate the stories or messages important to them. When I reflect on my own experience as a professional dancer, I think of all the subtle, covert exclusion I felt with the art form I love dearly and how meaningful it is to see artists like myself. This realization, was most apparent flipping through the pages of Ballet: The Definitive Illustrated Story. Written in 2018, I was most observant of the diversity imbalances the pages of the book (used as a textbook type in studios) offer. The articles I have chosen regarding multicultural education made me explore my passion for showing diverse repertory amongst all dance activities. As a dance educator, authors Acuff, Banks, and Ladson-Billings have allowed me to question my understanding, challenging my ideas of what a multicultural dance education is. Their words served as a guide that provided me ways to explore my art-forms historical diversity imbalances. In addition, to examine the demographic I teach, address socio-economic imbalances in my practice that may hinder students from practicing/perform their passion, and reevaluate how to make my teaching material relevant. So, students ultimately can be excited and feel wholly welcomed when walking into our studio to create dance works with their bodies to express themselves without words.
Acuff, J. (2013). (Mis)information highways: A critique of online resources for multicultural art education. International Journal of Education through the Arts. 303-316.
Addressing art educators, this article is exceptionally enlightening as a dance instructor who continuously uses online resources to enhance choreographic lessons. By examining preplanned lessons easily accessible through online sites, the author provide an overview of how one must be vigilant of the material we engage with students. Though I do not particularly use websites to attain lesson plans to engage with my students, I adapted this reading to my practice by reevaluating how I do "use the internet to support ...learning and guide [my] teaching" (Acuff, 2013, p.311). The author poses the arguments for educators to "continuously engage in critical examinations of how[, where] information is derived[, and] ...used[; especially when creating a multicultural dance curriculum or lesson]" (p.311). I connected with the reading about how damaging material teachers introduce into their classrooms can supplement us vs. them environment. Attuned to the implications lessons can create, I agree, especially when presenting indigenous dances as an example, one can mistakenly "eroticize cultural groups [by producing surface knowledge about difference" (p.303). Most significant and (useful as a guide), the reading provided an in-depth description of how three contentions function and propelled me to look back into my dance lessons. To examine the signs of cultural homogenization, un-authorized representation of a culture or aesthetic, and if I had solely utilized an additive approach to multicultural education. The most notable portion of the reading, which enhanced my understanding of multicultural education, was its in-depth overview of the difference between Critical and Liberal Multicultural Art Education. Which challenged me to review a particular lesson I had constructed for my dance students based on Creation Stories. Utilizing digital links and a people native to our state, I exhibited the pow wow festival Malibu currently continues to hold. One of the most important aspects of my dance lesson was my dance students did not recreate the Dolphin Dance, for though being choreography, it would have "culturally (mis)represent" (p.309) why it is performed. Or use feathers, body paint colors, or copy any symbology the performers in the repertoire adorned themselves with. For, they had a specific meaning to the land and enhanced the creation story they were presenting. When I take a moment and reflect on the three contentions as it pertains to my experience, had I done any of the three, I would have otherwise, erroneously created an environment reducing people and sacred objects as mere props for costumery.
In my lesson, what dance students did do was to understand how movement can become a vessel to carry traditions. All the while seeing the geographic changes of their state pre and pst contact with the Spanish. As well as, appreciate the dance festivals in our community (held by Chumash organizations) that continue to function (where they can see the performance first-hand; supplementing their dance education beyond our studio) and use the ideas of how to create creation stories to tell us about their culture through movement (which could be a students' school, dance, pop culture for example).—ultimately creating deeper bonds to movement and every aspect of their performance. Such as taking pride in the selection of their music: why/what it represents, their wardrobe: how colors/fabric enhance their steps and story, the content of their story: why it is essential for them to share and what will their audience learn by witnessing it, and finally, their movement: what each selection of steps mean—how movement is their language to tell us without words how they feel about their piece.
Banks, J. Banks, C. (2004). Handbook on Research on Multicultural Education. Chapter 1. Multicultural Education historical Development, Dimensions & Practice. pp. 3-25
This reading speaks to educators; it is incredibly useful for art educators and can be adapted to educators like myself, who teach a physical art form. However, the authors provide insight into the primary goals of multicultural education in an academic setting. I explored how, for instance, multicultural education "[may] reform [one's] school and other educational institutions [like studios.] So, students from diverse racial, ethnic, and socio-class groups ... [can] experience educational equality[. Besides,] giv[ing] male and female students an equal chance to experience educational success and mobility" (Banks and Banks, 2004, p.3). This reading further helped me reevaluate why I am so passionate about using diverse representation in my repertoire selection. Pushing me to reexamine the male artists' within my teaching material for my male students to feel welcomed and supported in an art form society views as predominantly a female one. In addition to pushing me to reflect on artists with disabilities, I have incorporated showcasing how one does not necessarily need to physically dance to create—how stories may be shared through choreography. The historical context and overview of movements within multicultural education challenged me to reflect on how my practice itself is more than "restructuring curriculum to include content about ethnic groups, women, and other cultural groups" (p.4). There are valuable lessons, for instance, in the case of the balletic arts when restructuring curriculum, that can become a greater opportunity for dance instructors to create an atmosphere of learning where students can understand:
- Racial historical imbalances in the art form itself through content examination
- Influence a student's knowledge of empathy, creating a space for students to examine how divers "ethnicities, social class positions [and individual] groups" (p.4) communicate through the art form to state, inform, or share messages/stories/
perspectives through movement. - Reduce prejudice by creating an environment where, through repertorial review,
"children's racial attitudes, [by] suggesting strategies ...can be used to help students
develop more democratic attitudes and values" (p.5). - How "teaching techniques and methods facilitate the academic achievement of students
from diverse racial, ethnic, social-economic groups [and genders]" (p.5).
And finally, how a multicultural dance curriculum may,
5. Empower a studio dance culture by establishing a wholly welcoming environment. Where "students of color, low-income students can experience educational equality and cultural empowerment" (p.6).
Looking at my teaching practice through this reading, I placed myself as a minority and a woman of color. I thought about how "multicultural [dance] education [should not] narrowly [be] conceptualized [nor] confined to activities for special days [or] occasions" (p.22). How, studio instructors should use artists with diverse ethnicities, genders, and disabilities year-long in a dance curriculum in conjunction with original creators of repertoire than reduced their representation to weeks to adhere to holidays like Black Historic month or Hispanic History Month. When I adapted this reading further to my practice, the reading supported my position on creating an atmosphere where all students feel welcomed. (Ballet typically has a Eurocentric curriculum/ historically eras of repertoire have steamed from the European opera houses, etc.) One of the most powerful things studio instructors, as I can do, is to acknowledge this diversity imbalance than ignore it or pretend it does not exist. Choose to seek repertoire and artists that parallel their students' demographic and the reality of the world we live in today, to create an opportunity to understand our art forms racial inequality. Ultimately, this will help students develop more meaningful bonds to the performing arts by seeing how artists who look like them or those who may not use movement tell us their perspectives and life experiences. In turn, dance students can create meaningful relationships with the art form when they choreograph.
Durante, V. (2018). Ballet: The Definitive Illustrated Story. New York:DK Publishing.
This book is the latest textbook type piece of literature for Ballet aficionados. Commonly used within studio practice as teaching material, its timelines and illustrations offer dance students in particular images of Ballets exhibited by current and ex-dancers. Eras shown range predominately and mention those of the European choreographers coined as the Masters of Ballet. Appreciating the images of men, dismantling the notion that men do not practice the Balletic arts, there is an insufficient number of male dancers of diverse representation apart from Carlos Acosta (p. 324). This literature is a prime example of how an educator who teaches a diverse demographic must supplement the images representing artists of diverse backgrounds through video repertoire. More descriptively, amongst the majority of images, though presenting current dancers in leading dance companies including that of the United States, there is a racial imbalance of the performer’s photographed amongst the pages’ images. Books as these are used regularly as teaching material or referenced to display dance students what choreographies look like. Evaluating this book’s contents supports my endeavors in always showcasing diverse repertoire within dance lessons if and when the pages of our textbooks of other visuals do not. When I reflect on my class how to make this book further relevant to our experience, how can my dance students practice/perform ballet without the expensive tools (barres/theaters) seen amongst its pages.
Ladson-Billings, G Tate, W. (1995). Toward a Critical Race Theory of Education. In Teachers College Record, (97) 1, 47-68.
In this article, the author provides a detailed illustration of how race continues to be a significant factor in the United States, how our society was founded on property rights rather than human rights, and how race and property intersect. The reading speaks to educators in a vast array of fields. As a dance instructor, this reading allowed me to be much more critical and observant (critical multiculturalism) of my art form’s oppressive structures than just focussing on inclusivity (multiculturalism). For instance, when looking at Ballet’s classical renditions, those coined from the Masters predominately stem from European artists. Covering only these artists from these eras would have detrimental consequences. For, “the same education process which inspires [can] stimulate the oppressor with the thought that he is everything and has accomplished everything worthwhile. Depressing and crushing at the same time, the spark of genius in [students of color] making [them] feel his[/hers’] role does not amount to much and never measure up to the standards of other people” (p.50).
Moreover, showcasing solely European artists/choreographers, etc. covertly presents the message as a dance teacher, I do not acknowledge my student’s racial diversity. Nor value anyone’s contributions to the balletic arts, having no visual teaching material showcasing positions filled with diverse representations alternatively to the 14-18th century’s archaic repertory. Critiquing the role of property in education, the reading raised questions pushing me to evaluate the quality of my own instruction. As the author states, “property relates to education in explicit and implicit ways[;] in simplistic [terms,] those with “better” property are entitled to “better” school (p. 54). As a studio instructor who teaches in Hollywood’s more commercial areas, I understand how “poor students of color are unlikely to have access to [tangible] resources. [Such as portable barres, private classes, home workout equipment, or other tools to supplement their learning outside of our dance studio class. Comparison to some of the students who may come from much more affluent backgrounds. When I take a moment and reflect on my practice, I want to provide “intellectual property. [Professional company level instruction that does not rely on or] ...delimit[s my students] opportunity to learn” (p.54). Finally, taking a reflective moment on how race and property intersect, I think about disposition rights. How they “function in education [or institutions of learning as within dance studios]” (p.59). Interpreting the meaning of entitlements and their function in the Balletic Arts, “when students [for instance] are rewarded only for conformity to perceived “white norms” or [for example, students are] sanctioned for cultural practices (dress), the white property is being rendered alienable” (p. 59). In particular, this statement challenged me greatly, triggering me to critique my studio’s uniform dress code. As many studios practice, we enforce only Pink/Cream tights, matching slippers, and/or pointe shoes. Though shoe and garment companies now offer flesh-colored tights, slippers, and pointe shoes and professional companies/artists proudly showcase using these tools to execute their art form. I have to confess an inward unease, mentally rewarding students of color to conform to this standard ballet dress code—a standard of dress set in an era when the dominant group set the standard of dress to accentuate the lines their bodies made on stage. When, for instance, my teaching tools state otherwise. Such as Company links like Ballet West, known as pioneers in dismantling a white bias in Ballet, openly stating the use of tights and shoes matching an artist’s skin color for practice and performance.
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