by Heather Stockton

shared from the Grass Valley Elementary Makers Blog

Last fall I was asked by a fourth grader, “Why do we have dance class?” I got excited by this question because it meant they were curious. I asked the question back to the class, “Why do you think we have dance classes? Why do you want to dance?” I heard answers like: 

“Because it’s good for our body!” 

“Because it gives us energy” 

“To move our bodies” 

“Because it makes me happy.”

 

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Yes, yes, and yes! All of these are true, and I also wanted to dig deeper with them into the conversation. “How do you feel when you learn a new way to move your body? How do you feel when you create a move you have never tried before?” I asked. 

“Proud”

“Surprised” 

“Embarrassed” 

“Good”, they responded. 

I asked them why they feel those ways. We talked about when you work really hard to learn something new, don’t give up on it. That moment where it all clicks together and the feeling of accomplishment gives you a boost of energy and pride. 

In dance classes you can get these feelings of accomplishment from learning different dances and moves from all kinds of styles. In the classes that Luna Dance teaches at Grass Valley, students learn all of the basic movements from the elements of dance (body, time, space, action, energy) and create their own dances.

“But what do you mean by make my own dance?” the fourth grader asked. 

“Well, you know all those dances you learn on Tik Tok? They were created by someone else.”

After I said this I heard a lot of “Whoas and ohs!” In this dance class you get to be the choreographer making all of the choices, and  maybe one day all these other people will be learning your dances! Your dances can be performed on Tik Tok, or a big fancy stage, on the street with friends, for your family, or even just for yourself.

This idea seemed to make sense in a way it might not have before. There is always someone behind a movement and an idea.

In all the dance classes at Grass Valley (GV), students make dances and share them with each other. Performing in front of others can be really vulnerable and at times I know students feel shy. It’s all worth it when students share their dance, truly express themselves, and are seen by their classmates. Right before winter break, the Spartans, Pioneers, and Huskies had a dance movie party where they shared the dance videos they had been working so hard on with each other. The way that they  screamed and supported each other, you would have thought that Beyoncé was performing! It was such an awesome moment of peers supporting each other, the work that they had created and performed. Truly, it was one of the best highlights of my time teaching dance at Grass Valley.

I have been teaching at GV for six years now as a faculty member of Luna Dance Institute. Luna has been building a dance program with classroom teachers and administrators at GV for 8 years and each year we learn more about how to support dance learners with different needs from kindergarten to fifth grade. Every class is so different. I work with every classroom teacher to create classes that are meant to support individual student needs and overall community building for the whole class. I learn so much from every class, teacher, and student. In our dance classes we are co-learners and co-teachers. 

So why do we teach creative dance? So that students can learn and create while dancing. Imagine how powerful it can feel to be in complete control of your body, discover new ways of moving it to express how you feel and communicate with others. The dream is for every student at Grass Valley and beyond to feel that sense of belonging and empowerment. The future belongs to the learners and the creators. Make moves to make change!

by Heather Stockton

In February I had the honor of speaking on two different panels as a dance teaching artist. The first was for California Alliance for Arts Education. The Alliance hosted a webinar about how special education has been impacted by the shift to virtual learning and how the arts play an important role in facilitating connection and encouraging engagement. The second panel was an invitation from someone I have known for twenty years and is a past California Dance Education Association President, Nicole Robinson. The California Arts Project held a TCAP Conversations webinar for dance educators, with the focus of the conversation on culturally responsive pedagogy in dance and how our teaching practice reflects this. 

I have to be honest – as soon as I realized that I would be contributing to these conversations, I felt a tightening in my chest and broke out in a nervous sweat. The same kind of nervousness I felt when I presented for the National Dance Education Organization for the first time. Come to think of it, I felt this way before every class I taught in my first year at Luna. It’s the kind of feeling that arises when you challenge yourself to step into new territory. When you know you are on the precipice of discovering new parts of yourself through a rigorous self assessment of where you are at and where you are going. Luckily, my colleague Jochelle was gracious and able to support me by talking me through what to expect and by being my sounding board beforehand. The first panel was made up of three Doctors and myself. I realized that I was the only teaching artist present and the feeling of responsibility to show up for all the other teaching artists helped to ground me. I felt strength in the fact that I am in the field, practicing right now and that I have a lot to share. The conversation often traveled into theory jargon and I helped round it out with stories of practice. 

The second panel was a totally different experience. This conversation felt organic, authentic, and rigorous in an inquisitive way. Before the panel I checked myself as a white educator and how I could show up for the conversation of practicing cultural responsiveness in my teaching and curriculum. Nicole shared with the panel beforehand that she had asked me specifically because I am a white woman. The dance education field is heavily populated with white women who are looking for answers around these questions and Nicole felt that I could share my perspective on how I situate myself and my whiteness so that I can authentically show up for my students and serve their needs. 

When it came down to it, the salient points from both panels were of the same thought: no matter the context, synchronous or asynchronous, we as teaching artists have a responsibility to show up in every class we teach, observe what is happening in the moment, reflect, and create authentic connections for our students and ourselves. 

In challenging myself to take this leap of professional development by joining in on these webinars, and asking questions of myself and others in how we can push the field to be more responsive, I have indeed discovered in myself an emergent leader in this field. 

Luna’s Professional Learning Manager Jochelle Pereña (JP) and Director of Community & Culture Cherie Hill (CH) discuss their roles as artists, educators, administrators, and leaders as Cherie transitions from Luna to a new role as Communications Manager at California Humanities. They consider what they value, where those values intersect with those of Luna, how they dance, teach, and lead with their values in mind, and what leadership means to them in this conversation piece.

Cherie Hill

CH – I joined Luna Dance Institute in 2012 because I believe dance can strengthen communities. I began taking dance classes at 5 years old and continue until now at age 40. One time I told my leadership coach that dance is my best friend. The art form has grown up with me, and no matter where I live, my age, or the people I am in touch with, dance is always there. My coach, Craig Coble, laughed and advised that instead of seeing dance as my best friend, I should see myself as my best friend. Touche! 

I had an eagerness to bring dance to children because I wanted to give them the empowerment and love I experienced as a child and now. I choreographed and staged my first dance piece at sixteen years old through my high school dance program. I loved having an idea or a vision and watching it come alive on bodies with music, and formations, creating a full-blown expression way more potent than what started in my head. Making choreography grounds me and helps me understand my place in our world. I think that children who are allowed to create and make dances experience a similar feeling.

JP – I love how you talk about dance as your best friend. As for you, dance has always been there for me. It is both the home I can always return to, and the path home, to my best self. I remember dancing in my living room as a small child, costumed in ribbons. Even then, dancing inspired profound joy in me, especially as a quiet kid who didn’t like talking. In dance I found a way to express myself that felt more authentic and complete than anything I could say with words. 

CH – Yes, I was a quiet child too.

Jochelle Pereña

JP – And my natural way of observing, processing, and making sense of the world is non-linear. Making dances offered a way for me to cycle and spiral, fold and unfold through what I wanted to convey. What has driven me in my improvisation and choreography has been the desire to discover something new, something surprising in my familiar body. In part, it’s this same dynamic of curiosity and possibility that draws me to teaching and learning. I love supporting children in exploring and stretching all that they can do, and then observing them surprise themselves: “did you see me do that?” It’s both thrilling and beautiful to watch children as they begin to sense their own potential, their own unique voice, and in turn, I get to see them and how they perceive the world in a new way. It expands my own perspective. For me that is the gift of teaching, that I continue to learn, too. I sought to join Luna – nine years ago now! – because it held these very values of curiosity, creativity, teaching and learning, at the heart.

CH – Yes! Learning to compose dance is a type of leadership in itself. One of the aspects I am grateful for at Luna, is the opportunity to grow in leadership. When I attended the National Guild for Community Arts Education Leadership Institute in 2017 I discovered core values. That first year I chose family, well-being, and love as my top values. The next year I added service. These values are still my core, and I often reflect on how to live them and allow them to inform my work and leadership. 

Family is crucial to me. I prioritize taking care of myself, my life partner, and two children. I see many connections to my personal value of family to the work I do at Luna. I taught in the MPACT family dance class for eight years, helping families find connections through dance. I also participated in parent-child dance classes with both my sons. 

When I was interviewing to be a Dance Teaching Artist at Luna, I saw the title of Patricia Reedy’s book, Body, Mind, and Spirit in Action. I closely relate to this connection and find it imperative that we, as humans and especially leaders, practice a holistic sense of wellness. As a leader, I advocate for self-care, take breaks and vacations, dance for self, and release stress and tension through mindful actions. A classroom teacher once told me that they were impressed by how calm I was and that they would start channeling this type of energy. This sense of well-being permeates in who I am as a person, artist, educator, and administrator.

On an equity and inclusion panel hosted by Luna Dance, panelist Eddie Madril said, “equity is love.” 

JP – I remember that too. It was a simple but profound statement that has stuck with me. 

CH – Love is so important and feels so good. When I consciously began to use this value in my work, I taught at an elementary school in the flatlands of deep East Oakland. Often, the classes and environment felt harsh, and I would walk away tense and frustrated.

Along with changing my curricular approach, I began to think about love while interacting with each student. This play on the mind was really fascinating because I began to let go of always directing and making sure students had something to do. I would stop playing the drum to hear what a child might be saying, even if it was long-winded. I took the time to listen to their stories, even when they’d get antsy in the hall. During this experiment, I noticed more students would cling on to me, give me hugs, and ask me not to leave. Through radiating love, there was a more profound sense of trust. 

JP – Yes! One of my favorite teaching practices is to incorporate a free dance in each class. That might look like a jam or dance party, or improvised performances, or a freeze dance. Mostly it’s a time when I step back and watch, really observe each dancer, and the group as a whole. I practice listening with my whole being. Who are these children? What are they sharing about themselves through their movement? What kinds of choices are they making? What inspires their dancing? I practice letting go, as you said, relinquishing control, and celebrating each child right where they are. A fellow dance educator in our Summer Institute this year described it as “stepping back so that my students can step into their own power”. Yes to this too! I also think of it as the artist in me sees and honors the artist in you. And for me this is an expression of love. 

I try to cultivate this in my classes, not just between me and the students, but between all the dancers. How can we hold space for each other to take creative risks, step into our power and embody freedom? How can we see and celebrate the artist in each of us? I remember a group of 4th graders I taught several years ago. When we started in September, they were all over the place as a group. Often I would arrive and a quarter of the class had already been sent from the room for punitive reasons, and another quarter were determined to watch from the side, often making fun of the other kids. It took almost all year, with lots of group conversations and playing, watching and responding to each other through dance, for the whole class to dance together. And there was still one student who hid under the desks. Then one day, we were experimenting with different music, and talking about the movement it inspired. This boy crawled out from under the desks to the middle of the room and started dancing! He had never danced in class before. The whole class, who several months before might have laughed at him, cheered him on! We all saw this student differently as he bravely took center stage. And there’s something incredibly potent in that moment of a child seeing themselves be seen expressing their creative freedom. Cultivating trust, embodying love, celebrating freedom. This is so essential, especially right now.

At Luna, we are considered artists and teachers, but also leaders. What does that word mean to you?

CH – At first I resisted the label “leader” due to the lack of great leadership examples in my life. I thought to be a leader meant to model a personality and ethic that I do not agree with. I have grown to understand that leadership is more than a title. For me it is about how you treat others, and how you work with a team or community to better situations and empower those around you. There are people with big titles who are not leading, and those without a title who are. I think your actions speak towards your leadership, even if you resist the nomenclature. 

JP – I also felt initially challenged embracing the label. Am I any different with a title? Is it the job that pushes me to leadership? Who gets to say that I’m a leader? I agree with you – while leadership is about sharing your voice, it is also about listening to and empowering those around you. It’s about challenging your biases so that you can better listen. It’s about recognizing your power and privilege, and using it to speak up, or to help pull someone else up. And it’s about living your values.

Luna Teaching Artists reflect on teaching and learning at Luna during 2019-20.

The 2018-19 Summer Institute (SI) cohort includes 12 dance teaching artists and classroom teachers from all over California: the Bay Area, Santa Barbara, San Benito, and Port Hueneme. Collectively, they teach over 2,300 students in schools,  preschools, studios, and community centers. During their Midyear Meeting in January, they reflected on their growth as dance educators, advocates, and leaders during their SI year. See what they have to say!

“My coach has helped me with sticking with incorporating dance into my classroom environment, even when I feel like I’m struggling.”

“My coaches helped me feel confident in developing appropriate material in the classroom, backed by research, which also gave me confidence. And in organizing a committee for a union, which we got, and I’m in a leadership role for that. I feel like Luna helped inspire me with the research-based knowledge that helps me fight for what I know is right in teaching.”

“Having the network and the connection, not just with the coaches, but this full team, has helped me feel more connected in feeling the breadth of work happening in dance education. This makes me feel more likely to stay in the field, knowing what other people are doing.”

“The SI has helped me give language to the impact that dance programs have on children, especially in the areas of content standards for dance, making a case for dance, and raising funds for programming. The SI community itself, and communicating with other dance educators has been extremely impactful because it gives me a sense of relief and immediate understanding.”

“This whole experience has been very validating to me. Seeing that it’s not just teaching dance, it’s this lifework & vocation, that’s been very empowering. It did make me want to be a leader in my life. One example: at the school where I work there is an organization that does equity work with the staff. Then they train some of the staff to continue the work, and I agreed to train to be a facilitator.”

“Having the language and the repertoire to explore different concepts has really opened my eyes to the possibilities of movement, even within folkloric forms. I’m now picking up – “oh, that’s that, or that’s that!”. I was always unsure of how to teach young children how to move their bodies because I wasn’t sure what’s appropriate, what’s too much. So I feel a lot more confident with understanding the developmental stages, the language of dancing, and increasing their general vocabulary.”