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Creating an environment where students are at the center of the creative process.  The amount of collaboration with my students has increased over the years. I always thought that it was my job to make up all of the movements and direct every bit of the dances for the class and concerts. I quickly learned that taking on choreography for five classes wasn’t sustainable. Furthermore, it was very teacher-centered and didn't focus on the students’ movement experience or creativity. I needed to balance satisfying my excitement for dance-making and giving the students a say in the creation. Initially, it felt like I was giving up too much control and losing my artistic self, which didn’t feel great. Still, it became an exciting place where the art of directing the collaboration became exciting—modeling, leading, and supporting their ideas.
Realizing that I wasn't the only one with ideas opened up an entirely new way of working. Additionally, the projects became much more interesting because of the originality of each piece, and I learned more about the students as individuals. Directing the collaboration is a skill in itself. Planning, patience, and a willingness to let things get a little chaotic before a result is achieved takes time. It is something I continue to practice and learn from. I direct the collaboration by starting with a theme or area of focus and designing lessons that support the dance-making process. There are different degrees of this type of collaboration. At the beginning of the year, I have stringent guidelines with an outline with little room for change. We essentially “plug in” the tasks and movement practices into specific parts of the chosen music. As the year progresses, the students have more choices, and the dance outlines have more room for student offerings and designs. For example, at the beginning of the year, I will direct the students on how we will begin the dance. Later in the semester, I may ask them, “How do you see this dance starting?” A vital component of this collaborative process is asking questions. I begin by assigning each student the same task and then find a way to share or combine with a peer or group. For example, each student may create a phrase based on their “super-power,” and then they would teach it to someone. The combined phrase could be manipulated in ways you wish to see in a dance. However, it is essential to have each student answer, create, and make it alone before joining forces, checking in individually, and ensuring everyone has their voice heard and understands the content. Asking for student input has become a big part of the curriculum; modeling the creative process helps me assess the room's temperature and determine how to proceed. Questions to consider when directing the collaboration: What kind of dance do you want to create? What do you want to dance about? Now that we have begun, what happens next? Is this concept resolved? What are we missing? What is the story arc? What do you want the audience to take away from this dance? You can ask the class or use these questions as warm-ups or exit prompts. I like to use small pieces of paper to get all of the students' input. I can then spread out the answers to create a plan for our rehearsal. Inspiration boards with the music map are beneficial as well. *Photo of mapping a piece of music with ideas posted in the section of interest from the students.
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As a dance educator, I aim to create a communal space without judgment or competition so students feel seen. Sometimes, I get too excited about the product, miss the mark, and need to step back. We took that step this week, and I realized we needed it more than I thought.  March is a busy month. It is busy for several reasons; performance season is gearing up, seniors are anxiously awaiting college acceptance letters, and spring is in the air.
As much as I want to go-go-go, it is an excellent time to check-in. There is so much value in stopping, checking in, and reflecting. I know it feels like we don’t have the time, but if we do, it will benefit all of us. I used the questions below to check in with the students, allowing space to reflect on the present material and share personal stories with their peers, nurturing the class' community spirit. To begin, the students are instructed to walk around the space, stop, and find the nearest person to talk to. Do this with every question. The walking can change to jogging, sideways/backward, curved, they can choose someone to follow (one of my favorites) etc.
End with constructive rest and a reminder that we all support each other by listening and sharing stories. The individuals in the class make the community; without each one, it wouldn’t be the same. |
