At this weekend’s class, I loved seeing something I had learned in my research during my first semester applied in the real world. I learned last semester that dance can act as a vehicle to help students learn about other subjects; this weekend, I saw how learning through dance excites and engages students. The dancers are currently working on a project about exploring North Carolina, its history, and notable figures. The project incorporates research, writing, and original dance choreography. I loved seeing how excited the dancers were to learn more about their region and historical figure because they knew that what they researched would shape the dance they create.
It was also rewarding to see how one of the older girls in the class came out of her shell and committed to the choreography we were practicing during the first half of the class when I did it with her as her partner. I’ve noticed that as one of the older girls in the class she sometimes feels out of place or uncomfortable dancing with the younger kids, but when I danced with her I noticed that she did everything full-out and seemed genuinely happy and proud to be dancing.
Lastly, I spoke to Ms. T (Ms. Sutton) and Ms. Kim, two of the coordinators and teachers at NCAIA. Although we didn’t have much time to talk during class, they were excited to talk with me and Ms. McD more soon.