September Newsletter
Dance with Mr. Poz
It is with great joy that I write this first newsletter to share the incredible enthusiasm, creativity, and passion that I have experienced in this first month of school from your children! We started our year exploring movement as a language, using both movement and speech to discuss different ways we already know how to communicate with our bodies, ranging from gestures and sign language to more abstract or expressive dancing. We have also been working on establishing a safe space for expansive physical, mental, and emotional exploration through dance. This exploration has so far included:
- “Space Bubbles:” (If you’re not familiar with the concept of a Space Bubble, ask your child to teach you about it- perhaps using movement instead of words!) The students have explored Space Bubbles through exercises, guided improvisational dancing, and conversations during which each class has come up with their own guidelines for safe and fun dancing in a group.
- Teamwork: Through a series of “call and response” and assorted dance exercises, we have worked on learning to think and move more effectively as a team.
- Safe Dancing Techniques: We have also worked on using the space and our bodies consciously while we dance, so we can safely experience a sense of freedom while dancing alone or together. This has included learning about warm-ups, stretching, and basic dance and jumping techniques.
Lastly, we also discussed the questions “what is dance?” and “who is a dancer?” We watched a series of excerpts from various movement techniques, ranging from Hip Hop and ballroom to Japanese Butoh dancing and conceptual Dance Theatre by the French choreographer Jerome Bel (You also may have heard about the kids’ favorite, Frostie the dancing cockatoo!). The kids then discussed whether they thought each excerpt was or wasn’t dance, and why. Our conversations about “what is dance?” and “what can dance?” (Can a tree dance? How about a wall, or a soccer ball?) were truly inspiring, as your children shared incredibly creative and unique thoughts and feelings about the nature of dance.
In short, we are off to an amazing start. I encourage you, if you haven’t already, to ask your children to share what they’re learning in dance with you. Ask your child to make a dance with you today, about how they’re feeling, or what they learned in school. They already know how to dance, and so do you!
Lastly, I’ll be performing my new 15-minute solo piece, “You Have Two Choices,” in LA on November 6th and 7th (8:30pm each night). This new circus/dance/theatre piece is being presented as part of “REDCAT Studio,” a showing of six short, interdisciplinary works. This show is not specifically targeted for children or families. So if you’re interested in coming, please read over the descriptions of the pieces in the following link to get an idea of age-appropriateness for your children:
http://www.redcat.org/event/studio-11
