Put On Your Red Shoes, and Dance the Blues

Assignment for Professor Vaillancourt's Dance Methodology Class as a part of the University of Windsor B.Ed Program

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Hello, and welcome to my Dance Methodology assignment. To find the answers to each question, please refer to the links to the left!

Thanks!

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What Are My Experiences as a Teacher of the Arts?

I’ve never taught an art, per se, but I’ve been teaching children and adults to cook since 2015. I like to think that cooking is the perfect blend of science, math, and art. There’s an old expression: you eat first with your eyes. I try to keep that front of mind when creating and sharing recipes; you can have the most delicious meal, but no one will be excited to taste it if it doesn’t at least look appealing. 

With that in mind, I’ve added a few links to videos I made in my last position where I’m teaching (virtually) how to make some beautiful (and dare I say artistic?) food!

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What Are My Experiences As A Student Of The Arts?

These are some various works I’ve done throughout the years. As you can see, I’m preferential to paint, but will try any visual medium at least once!

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What Are My Experiences As A Student Of The Arts? 

 This was a show I was able to provide voice acting for. I played the role of “Paloma” (the girl in the red shirt).

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What Are My Experiences As A Student Of The Arts? 

 A local program I was able to participate in as a child. I played the part of “Sarah”.

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What Are My Experiences as a Student of the Arts?

When I was a child, I loved to draw. Any form of visual art made me happy, and my mother enrolled me in watercolour classes at the age of seven. I continued working with those, and different mediums, through classes until I graduated High School. 

I also loved to act as a child, and was lucky enough to have a few opportunities to live out my dream of being an actor through various local television commercials and programs. 

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What Are My Goals for Dance Methodology?

1. I want to learn how to share the importance of a body’s abilities, vs a body’s appearance with my future students.

2.  I want to learn how to use dance as a tool for the development of motor skills, creativity, social skills, and inventiveness.

3. I’d love to update my dance move repertoire!!

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About Me!

I have three dogs, all whom have been coerced into dancing with me (for treats!). 

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What Are My Goals For This Course?

Honesty? I would love to learn how to do the worm!

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What Are My Feelings About Teaching Dance?

I am so excited to have the opportunity to learn how to incorporate dance into my teaching style! I have never taken a dance course before (save toddler ballet!) but am always happy to move my body in ways that feel expressive.

John Dewey said, “for the pupil has a body and brings it to the school along with his mind. And the body, out of necessity, is a wellspring of activity; it has to do something”.

He believed that children did their best academically outside of a “traditional” classroom environment (usually, desks and chairs), so facilitating time and space for active learning could give them an opportunity to learn whilst listening to their body’s desire for movement.

Further, studies have shown that students taught about social studies through dance retain and relate to the information presented better than children who do not. Read about it here!

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This is a song that ALWAYS makes me want to dance!

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A class I taught on how to take traditional bagel making methods to the next level by creating rainbows! Originally created for a pride month special, these bagels will charm their way into your heart year round.

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This was a virtual class I held to show people how to decorate their focaccia in a fun and fresh way!