Dance on the Brain

Dance is both an art form and a way of learning through the body. Students created dances and maximized their learning through dance. Bready School hosted Ashley Johnson, Dancer, for a 6 week ArtsSmart project in 2010. The ArtsSmart projects require teachers to think like researchers in their classrooms by asking themselves "What do I want to learn about my practice? How will I know students are learning?"

Inquiry:

As we gain more exposure to the art of Dance through Arts Education, do we become better at creating our own dances?

How does Dance impact learning? Can we observe differences when we apply kinesthetic forms of learning and practice Brain Dance techniques in the classroom?

As our understanding of Dance deepens, will it impact the way we learn in our school?  As we see practical applications for Dance, will we begin to incorporate the methods into classroom practice?

Grade 7 students use tableaux to create moments in their dances that express certain concepts.

Grade 4 students became experienced with the 8 patterns of Brain Dance and learned to self-regulate the nervous system as needed when learning. 

Grade 8 students choreographed and performed original dances based on a common theme. Other students performed traditional Polynesian and Irish dances as well.