1. Kayla Alvarez
11 October 2020
Teaching Vision Draft 2
As a dance educator, my teaching philosophy is rooted in a body-mind approach where
self-awareness and content knowledge are of equal importance in personal development. The classroom
experience is a precursor to the way children will integrate themselves into society as well-rounded,
culturally sensitive, and independent adults. It is my belief that the implementation of an Arts Education
has the ability to foster student visibility and confidence in the classroom and beyond. Specifically, dance
education explores and utilizes the creative, the logical, and the physical aspects of our being to
encourage involvement and expressivity in life’s activities. The body and mind work with clarity when
their capabilities are accommodated and encouraged. For these reasons, dance education is adaptable and
culturally responsive in that it can be tailored to fit the needs and identities of the students. Viewing dance
technique from a Eurocentric lens perpetuates stereotypes and exclusivity of the field. It dismisses the
idea of involving the self in the work; involving ideas inspired by personal thought, experience, or culture.
Instead, technique development in the classroom should remain increasingly physical while attentive to
the world language of dance. Students are able to transform into athletes who utilize their cognitive tools
for social and emotional understanding and stability.
Teaching Dance Education in the K-12 setting is valuable in introducing critical thinking
strategies and refining interpersonal/communicative skills while addressing cultural inclusion in a global
setting. Student awareness of the external, like social cues, allows for an investigation of the internal. It
provides insight into differing perspectives, expanding upon their view of the world and those who inhabit
it. Partner work with two moving bodies requires trust and communication. Choreographing a movement
phrase involves thorough articulation and the maintenance of a respectful and productive workspace with
fellow colleagues. It also requires critical thinking in navigating spatial pathways/transitions,
timing/lighting cues, and creating cohesive plot and movement developments. The freedom to make
creative choices in dance education empowers students to follow their creativity and natural impulses.
Introducing non-Western techniques, like Bharatnatyam or Flamenco, breaks barriers of what students
think they “can or cannot” do with their own body and minds. Students will walk out of my classroom
with the confidence to innovate, pride in their individuality, and the strategies to produce movement while
considering their needs as well as others’.
Because dance is tailored to the anatomical and mental needs of the student, it is fundamental to
integrate accurate lesson plans based on age, physical maturity, and technical proficiency. In studying
subjects such as Kinesiology and Motor Learning, I have seen the limitations that hinder student
comfortability in the classroom. It is vital to understand the developmental progression of children in
dance because it is so multifaceted. Individual differences in the physical, like flexibility and bone
structure, must be simultaneously considered with the mental and emotional, like memorization and
anxiety. These factors can all be addressed to support an environment that is student centered in learning,
teaching, and assessing. From a body-mind approach, there is an enriched understanding of how to care
for the self while still progressing in content acquisition.
How students see themselves represented in the world sets the narrative for how they begin to act
in it. Cultural inclusion supported by personal and communal needs in the dance education setting allows
the body and mind to find confidence and fervor in life’s pursuits, regardless if the path pursued leads to a
future in the arts or not.
