I love seeing all of the students getting ready for the competition. Seeing how things come together and the kids really focus in on their specific dance. Adding in their own variations on moves or wanting to perfect their look of sophistication. It all comes down to next week. Weather we win the overall or not, I know we are going to represent our school pride and self respect to everyone and that is what makes me proud.
I have always loved teaching at Poe Classical and am always excited for the school year to start. Seeing my students come away proud of themselves and each other will be something that they and I will never forget. I am so thankful to be a part of this program every year.
www.dancingwithclass.org
May I have this dance.......Again?
As I settle into my third year as a DWC instructor, I must say one of the biggest perks is having the opportunity to return to a school the following year. It's always bitter sweet at the end of session, when we say goodbye to students and parents after the big dance event. However returning to a school the following year, is always exciting. Most of the time I get a new group of bright eyed students, who have heard all of the fun stories about last year and are super excited, and somewhat nervous. I love seeing the classes from previous years in the hall...
"Hey Miss Brandi!"
"Are you teaching again Miss Brandi?"
"I taught my mom the Salsa Miss Brandi!"
"Can I come down to the dance room with your new class Miss Brandi?!!"
It's very exciting : )
Just last Wednesday I had the pleasure of returning to, Libby Elementary School. Because they have a YMCA sponsored after school program that participates in, DWC, I walked into the class room pleasantly surprised to see my little angles from last year, already partnered and practicing!! I peeked in through the window, so I could observe without being spotted, until I hear, "It's Miss Brandi!" Suddenly I was bum rushed by a group of happy dancing kids ready to learn the new Meringue, and very happy to see me. The feeling was mutual and the class was one for the books.....or the blogs : )
"Hey Miss Brandi!"
"Are you teaching again Miss Brandi?"
"I taught my mom the Salsa Miss Brandi!"
"Can I come down to the dance room with your new class Miss Brandi?!!"
It's very exciting : )
Just last Wednesday I had the pleasure of returning to, Libby Elementary School. Because they have a YMCA sponsored after school program that participates in, DWC, I walked into the class room pleasantly surprised to see my little angles from last year, already partnered and practicing!! I peeked in through the window, so I could observe without being spotted, until I hear, "It's Miss Brandi!" Suddenly I was bum rushed by a group of happy dancing kids ready to learn the new Meringue, and very happy to see me. The feeling was mutual and the class was one for the books.....or the blogs : )
Good Memories
I still have that pic in my head when my students from Davis School participated at the Chicago Cultural Center . Everyone was so happy and a a little nervous too. They were in the back practicing with their partners and helping each other: that's teamwork! I'm very proud of them and I cant wait see them again.
Lifetime Experience
Today I received a call from the mother of a girl who participated in Dancing with Class six years ago. Her daughter is now a sophomore in high school. The mother was hoping she could somehow order a DVD of the Dance-Off event her daughter performed in back in 2007.
When I asked her why she was trying to get a hold of this video so many years later, she explained, "Well, I wanted to give it to my daughter as a Christmas present. I was hoping it would inspire her to keep dancing. She was so good at it, and I thought if she watched the video, it would inspire her to get back into dance."
I hope I can help her find the video, and more importantly, I hope her plan works. This is what DwC is all about: creating an experience that opens the door for a lifetime of dance, and all the joy and good health that comes with it.
When I asked her why she was trying to get a hold of this video so many years later, she explained, "Well, I wanted to give it to my daughter as a Christmas present. I was hoping it would inspire her to keep dancing. She was so good at it, and I thought if she watched the video, it would inspire her to get back into dance."
I hope I can help her find the video, and more importantly, I hope her plan works. This is what DwC is all about: creating an experience that opens the door for a lifetime of dance, and all the joy and good health that comes with it.
What the students have to say
Today on my 6th week of class, I asked the students to talk to me a little about their experience. I know they are extremely excited about the upcoming competition, so I have no trouble getting them to concentrate on each dance I've taught. They are flying through all 4 of the core program dances, and they are always asking for more. It is just such a moving experience for me. In class today I asked them to tell me what they've learned so far. Their answers were:
Swing is a joyful dance
Waltz and tango are serious dances
You always ask a lady to dance
and my two favorites:
Show off your diamonds (ladies styling)
Check out the ladies in the room (men's styling) Too funny!
I also asked them the hardest part of dancing. They all said remembering the steps, remembering their posture, and what foot to start each pattern with. Very valid comments, I thought.
The last question I asked was what makes a good dancer. They agreed remembering the steps, listening to their teacher, being determined, and being optimistic were all ingredients to a good dancer.
I could not agree more!
Swing is a joyful dance
Waltz and tango are serious dances
You always ask a lady to dance
and my two favorites:
Show off your diamonds (ladies styling)
Check out the ladies in the room (men's styling) Too funny!
I also asked them the hardest part of dancing. They all said remembering the steps, remembering their posture, and what foot to start each pattern with. Very valid comments, I thought.
The last question I asked was what makes a good dancer. They agreed remembering the steps, listening to their teacher, being determined, and being optimistic were all ingredients to a good dancer.
I could not agree more!
My favorite classroom moment so far
This is my first year teaching the Dancing With Class core program, and thankfully I have an amazing school with a wonderful teacher to help me along. The kids are just fabulous, too, and they make me laugh every week. Before they leave class, I ask them each to tell me one thing they learned about the dance I taught. It could be the movement, the history, the country of origin - anything. Last week when I was having the gentlemen escort their partner out the door, I asked them what they learned about the swing dance we just learned. The first gentleman I asked looked at me with wide eyes so I knew he had nothing in mind. He then suddenly smiled, looked at his partner, and said, "Ladies first." I couldn't help but laugh because I had been stressing proper manners and it came right back at me!
My favorite class of the session
At Dancing With Class, we are often in schools for 10 week sessions. Although the dance competition is a highlight - it's such a moving experience - one of my favorite classes of the session comes at about week 6, maybe week 7 or even 8 for some schools. It's the class where the students stop being worrying about how weird dancing might be, or how hard the steps are. It's the class where they begin to truly work together as a team. You can see it in their body language - they're no longer trying to hide their hands in their sleeves, or trying to avoid making eye contact with each other. They're excited about the dancing - they really want to get ready for that competition, they really want to do their best at this dance. They look at each other and say "Come on! Let's practice!"
This just happened at one of my schools, and I remembered what a great feeling it is! I had been practicing the waltz with one group of students, while the others practiced merengue in the corner. The waltz is one of the hardest dances, and with the infectious merengue music in the background, it was a little hard for my waltzers to concentrate. But when I challenged them to try to do the entire waltz routine by themselves while I checked in with the other students, they really stepped up! When I came back, they were so excited to tell me "Ms Megan! We did it, we did it! We did the whole routine!" Seeing how eagerly they worked together to accomplish a goal, I was so excited too.
This just happened at one of my schools, and I remembered what a great feeling it is! I had been practicing the waltz with one group of students, while the others practiced merengue in the corner. The waltz is one of the hardest dances, and with the infectious merengue music in the background, it was a little hard for my waltzers to concentrate. But when I challenged them to try to do the entire waltz routine by themselves while I checked in with the other students, they really stepped up! When I came back, they were so excited to tell me "Ms Megan! We did it, we did it! We did the whole routine!" Seeing how eagerly they worked together to accomplish a goal, I was so excited too.
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