- Becky Dyer, Diona Peltics, Tiffany Rollins, Stacy Welker, Halley Willcox

- PHONE NUMBER: 1 (480) 710-0003

- EMAIL: Becky.Dyer@asu.edu

- SHORT BIOGRAPHY (400-500 characters) – relevant to the proposal, Symposium theme

The presenters are dance teaching artist practitioners and scholars from Arizona State University, USA.  They have extensive experience teaching in diverse contexts including, preschool through secondary education, higher education, and adult and community environments. Their dance teaching practices span the areas of somatics, ballet, postmodern contemporary, jazz, hip hop, social dance and Pilates instruction. Becky Dyer (Ph.D., MFA), a professor of dance pedagogy and somatics, will be co-presenting with ASU MFA candidates who teach within the dance program.

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- TITLE OF THE ACTIVITY: 

WORKSHOP: Equitable Pedagogical Strategies that Support Diverse Learning in Dance Education

- DETAILED CONTENT DESCRIPTION (max. 2000 characters):

Presenters of this workshop will lead participants through experiences reflective of learning frameworks they collaboratively investigated and developed that address how individuals with varying learning backgrounds, abilities and psychological needs might be served through pedagogical strategies that foster equitable and nurturing student-centered learning exchanges. The dance learning frameworks to be shared arise from social somatic development theories investigated through lenses of child and adult development, as well as current educational research and discourse. Each presenter brings a unique perspective to the pedagogical action research study from their long-term teaching inquiries across a wide range of populations and ages (i.e., private dance sector, institutional settings, social dance arenas, and continuing professional education). Their diverse experience has created a rich source for critical dialogue, collaboration and knowledge.  

At the heart of the presenters’ collaborative pedagogical work is a shared motivation to foster more inclusive, holistic and nurturing teaching/learning exchanges in classrooms throughout diverse sectors of the dance and movement studies field. Teaching strategies investigated and developed for this framework aim to foster individual and social capacities in relationship to social, emotional, cognitive and physical development domains. Somatic-developmental oriented pedagogical approaches have particularly been shaped by the ideas of Judith Kestenberg, Wilhelm Reich and Carl Jung, as well as theories of embodied cognition and theory of mind. 

The workshop will begin with a brief presentation of the theoretical and practical underpinnings shaping the collaboratively developed pedagogical framework. Following the overview, the presenters will share examples from their teaching practices that demonstrate the emergence and application of these ideas. Participants will then divide into groups, facilitated by the presenters, to discuss and develop pedagogical strategies that promoting holistic, nurturing, equitable and diverse learning within the participants’ specific teaching contexts. The session will conclude with each group sharing the results of their discussions and/or explorations. 

- SUMMARY OF CONTENT DESCRIPTION AND MOTIVATION (max 400- 500 characters; for publishing)

Presenters will lead participants through experiences reflective of learning frameworks they collaboratively investigated and developed that address how individuals with varying learning backgrounds, abilities and psychological needs might be served through pedagogical strategies that foster equitable and nurturing student-centered learning exchanges. The dance learning frameworks to be shared arise from social somatic development theories investigated through lenses of child and adult development, as well as current educational research and discourse.

- SHORT BIOGRAPHY (max 60 words for publishing (if co-taught all in all max 60 words)

The presenters are dance teaching artist practitioners and scholars from Arizona State University, USA.  They have extensive experience teaching in diverse contexts including, preschool through secondary education, higher education, and adult and community environments. Their dance teaching practices span the areas of somatics, ballet, postmodern contemporary, jazz, hip hop, social dance and Pilates instruction. 

- GENERAL INTERESTS, CODE/KEY WORDS

dance pedagogy, teaching strategies, higher education, adult learning, child development, equity, inclusion, student-centered, learning frameworks, action research, collaboration, somatics

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- Participating requirements (for whom is this workshop for?)

The workshop will be oriented towards dance teachers working with children through adults who are interested in implementing more equitable pedagogical strategies into their teaching that can support diverse learners.

- TIME REQUIREMENTS (how much time do you need for sharing?)

We would like 2 hours for the workshop but will take 90 minutes if that is not possible.

- SPACE REQUIREMENTS (what kind of space do you require for your sharing? studio size etc)

A studio or space which will allow for movement. If seating around the perimeter were available that would be ideal, but not necessary.

- TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS (what kind of technical support do you require? audio, beamer etc)

A projection system and screen if possible.

- OTHER REQUIREMENTS – comments.