Jessie McCloskey Dance 367 12/7/11 Philosophy Paper Creative Dance Creative dance should be a vital part of every

childs education. It is an essential tool that teaches children to problem solve, express feelings, cooperate, and accept individual and others differences (Gilbert 1). Virginia Tanner, a pioneer in the world of children's dance, explained, "The motivating force behind my work is not only developing excellent dancers, but more importantly, developing young people who are useful, imaginative, worthwhile human beings." This statement is such a powerful example of what creative dance really can do and what I hope to be able to do in my life. It is difficult to define creative dance in a sentence but simply, creative dance is, as Anne Green Gilbert says, mastery of movement with the artistry of expression with the goal to communicate. A creative dance class should provide an environment that allows children to express themselves physically and emotionally, without feeling judged or embarrassed. Creative dance helps children to draw upon their inner resources to make a direct and clear statement that they wouldnt otherwise be able to make (Joyce 1). It is so important for children because it provides them with new ways of expression and creativity outside of their regular classes such as math and science. It actually improves their success in those classes as well because it gets the brain thinking more abstractly, firing more neurons and opening up new neural pathways in the brain. This way, new information is learned quicker and easier. MacDonald explains, Creative dance may facilitate childrens personal development, showing them how situations have a number of

meanings, encouraging experimental solutions of problems, and inviting acceptance or rejection of one anothers ideas (MacDonald 435). Creative dance also helps children explore their views on life issues, on the human condition, and on their own condition. For example, this is a conversation found in MacDonalds article, Creative Dance in Elementary Schools: Instructor: What are you saying in this dance? Child: Well you see Miss, Im married to her, and shes married to him, and she leaves him for me, and I leave her for her. But it all works out in the end. Instructor: Does it always work out in the end? Child: [pause] No No, it doesnt. (MacDonald 435) This child was expressing, in his own way, what he thought of and what he understood about relationships in the world today. Creative dance is such an excellent way for children to be able to figure out for themselves what kind of world they are living in. A creative dance class should include technical skill development as well as creative activities that allow the children to problem solve. It would not be productive to have children come to class and simply turn on some music and tell them to dance how they feel. Because of their limited movement vocabulary, they could only do so much movement before they would get stuck in repetition and their means of expression would be seriously limited. There must first be a basis of technique and skill before true expression can be explored. Developmental milestones should be valued deeply so that children are engaging in skill development that will not harm their bodies as they are growing. Children of different ages have such different needs physically and emotionally and it is the teachers responsibility to understand and act upon those needs. Another aspect of creative dance is that it should be taught conceptually, rather than just as steps for the children to memorize. Anne Green Gilbert explains, If a dancer is to truly understand dance and be able to create and view dances, he or she must learn and explore the

elements or concepts of dance (Gilbert 1). This way, they can create their own steps and phrases, using the concepts they have learned. A conceptual approach allows for so much more creativity and problem solving, allowing children to learn intellectually, emotionally, and physically. Creative dance truly gives dance to the individual (Dimondstein 1). Once a child begins to learn more and more concepts of creative dance, a whole new world is opened up to them in terms of communication and expression. I know I have always struggled with vocal communication. I remember the exhilarating release and sense of freedom I felt the first time I went to a dance class. It is why I am still dancing today and why I wish to bring that freedom of expression to children. I have learned so much about myself and who I am as a daughter of God through my dancing. I really believe that creative dance is a vital experience for children growing up in the world today.

Work Cited Diamondstein, Geraldine. Children Dance in the Classroom. Macmillam Cp., NY 1971 Gilbert, Anne Green Gilbert. Creative Dance for All Ages. AAHPERD. 1992 Joyce, Mary. First Steps in Teaching Creative Dance. Mayfield Publishing Co, CA 1994 MacDonald, Colla J. Creative Dance in Elemenary Schools: A Theoretical and Practical Justification. Canadian Journal of Education Vol 16, No 4. Autumn 1991. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1495255. Viewed 12/5/11 Virginia Tanner Creative Dance Program. University of Utah. http://www.tannerdance.utah.edu/studio/philosophy.html Viewed 12/5/11