Although the sixth grade class isn't very long, it had very high moments as well as very low moments today. Instead of warming up, we went right into "One." The students weren't really paying attention, and they were very chatty. Once Ms. Donk gave them a lecture that set them straight, they still seemed very cranky. It was obvious that they didn't want to go over the old material, and Ms. Donk adding on new material was even worse for them.
For me, it was extremely frustrating because their vibe was causing me to not be able to focus. The choreography is unlike everything that I'm used to, so I need to buckle down and focus 150%, but because of them I couldn't focus. After a while, I started to ignore their energy and just focus on the material. I finally got down all of the choreography, and was able to assist them when they needed it. I also was able to do it with them so that Ms. Donk could watch and see what areas they need help on.
Michelle, one of my old favorites just isn't delivering. Lots of the movements are very sharp and quick, and she lazily does them, without putting any real effort into it. Another of my old favorites, Joseph, was having a terrible day today. He was extremely cranky and didn't want to focus.
Tomorrow the middle school athletes are going on an all-day field trip, leaving only six students in class. Ms. Donk said we'll probably watch a film or take a walk, because there's no sense in adding on to the piece when most of the class isn't there. Also, tomorrow is the last day before Spring Break, so any choreography she set on them probably wouldn't stick anyway...

Today in the 6th grade class Ms. Donk decided to finish showing them the Alvin Ailey video they started watching yesterday. (They didn't dance because of a crazy schedule because of state testing). Hopefully tomorrow we'll be back to dancing so that we can set some of the dance before we leave for Spring break.

Unfortunately because of state testing I could not assist the 6th graders today. However, they watched a movie, so they didn't add on to their dance, so I didn't miss anything.
I'm not sure if Ms. Donk wants me to teach tomorrow, but I'll come prepared just in case. I will create a modern warmup, and do some simple across the floor choreography.

The 6th grade class today was extremely annoying and frustrating. From the moment they walked in class they were very chatty and noisy. Thankfully, they calmed down some for warmup. After warmup, we attempted to run through the choreography Ms. Donk set on them last Thursday (we weren't there Friday because of our Spring Dance Concert). After a tiring weekend, we couldn't remember much of the choreography. After a while, we pieced it together and made up something very close to what we did last week. While we were getting that choreography back, the 6th graders were talkative and unfocused. It was annoying, because the choreography is so intricate that missing one detail can throw you completely off, so their full attention was needed. Once we got that choreography back, we ran through it a few times with the music, and then added on. That was also annoying, because for some reason or another I couldn't remember the steps. It wasn't that I couldn't do them, but when it came time to run the whole thing, I kept blanking out. I know a part of it is that I'm still tired from the concert, but I think another part of it is that I'm not used to doing choreography that is so strict and placed. I'll have to get over that really quickly, and adapt to the new choreography so that I can be of assistance.
During warmup, some of the stars from the modern section of the class weren't shining at all. Michelle, the experienced dancer, was being extremely shy about some of the new movements Ms. Donk is requiring them to do. When it comes time for rib cage isolations, or hip rolls, Michelle is completely embarassed, and doesn't do them full out. Joseph is also a little uncomfortable, but I think that's mostly because he's a male. However, Trinity is still holding up. She wasn't in class on Thursday, so I made sure to check her out today. As expected, she was great. She isn't shy about doing new movements, and she doesn't hold back.
I'm looking forward to this new unit, because while it'll be a challenge for them, it'll also be a challenge for me to stay focused. Hopefully I can do it...

Jazz it Up

Jazz today with the 6th graders was really fun. It was interesting watching them work at a new warm up. Most of them were pretty bashful, but a few showed promise. The jazz unit will be totally different from the modern was, which proved to be very shocking for them today. They were understandably afraid to fully isolate their rib cages and roll their hips (especially Joseph.) After warmup, we started working on choreography. Ms. Donk is setting an original piece on them that is based off of "One," from A Chorus Line. The choreography is so much more intricate than the last piece they did, and if you miss one beat or step, you're completely thrown off. Even I was having some difficulty with remembering the little bit of choreography we worked on today. But even though it was tough, they kept at it and didn't give up, and that's what I like to see. They were persistent when I know they didn't want to be. And after a while, they began to get the hang of it. It's going to be a really fun piece once we have the movement into our memory, and don't have to worry about trying to remember what comes next.

Another difference between this piece and the last is that this piece involves a prop. Each dancer has a top hat that they use on almost every count of the piece so far. This also presents another challenge for them, because most of them have never used props before. They were tempted to play with the hats when they should have been paying attention, but after they saw how intricate the choreography was they immediately focused. This new unit should be a fun one...

Today the 6th graders had their performance. When I went into the gym before their performance they were SO nervous. They were all jittery and couldn't keep still.  I tried my best to calm them down, but it didn't really work. Even when Ms. Donk talked to them and tried to calm them down, they wouldn't loosen up. They had a few minutes to sit and wait while the principal made some announcements, and by the time it was finally time to perform they seemed like they chilled out a little. The performance went SO well! There were a few mess ups, but they played them off very well (because of their preparedness). They played them off so well that the mess ups looked like they were a part of the piece. 

After the performance they looked so bummed. They said they were so disappointed in themselves because of the mess ups, and because a few dumb kids were laughing. The feedback Ms. Donk and I got was amazing. Everyone LOVED the performance, students and teachers included. While they were performing, I videotaped the performance and we watched it later. Even after watching it, some of them still had negative things to say. While watching the performance did change some of their opinions, some were still saying it wasn't good.

Trinity was great. She had a little mess up, but she played it off well and other than that she was great. Michelle was also good, she had a rather large mess up, but she probably wins first place for playing it off. Joseph was also really good. The whole group really was good, they worked together as a team, (which is really important for dance groups) and their performance energy was great. Overall, the performance went really well.

Lately there hasn't been much to reflect on with the 6th graders. And unfortunately, today the case is the same. Once again we went to the gym to run the piece. We ran through it once with music, and then went back to the dance studio and went over some performance etiquette. We talked about what they should wear, how they should act, what to expect, etc. They still seem to be pretty nervous about performing for their peers tomorrow. Hopefully they won't choke, and forget the steps, or hold back because of fears of what their peers will say.
Ms. Donk will tape the performance tomorrow, and during class time they will watch and critique and reflect on it. (So I won't be teaching.) Then, starting on Thursday we're going to have a jazz class. We were supposed to start on the choreography for the jazz piece on Friday, however neither Ms. Donk or I will be in school Friday because of our Spring dance performance. So, we'll start jazz on Thursday and the second piece Monday. Hopefully all goes well in the performance tomorrow, I know that if they are confident in themselves they'll be great.

Unfortunately, Ms. Donk forgot her iPod at home today, so we couldn't start on the jazz unit. So, we went to the gym (where they'll be performing it on Friday) and walked through it for spacing. This spacing rehearsal really helped them out, because we could give them lines on the gym floor as to where to be for certain sections of the piece. Without this rehearsal the piece would have looked crazy, because there would be dancers all over the place forgetting all about their formations. But at the same time, it was really nice watching the piece in a larger space than the dance studio. Ms. Donk said that tomorrow if the gym is free we will go back and run through it a few times with music.

Instead of dancing today we watched the video of their piece. Ms. Donk asked them to write down a few critiques and a few good things they noticed. It was interesting seeing the piece on film, because I got a totally different perspective. Also, it was interesting seeing what they thought they needed to work on, and what about it they liked. The majority of their comments were negative, like "we weren't on the music," or "I forgot a step." The only positive thing they really said was that they liked the choreography. I guess the semi-performance yesterday didn't help their confidence as much as I thought it did. I just hope they don't get shy once they get in front of their peers, because the piece really does look great.  

Once again, there isn't much to share about the 6th grade class today. We did a regular warmup, and ran the piece. They got a sense of what it was like to perform it, because the middle school principal was sitting in on the class. I really think this boosted their confidence, because they looked great. I think being in front of an audience, even though it was a tiny one, helped them. I think once they get to their performance on Wednesday, they'll be more than comfortable performing it for their peers.
We didn't get to watch the film of the piece because we didn't have enough time. Ms. Donk said tomorrow we'll watch the video, and correct any problems that come out in the video. Then, tomorrow is the last day that will be devoted to rehearsing. Monday we will start on the jazz unit, and start their new "Broadway" piece. Next Wednesday it's back to teaching for me...I haven't decided if I should shift to jazz as well, or if I should stick with giving them modern classes. I probably will stay with modern, because I have no experience with teaching jazz dance. I want to create a piece of my own, that I will add on to every week, almost like a goodbye piece from me to them. I really am going to miss them once the school year is over.

There isn't much to share about the 6th grade class today. They ran the entire piece, (which is a little over 13 minutes) and then ran it again so that Ms. Donk could videotape it. Tomorrow we're going to watch the video so that they can see things that they are doing wrong. This really will help them, because not only can they see what they're doing wrong, but they can also hear musical cues without having to worry about entering right on the cue. Also, they'll be able to see some spacial issues they're having. But I think the most important thing that the video will do is it will boost their confidence. Right now they're really nervous about performing the piece, but they shouldn't be because it really looks great. I think once they see themselves performing it they'll be more excited to perform it. As a result of a schedule change tomorrow, they won't perform until next Wednesday. So, starting tomorrow (if time allows) they will start on their jazz unit of the class. They'll still run the piece once each day to keep it fresh, but we're finally moving on. It should be fun moving on to a new style, and hopefully some new stars will come up in the jazz unit.

Last Friday while I was at the elementary campus, the 6th graders finished the last section of their piece. I must admit I was a little sad because I wasn't there to learn it first hand, but I caught on quickly. They are performing Wednesday, so that leaves tomorrow for their last rehearsal. Today they ran through the entire piece, drilling certain sections until they finally got it. We still have a few sections that need to be drilled tomorrow, but all in all the piece really is looking lovely. I'm looking forward to watching their performance. It'll be interesting to see if certain students who never really gave it much in class will give it their all in the performance. It should also be interesting to see if the stars  are performers. I know they're all really nervous about performing for the rest of the middle school, so it should be interesting to see if that has an effect on their performance.

After their performance they will shift from modern to jazz. It really will be fun for me, because jazz is one of my favorite styles of dance. They will be learning a new piece, and having another performance somewhere down the line.

Crazy Little Kids

Today I went to the elementary school to assist Mrs. Birdsinger with her 4th grade class. Those kids are CRAZY. I swear they've got more energy than one can fathom. From the moment they saw me they were all like "HI!" or "Who are you?" One girl I'd never met before hugged me and wouldn't let go. Another girl told me I was her new best friend. Mrs. Birdsinger said that since today was their last day she would basically let them build their own class. In other words, she let them pick their favorite exercises from the class and run them again. It was interesting watching them make their list of favorites. They chose everything from the Nutcracker to improvisation to dancing to MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This." Watching them dance really is amazing, because they have so much energy they know how to channel it into dancing. When they are dancing, it's amazing to watch because they are so into it and are having so much fun it's like they're unstoppable. Unfortunately, they don't know how to stop talking when necessary, so they lost lots of class time that could have been spent having more fun.

Also, they're really versatile. They went from a hip hop combination to traveling across the floor to free-styling to the Nutcracker. They also did something called "The Helping Dance," where they are all on the floor making shapes and the leader walks around and picks up one person and then that person picks up another person and so on. It was interesting watching their creativity in their shape choices.

As for me, I didn't know much of the set combinations they had, however most of it was the same movement repeated again and again, so it was easy for me to catch on. When they went across the floor I kept them quiet and ready to go once the group before them was finished dancing. For the free-styling I free-styled with them (and had a blast). Overall it was a great class, and we all had lots of fun. But even though I had so much fun, I still missed my 6th graders...

Instead of continuing on with the final section of the piece, Ms. Donk decided to tweak the section where Joseph brings on all the girls. When she said tweak, she really meant complicate. She changed the entire thing, and made it extremely intricate and brisk. The students were getting frustrated because they had to keep drilling it in order to get it. I was getting frustrated because I couldn't really be of much assistance, and Ms. Donk was getting frustrated because it wasn't looking like she wanted it to. Hopefully tomorrow she'll be able to finish that part of the section, and make progress on the section. I won't be there tomorrow because I'm going to venture over to the elementary campus to assist. I really hope the 6th graders get that part of the section together tomorrow so that they can move on. Hopefully they'll finish it tomorrow and have Monday and Tuesday for rehearsal days.
Before Ms. Donk started tweaking the fourth section, they ran the first three sections of the piece. They really are looking fabulous; they're getting comfortable with the choreography and now they're beginning to dance it. A few sections need to be cleaned up, but overall the whole piece looks really nice.
Ms. Donk said if time allows she'll videotape the dance tomorrow, so that they can watch it and see their mistakes. This will probably help them a lot, because instead of just hearing Ms. Donk say what they're doing wrong, they'll actually be able to see it.

I taught the 6th grade class today. It went well, we started off with a fairly traditional warmup. After warmup we did abs, and then went across the floor. The across the floor portion of the class was interesting, because I felt like the material I made up for them wasn't hard at all. In fact, it was easier than some of the things Ms. Donk has given them. However, some of them really seemed to be struggling with it. I broke it down many times, and answered all of their questions and kept asking if they had more. Maybe I judged the level of it wrong, because I know they aren't afraid to ask questions when they have them. Even though some of them were struggling, I will probably give them the same material next week and add onto it. I want them to continue challenging themselves, not just when Ms. Donk is teaching.

I feel like I'm repeating myself, but Trinity is awesome. It really is mesmerizing watching her dance, because she's so young. I'm almost to the point where I'm sad because I'll be leaving this year, so I won't get to watch her grow over the years. Not only did the combination appear to be a breeze for her, but she was turning simple runs into graceful leaps, and adding dynamics into the material that some dancers my own age can't grasp. And the funny thing is that she doesn't even know she's doing it, because it's all natural. After class I told her how good she looked and she almost seemed shocked hearing it. 

Michelle is blossoming as well, I feel like she really has improved since I started observing her earlier in the year. She's getting stronger, which is always nice to watch. The problem with her is that while she has gotten better, she just does the steps. She doesn't really put much energy and uumph into it. But she's improving, and she's still young, so I'm sure she'll get it one day.

Another student I'd like to introduce you to is Zariane, she's an extremely tall girl, with long limbs. She has the body to be a dancer, but before Ms. Donk's class, she had never stepped into a dance class before. She tries really hard, and asks lots of questions, which shows she's interested. But it's obvious that she wasn't born to be a dancer. While I'm sure she's aware of this, she still tries really hard, and she makes me proud. That's probably one of my favorite kind of dancer, the one who has almost no potential, but still busts their butt to be the best they can. 

Today was probably the most fun class to date. We started class by stretching ourselves instead of doing a traditional warmup. Then, we jumped right into the fourth section. We gave Joseph his solo, which is really brisk but also really fun. It's nice working with him because he's had professional training. He catches on quickly, and isn't afraid to ask questions when he needs to. At the end of his solo, he picks up each girl and brings her on stage. Working out the lifts was really a lot of fun. Each dancer was different, some were extremely comfortable while others were so timid they barely got across the floor.
Watching Trinity again today I noticed she has mastered something that most 6th grade beginners can't: she can point her feet! And not only can she point them, but she actually does point them every time they leave the floor. She captures my attention every time she is on stage.
Another eye catcher is Michelle. She's loosening up with the choreography. Ms. Donk gave her a more challenging lift and she really looks beautiful doing it. Like Joseph she's also very mature.
I'm really going to miss this class. They're a great group of kids, and I enjoy working with them. This sounds really cheesy, but just like I'm sure I've impacted their lives (well at least their dance lives) they've impacted mine too.

The 6th graders were back today, and some who were groggy and ready for the weekend on Friday were back to their normal selves today. Today we did a really quick warmup, and then went straight into the fourth section. Unfortuantely, we still haven't finished the piece. So, we are pushing back the performance date until next Wednesday or the week after. Ms. Donk says she really hopes we'll be able to finish tomorrow or Wednesday. I really am excited for the finished product. I can't wait to see them run all four sections together, and I can't wait for the performance.
Little Ms. Trinity is really trucking along. Everyday she's looking better and better doing her complex solo. She's getting really comfortable with it, so she's starting to let go and really dance it. It's amazing watching her dance, because you'd swear she's been taking formal classes for years. It just so happens that later in the fourth section Ms. Donk gave a group sone of the same choreography from Trinity's solo. Once they were trying to learn it, they got winded quickly and they kept bruising and beating themselves up. In the locker room after class I heard one of them telling Trinity "you make it look so easy." And she really does, she really is an inspiration.
Today class stopped just short of Joseph's solo. It should be interesting helping him learn the choreography, because he's so trained and talented. The difference between his talent and Trinity's talent is that his came directly and solely from training, while Trinity's is purely natural.
I'm beginning to see that I really enjoy working with kids and teaching dance. It almost feels like this is what I'm supposed to do. I enjoy it so much that I actually look forward to going into class and working with them everyday. I'm really going to miss them once this year is over...