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.