Mary McDowell Center for Learning

Dance/Movement Enrichment

Curriculum | Art | Theater Arts | Academics

The Dance/Movement program embraces the interrelationship of the body and mind furthering the emotional, cognitive, and physical integration of the individual. The program aims to work on expressive and communicative skills, brain hemisphere integration, interpersonal relations, and adaptive behaviors while promoting self esteem, body awareness, and strengthening body image. Observing, sensing, feeling, moving, and voicing experiences are integral to each class activity.

Students gain more control of the body and expand their movement repetoire which in turn effects their other interactions and explorations in the world. The program presents joyful experiences to the students with opportunities for success that lead to taking on new challenges.

Students in rooms between the ages of 5–10 years old attend the dance/movement program with their whole class once a week throughout the school year.

The program generally meets in the Center's gymnasium with occasional use of other spaces such as the Meeting Room and yard.

The program addresses learning skills in many areas for all of the children and breaks skills down by age/developmental level in other areas. Common skills addressed for all of the children include:

• creative expression
• spatial awareness
• tension release
• sensory integration
• physical coordination
• attention span
• impulse control
• memory recall and retention
• nervous system regulation

More specific to age level skills include:

5-7 year olds

• beat
• body awareness
• gross motor skills
• listening
• combining visual/kinesthetic or auditory/kinesthetic experiences
• dancing stories
• dancing common objects or concepts (e.g. architectural elements, the alphabet, numbers)
• demonstrating in front of peers
• discerning negative space

8-10 year olds

• rhythm recognition and playback as a group and individually
• mirroring and following
• balancing
• breath work
• partnering
• sequential work
• effort/shape aspects of movement and music (space, time, weight, flow)
• alignment
• leadership
• hands on work with peers
• making abstract images into body forms
• observation and constructive criticism
• problem solving
• group decision making and implementation

Techniques utilized include creative movement, Brain Gym exercises, martial arts, yoga, ethnic dance, Orff music work, Polarity wellness, Somatic Experiencing, and traditional dance/movement therapy approaches.

Materials include recorded music, percussion instruments, drawing materials, video tapes, songs, stories, poems, puppets, stretch bands, hoops, cones, balls, and most importantly, our imaginations.