Dancing into Communities Canada Virtual Conference Proceedings July 10 – 15, 2022: 15th conference of Dance and the Child International

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/10315/42081

It is said that there is nothing so consistent as change. This is particularly true of the daCi 2022 Conference, which was originally planned to occur in July 2021 at York University in Toronto, Canada. When the COVID pandemic created a world health crisis, we postponed the conference for one year. However, due to the continued precarity of gathering together, we ultimately made the decision to offer the conference virtually. While the preparations leading up to the daCi 2022 Conference were extremely challenging, we were very pleased that the responses during and after the conference were very positive.

The content was a carefully calculated blend of pre-recorded students’ dance performances, papers, posters, and workshops with live presentations by most keynote speakers, along with many panels, workshops, papers, and research discussions. Every session concluded with a live ‘Question and Answer’ period so that delegates could chat, and discussion rooms were available for casual visits among colleagues. Each day began at 7 am Eastern time and concluded by 10 pm Eastern time with large breaks throughout the day. This facilitated registrants across all time zones to participate throughout their day at convenient times for them.

In large part our ‘virtual’ success was due to the tremendous commitment and expertise of the technology experts at York University, for which we are very grateful. Technology rehearsals were available and smoothed the way for all speakers, leaders, and moderators.

The Opening Ceremony presented inspiring young dancers from 7 performing groups from across Canada. We were welcomed by Susan Koff, outgoing daCi Chair from the USA, and Jeff Meiners, the then-incoming Chair from Australia. During the conference, 130 young people participated in Creative Gatherings and Exploring our Futures sessions that were led by a total of 16 facilitators. Each group included dancers from different countries, with young people from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Uganda, Jamaica, the USA, South Africa and Barbados having the opportunity to create dances and talk with one another.

Exploring our Futures was a new initiative that focused on the importance of Good Health and Well-being, one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The discussions around mental health were greatly appreciated by everyone.

Another new initiative was the Indigenous Forum, which offered a panel of Indigenous dance educators from Canada, Australia, Uganda, and Brazil who addressed issues and questions regarding appropriate inclusion of Indigenous dance in the curriculum. We hope to continue this discussion in the future.

We thank everyone who gave presentations and who participated in the 2022 virtual conference.

Nancy Francis and Norma Sue Fisher-Stitt
daCi Conference Co-Chairs, Canada, 2022

Land Acknowledgement and Context

Introduction to proceedings
By Sue Cheesman, Norma Sue Fisher-Stitt and Ann Kipling Brown

Keynotes

No excuses no limits!
By Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli

Luca “Lazylegz” Canadian B-Boy artist talked and demonstrated from his lived experience about his dance journey. He introduced us to his personal motto NO EXCUSES NO LIMITS which underpins all he does with the belief that anything is possible striving towards the limitless possibilities each person has. Combining his passion for dance with his knowledge of engaging the masses, he has become a strong advocate for inclusion and integration as he aims to bring people of all abilities together through the power of dance. He created ILL-Abilities, an international B-boy crew comprised of some of the world’s best differently abled dancers. He champions how persistence and an open mind to find creative solutions allows people to overcome any obstacle and is testament to where he is today.

Retrospection and Evolution
By Ann Kipling Brown

Ann Kipling Brown, made a trip down memory lane with the thoughts and ideas of the participants, using their own words and visual media to underline the journey and significant role of daCi. The keynote panel presentation celebrates and reflects upon Dance and the Child International (daCi), the one organization that focuses on all aspects of dance for young children and youth.

It seemed appropriate in the 40th anniversary year of the organization that we consider daCi’s journey from its inception to the present day. To do this I explored the daCi and Boorman archives, talked and interviewed people who have worked so diligently to maintain the goals of daCi, and, of course, considered my own involvement with the organization. My recent conversations with Joyce revealed her continued passion and commitment to dance education through her reflections about her teaching, publications, workshops, connections with public schools and the children’s theatre.

Papers

Movement Project activities: exploration of play with themed movement approach with indigenous children
By Muhammad Fazli Taib

Dance and Civic & Community Engagement: Service-Learning and Study Abroad as Vehicles to experiential learning, cultural humility, and global citizenship
By Joy Guarino and Enya Kalia Jordan

A dance programme for toddlers
By Neva Kralj

Teachers’ voices on Fresh Moves: A New Zealand regional primary school dance festival 21 years old
By Sue Cheesman

Dancing into Communities: Creativity and Collaboration through Dance Using the International Schools Theatre Association Model
By Juliette O’ Brien

The Cascais Portugal Dance Project associated with a transformative pedagogy
By Luisa Alegre

Challenging content: making ‘stairways to happiness’ through dance for the child
By Arshiya Sethi

Developing empathy and creativity through the virtual dance community
By Zihao (Michael) Li

Locking in a virtual world
By Turner Norman

Reports

Dance Education: A Redefinition
By Susan Koff, Ann Kipling Brown, John-Mario Sevilla, and Alfdaniels Mabingo

Five steps to a balanced body: a holistic 10-minute preparation for dance classes and movement activities
By Jane Andrewartha

Healthy or Harmful: National Experts talk about Children’s Dance
By Mary Bawden

Conference Programme

daCi 2022 Conference Schedule Adults

daCi 2022 Children and Youth Schedule

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Now showing 1 - 16 of 16

Open Access
The Cascais Portugal Dance Project associated with a transformative pedagogy
(2023) Alegre, Luisa
This project, committed to students from disadvantaged schools “Agrupamento de Escolas de Alcabideche – Cascais” between 2016-2018, aimed to promote the artistic practice of an integrated dance (body, rational and emotional) associated with transformative humanistic pedagogy. The project’s mission was closely linked to building a more present, integrated and participatory citizenship, focusing on the fight against poverty in all its forms, on the construction of peaceful, responsible societies and on the promotion of wellbeing and inclusive education. Project partners included the School Sports Program and the “Confiar Association” whose function is to prevent the risky behaviour of young people in the community. The project applied an integrative methodology involving 120 students between the ages of 9 and 15 years. The results revealed the collective learning capacity and self-improvement of all the agents involved.
Open Access
Teachers’ voices on Fresh Moves: A New Zealand regional primary school dance festival 21 years old
(2023) Cheesman, Sue
An independent local regional initiative by the Bay of Plenty Dance organisation, created Fresh Moves Dance Festival that reached a twenty-year milestone in 2021. This research probes how has this festival supported teachers to engage with Dance in the New Zealand curriculum? The article specifically focuses on differing teachers’ voices - delving into the achievements and the struggles from their varying viewpoints to help chronicle their part in the festival’s journey through the years. It asks: The issues, challenges, and successes in participating in this festival over time from specific teachers’ contexts will be unpacked and reflected upon. Findings offer insights into: how the festival plays an important role in supporting dance education within their school communities; and how a local initiative within dance can productively engage a school community in a way, that celebrates the creative spirit and this form of embodied learning.
Open Access
Panel Presentation: Dance Education: A Redefinition
(2023) Koff, Susan; Kipling Brown, Ann; Sevilla, John-Mario; Mabingo, Alfdaniels
Dance Education: A Redefinition was published in 2021. Much of the ideas for this book arose when working with different daCi presentations over 25 years of conferences. For daCi 2023, I gathered three of the chapter authors (Ann Kipling Brown, John-Mario Sevilla, and Alfdaniels Mabingo) for a panel to summarize the book and introduce it to daCi audiences.
Open Access
Locking in a virtual world
(2023) Norman, Turner
In our digitally interconnected world, the internet plays a pivotal role in daily life, including with a large proportion of education and the arts. This paper delves into street dance education, specifically focusing on the effectiveness of online learning compared to traditional, in-person, one-on-one mentoring. Utilizing a netnographic approach, we investigate the archive of locking tutorials available on YouTube, exploring how these platforms connect a global community of street dance practitioners.
Open Access
Land Acknowledgement and context presented at the Opening Ceremony of daCi Dancing into Communities Canada Virtual Conference 2022
(2022)
Open Access
Introduction to proceedings of Dancing into Communities 2022 - The 15th conference of Dance and the Child International
(2023) Cheesman, Sue; Fisher-Stitt, Norma Sue; Kipling Brown, Ann
Open Access
Healthy or Harmful: National Experts talk about Children’s Dance
(2023) Bawden, Mary
There is a dire need to protect children from hypersexualization through the use of evocative adult costumes, choreography and music, and to safeguard the art of children’s dance. Sexualized messages through the media influence children. These messages have become interwoven into children’s dance, which has increasingly led to harmful outcomes. There are many negative impacts related to the sexualization of children. Conversely, healthy dance has many positive outcomes for children. Education is required to shift mindsets, attitudes and cultural norms in the dance industry to prevent the sexualization of girls and boys. This report discusses the above issue.
Open Access
Five steps to a balanced body: a holistic 10-minute preparation for dance classes and movement activities
(2023) Andrewartha, Jane
The focus of this report is in-class preparation for dance training classes in suburban dance studios and recreational settings, including young and adolescent dancers learning any style of dance. A transition from everyday activities to the activities of the dance lesson will be time-effective, engaging for the mind as well as the body, and relevant to the subsequent class work. The five steps is a short sequence that I have found to be an effective preparation for my own young and adolescent students in a suburban dance studio.
Open Access
Developing empathy and creativity through the virtual dance community
(2023) li, zihao
The present study explores the paradigm shift experienced by dance teachers, students, and artists in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic from face-to-face to virtual environments. Drawing on the experiences and reflections of approximately 120 participants during the pandemic period, this investigation sheds light on the transformative potential of the virtual dance environment to promote empathy and community development by facilitating the communication of thoughts, feelings, and experiences through physical signals and written texts. The study provides an opportunity for dance educators, students, and artists to share problems, exchange ideas, and gain knowledge in response to the pandemic. The research reveals that students are more adaptable to virtual learning environments than teachers. Meanwhile, dance artists continue to evolve and innovate by promoting their works through social media and developing new channels. The study further demonstrates that the pandemicconstraints have fostered a spirit of innovation in teaching, learning, and performance in the dance field. The findings offer valuable insights and recommendations and provide a guide for future dance education and artistic practitioners in an ever-changing world.
Open Access
Dance and Civic & Community Engagement: Service-Learning and Study Abroad as Vehicles to experiential learning, cultural humility, and global citizenship
(2023) Guarino, Joy; Jordan, Enya Kalia
Dance at Buffalo State University delivers a liberal arts education and embraces a civic and community engagement philosophy in all aspects of the program. In addition to rigorous studio training that enhances the physical experience of the art form, the curriculum is designed to deepen students' understanding of the cultural, historical, and social, as well as aesthetic, value of dance to our world. This community and civically engaged program fulfills dance students’ distinct aspirations while addressing local and global societal priorities. These experiences are supported by the Dr. Katherine S. Conway-Turner Office of Civic and Community Engagement (CCE) and the Maurene Callahan Bouras Center for Global Engagement (CGE) on campus, which facilitate a broad array of short-term and virtual community-engaged applied learning programs.
Open Access
Dancing into Communities: Creativity and Collaboration through Dance Using the International Schools Theatre Association Model
(2023) O'Brien, Juliette
Creative play might be the ultimate community-creator and boundary-breaker, and dance creation is a form of play that can foster both the sense of shared humanity and the celebration of difference. When young people of diverse backgrounds come together to create dance in a way that respects individual ideas and ways of moving, and nurtures openness to those of others, they also co-create community. Through a collaborative process and creative problem solving, they are able to share their voices individually and as one. The International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA) runs creative theatre “festivals”, using a model through which young people already move, speak, dance, act, and music themselves into communities. This paper uses a phenomenological approach to show how this model works so effectively, and how it could be replicated for dance.
Open Access
Creative Movement Project activities: exploration of play with themed movement approach with indigenous children
(2023) Saearani, Muhammad Fazli Taib
The creative movement project I'm working on is a planned exercise that is a component of the Teaching and Creative Movement class I've been teaching to dance majors pursuing their Bachelor of Performing Arts. 30 kids from Kampung Chinngung in Perak, Malaysia are involved in this project, which they voluntarily took up to pass the time. The students and I conducted observations before the project was completed to determine the proper activities that can be carried out based on their physical and emotional capabilities. Based on these insights, a type of structured activity that gives indigenous kids a chance to interact with dance students' creative endeavours was developed. This structured activity uses a thematic approach as a management tool. This study explores how engaging in creative movement activities with indigenous kids affects both their physical and behavioural well-being. Analyzed is the project's exploration of play using theme approaches and play methodologies. This project aims to promote indigenous children's comprehension and awareness of the topics covered by the planned activities. Dance students are given the opportunity to share space, explore ideas, expression, and movement via creative movements, which allows them to learn information that may be passed on to the local indigenous children's community.
Open Access
daCi 2022 Children and Youth Schedule
(2022)
Open Access
daCi 2022 Conference Schedule Adults
(2022)
Open Access
Challenging content: making ‘stairways to happiness’ through dance for the child
(2023) Sethi, Arshiya
This paper looks critically at the many ways in which inappropriate content enters the realm of dance for the child in India, ranging from folk, classical and reality show dancing on TV. It attempts of interrogate the deep social historical and religious roots of the problem and the interstices by which such maleficence persists unchallenged, leaving the many possibilities of using dance to kindle the imagination of the child and unlock the bigger potential of childhood. The paper concludes by citing two successful examples of attempts at creating child friendly Indian dance material including one in the diaspora. It also highlights the recent changes in the National Education Policy, that have foregrounded the arts making them at par with other privileged subjects, and seeing in this opportunity a chance to catalyse the creation of an age appropriate and child friendly repertoire
Open Access
A dance program for toddlers
(2023) Kralj, Neva
Even though there has been a growing interest in embodied approaches in education, practical experience has shown that dance and body expression are often neglected in the education system, especially during the toddlers' period, from the first to the third year of life (Geršak, 2015; Kralj & Videmšek, 2019; Zajec, Videmšek, Štihec, Pišot & Šimunič, 2010). The paper focuses on enhancing the toddler's motor, social, and communicative skills with a dance program. The author also addresses why and how we dance with toddlers. In countries, where toddlers attend kindergartens, they are very important environment to promote children’s engaging in movement, learning about themselves, and establishing a relationship with others through movement and creative dance. The author would like to highlight the importance of dance in early childhood and expand on existing approaches to working with young children in kindergarten.

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