We have almost finished the Tibetan section of our dance and are learning different formations for the Mongolian  horse dance. Each rehearsal we also try some new Bhangra moves and it’s fun to see the students simultaneously becoming more refined and adventurous in their movements.

I am so pleased that the dancers are gaining strength and confidence as we practice. Cybastian is able to remain focused the entire time.  Sergio knows not only his steps and spacing, but also those of  his fellow classmates and has been helpful to catch other students up.  Paul has great rhythm for our first triplet step. Fannie is showing more of herself as a strong dancer.  Erica, Chao, and Lizette are great leaders by being positive examples of how to listen and focus.

For many of these students, this is their first organized activity with the high demands of a performance.  Unlike many of their peers around the Bay Area, they are not able to participate in sports teams, or play practice, so part of our learning is actually how to participate in a rehearsal. We are currently facing the challenges of  consistency, stamina, and which way to go first in our three-step turn!

I am confident though, that all goals can be achieved by performance day.

Good morning!

Working on shapes

Tibetan dance using practice scarves

We all went the correct way on our three-step turn!

Today was our fourth rehearsal for the Performance Project at Redding Elementary located in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. I am working with a class of 3rd graders who are relatively new to dance having just completed a ten-week workshop with the Dance in Schools program this fall. They are an incredibly diverse group with multiple language spoken in their classroom.

Each week I find myself looking forward to our rehearsals. I teach all over the Bay Area, and while this group of students is not the most experienced, they have an eagerness that I find refreshing.

We are creating a dance that covers several different Asian forms of dance including components of Tibetan and Mongolian dances. I was very pleased that the students remembered their places from last week without any prompting. Our first run-through was fantastic!  It was great to be able to move forward rather than backtracking. Today we started working on formations, which it so happens are symmetrical—a concept the students are currently working on in their academic studies. Their classroom teacher pointed this out as the students were learning the patterns. I really appreciate when we can provide clear connections for learning across disciplines.

We also practiced a new turning move—fun and challenging! I think we were all dizzy by the end.

One of our lessons as a group today was about stamina and focus. It was toward the end of the school day and as we were rehearsing in the school cafeteria, students started to wander in for the after-school program. I could see the dancers becoming a little distracted and less confident in their movements. Many of them have never performed in front of an audience before. It was a reminder for me that as much as we are preparing steps, we are also working to build many other skills. I am so proud of what we have achieved so far!

Warming up

Starting positions off stage

Having fun!

Practicing our Tibetan dance