Last Day

Today was Caroline and my last day at Boys and Girls Club! We went through the same warm up, across-the-floors and let them make up their own dances. There were a few instances of kids having mini tantrums and not wanting to choreograph, but we've both learned some successful ways to solve these little conflicts. We have sometimes taken the kids who can't find a group to make a dance with us and when kids are fighting over how to choreograph we've directed them to each take turns making up a single move and stringing them together to create a whole dance. They kept telling us about how much they’d miss us and how much they had enjoyed the club. 

In summary, I feel so lucky that Caroline and I were given the opportunity to run this class, even if it was just for an hour every day. The kids don’t get opportunities like this just to be creative and let loose, and I really felt like they were grateful we were there. I think it's really important for both Caroline and I, as dancers and artists, to give back some of the joy that dance has given us throughout our life, and I really feel like we have succeeded in that goal over these past two weeks. 

Start of Second Week

As Caroline and I head into our second week at Boys and Girls Club, we're definitely feeling a little more confident about how we want to structure the class and what the kids tend to enjoy. There were a lot more kids joining the class today (probably around 20), which was a little overwhelming to begin with. The classes usually start with them wanting to run around the gym and climb on the stacks of mats, and it takes some time to gain their focus and actually begin warm ups. Caroline and I have definitely learned that quick warm ups are best (their attention spans are pretty short). They enjoy across-the-floors, all of them eagerly raising their hands wanting to be the line leader for the day and wanting to demonstrate the moves to the rest of the group.
Caroline and I have also learned that if one or two kids wander off and don't want to be in the class anymore, we should just let them do their thing instead of begging them to come back and rejoin the group. We try hard to focus on the ones who want to learn and want to be there. There have been a few meltdowns with some kids feeling excluded from their dance groups, or some cutting in line, but Caroline and I try to just pull them aside quickly and calm them down before they rejoin the class (which makes me super grateful that there are two of us to run the class).
Like last week, I think the kids' favorite part is coming up with their own dances. They love getting to choose their groups and pick the song they want to perform their number to. It's been really rewarding to watch the few who were here last week become more confident in their performing abilities, opening up to their peers and not caring if they mess up a step or can't remember what they choreographed. There are a few who always want Caroline and I to be in their groups and help them choreograph, but we coax them into trying to create a dance on their own, taking turns as individuals making up their choreography. Caroline and I are both looking forward to this week and to incorporate a few more fun games and activities into the class before our time at Boys and Girls Club is over.

First Day

Today was Caroline and my first day this summer working at the Boys and Girls Club. We started by introducing ourselves and having the kids go around in a circle saying their name, age, and showing their favorite dance move. There were eight kids: six girls and two boys ranging from ages six to ten. After introductions we spread out in the gym and began warm ups, going through a quick stretching routine similar to the one we use in Menlo dance classes that Caroline and I used last year. The kids didn't focus super well, but really liked stretching and showing us how they were able to touch their toes. After about ten minutes of warming up we directed them to go to one side of the gym to start "across the floors." Caroline and I took turns demonstrating basic moves to do across the gym such as pivots, leaps and chassés. The kids seemed more fired up about across the floors, especially when we gave them the chance to "freestyle" their way across. They kept wanting to show us their favorite moves (spinning, cartwheeling, "whipping"). For the last 25 minutes or so of our hour-long class we let the kids break up into groups and create their own little dances. This was a big hit last year so we wanted to give them a lot of time to pick a song and make up a small piece to show at the end of the hour. The girls wanted both Caroline and I to help them, which we thought was okay for the first day to help them start choreographing. We ended the class by showing our little dances and then coming into a circle and having them tell us one thing they want to learn in the next two weeks.

Just like last year, Caroline and I found that these kids' attention spans are pretty short; we have to move onto each activity relatively quickly to keep them focused. We definitely won't spend much time really delving deep into technique or difficult moves. I think the kids really enjoy having the ability to show their creativity and choreograph themselves, so moving forward we will designate a lot of the hour for the kids to create their own dances, an opportunity that they don't have elsewhere during this summer camp.