An alternative dance program and youth lead performance group for 9 – 12 year olds
Awesome Art in Motion is a year long program, running from September 10th – June 12th. The Dancing Potatoes class meets on Tuesdays from 3:45 – 6:00 in the fall, will additional rehearsal on Thursdays starting in January. See more details on schedule bellow.
Who is this program for?
This is a great program for 4th – 6th grade students (or equivalent) who love to dance and create in community and are looking for a creative home outside of the traditional studio dance context. No previous dance studio experience is required to participate in this program. What is required is a love of dance and a willingness to show up each week as you are and take it from there.
Class description
Awesome Art in Motion is a place for kids to come together to be themselves and to learn to love and care for themselves and each other; with dance and the body as central to what we do together. This year the program includes three different classes for students ages 6 – 12. In addition to meeting weekly in their individual classes, students in Awesome Art in Motion come together as a full group once a month, building a very sweet, mixed-age creative community.
The Awesome Art in Motion curriculum weaves together improvisational dance, concert dance techniques, social dance, somatic movement, mindfulness, and student-led art making.
The curriculum is divided into the following units:
- How do YOU dance? What is Dance and Where do we Locate Ourselves?
- Dancing from the Inside Out: Mindful Movement and Somatic Body Education
- Dancing in Community, Dancing Together: Social Dance Practices
- Concert Dance Techniques and Dance Making
Each unit includes a creative project (often student choreography), and an opportunity to share that project with the wider community. This fall students will have the choice to participate in an outdoor, site specific performance in November. In December, after the conclusion of our social dance unit, we will gather will family and friends for a family dance party, along with a chance for students to share what they have been working on. In the winter months we will focus on concert dance technique and dance making skills, and each student will have the opportunity to dream up and direct their own dance for the stage; designing everything from the movement to the costumes, lighting and music.
The Dancing Potatoes will also have the opportunity to study with a variety of guest teachers in dance and movement forms such as yoga, contact improvisation, hip hop, Latin dance and contemporary dance technique.
Finally, The Dancing Potatoes will be joined this year by a recent Awesome Art Alumni who will act as mentor and teachers assistant and will also choreograph a dance for the Dancing Potatoes class to be performed at our end-of-year-show.
Schedule Details
Fall schedule
Sept 10th – December 17th
Tuesdays, 3:45 – 6:00pm
3:45 – 4:00: opening circle and checkins
4:00 – 5:00: Dance class
5:00 – 5:15: snack break
5:15 – 6:00: Dance creation
Winter/Spring schedule
Jan 6th – June 12th
Tuesdays, 3:45 – 6:30
Thursdays, 5:00 – 6:30
Tuesdays
3:45 – 4:00: opening circle and checkins
4:00 – 5:00: Dance class
5:00 – 5:30: rehearsal block 1
5:30 – 6:00: rehearsal block 2
6:00 – 6:30: rehearsal block 3
Thursdays
5:00 – 5:45: rehearsal block 1
5:45 – 6:30: rehearsal block 2
(Students may choose how many rehearsal blocks they want to participate in depending on availability, capacity and interest!)
In addition to weekly dance class and rehearsal, students will participate in monthly gatherings on Saturday afternoons with all three of the classes that make up Awesome Art in Motion (AAIM) as well as optional seasonal field trips to local dance performances. The week of our spring performance, students should plan to participate in several extra afternoon rehearsals, along with a weekend performance.
(tentative) Monthly AAIM gatherings will take place on the following dates:
October 5th, 1 – 3pm, outdoors at The Discovery Center
November 9th, 1 – 3pm
(outdoor family gathering/performance at the Discovery Center)
December 7th, 1 – 3pm, Location TBD
January 11th, 1 – 3pm, Guiding Star Grange
Feb 1st, 1 – 3pm, Guiding Star Grange
March 1st, 1 – 3pm (Charlene Manor showing?)
April 5th, 1 – 3pm, Guiding Star Grange
May 3rd, 1 – 3pm, Guiding Star Grange
Tentative dates for Performance week at the Shea Theater!
Week of June 2nd, Performance on Sunday June 8th
There will be no classes on October 1st, December 24th, December 31st, February 18th/20th and April 22nd/24th.
Payment
The cost for the full year of this program is a sliding scale of $115/month – $390/month or $1150 – $3900/year). Payments may be made monthly, seasonally or in full.
1 full Scholarship spot is reserved for this class. If you are interested in a scholarship, please proceed with the registration process and indicate you would like a scholarship on the registration form. Barter options may also be available.
