Topic > The Importance of Ballroom Dancing in the Classroom

In 2005, I began teaching ballroom dancing at various primary schools in New York City. My freshman year I had a student in a wheelchair who wore a brace to support his torso. I was immediately faced with the challenge that ballroom dancing is a specific style with specific steps, and my organization required me to ensure that each student had an enjoyable and meaningful ten weeks of dancing. With the help of the young man and his classmates I was able to make modifications to the dances that suited his needs and reflected the style and spirit of the dance. This experience proved enriching for everyone and fortunate for me because it taught me very early in my teaching career that differences in skill, experience, and even motivation can produce great dancing and great learning. It solidified for me the importance and joy of inclusion. Today, when I plan and deliver my lessons, I keep in mind the importance of accessibility and differentiation, respect and sensitivity, as fundamental principles for creating an environment that embodies equal opportunities. Accessibility and differentiation are the foundation for inclusive practice. My planning begins by evaluating whether my lessons are accessible. When researching spaces, I often consider whether wheelchair users and people with limited mobility can enter and use the space safely. I also use differentiation as a tool to keep my teaching accessible. When I plan lessons, I keep in mind that my students may excel in some areas and struggle in others, and I need to make room in my lessons and expectations to accommodate this. I often wonder if the movement challenges I present can be modified for dancers… middle of the paper… approached and conducted with respect. The respect I have for my students and the respect I expect students in my class to have for each other help create an atmosphere where everyone feels welcomed. As a teacher and authority figure in my dance classes, it is my responsibility to establish a standard of behavior based on respect, sensitivity, accessibility and differentiation. My job is to create an atmosphere where my students feel comfortable enough to tell me if something makes them feel uncomfortable. It is my duty to find solutions to problems that allow my students to excel and make everyone feel valued. My teaching practice is based on the balance between viewing dance as a discipline that requires structure and an art that requires expression. Within this balance lives the idea that “dance is for everyone and everyone can dance”.