Gotta Dance

By: Chloe Wellens and Abby Huber

The moment we stepped in the room, we were brought to our feet and started dancing the hula. It was entertaining, and we stayed involved most of the session, “Gotta Dance: Experiencing Various Cultures Through Movement and Music,” presented by Amanda Kline. We believe if our peers learned through dance, we would all learn in a more enjoyable, interactive way. This would improve grades and bring smiles to every kid's face.

Connect. Inspire. Achieve: Connecting cultural dance to modern dance, inspiring children to apply their dance activity to their knowledge, and achieving the object of learning (the students receiving good grades). These are three ways that adding dance as part of the curriculum enables students to learn more efficiently. Dancing can help learners find out more about other cultures. It also increases balance, communication, and understanding. It is beneficial for kids who are bodily kinesthetic learners, who enjoy being up and interactive. This keeps kids engaged. On International World Dance Day, students all perform the dances they have learned throughout the units.

This is a great way to learn new cultures, improve grades, keep students interactive, involved, and on their feet! We had an enjoyable time and discovered a fresh way of learning.