Juilliard Creative Classroom - Dance

Last week, BIS Abu Dhabi welcomed Salla Saarikangas, our Dance Specialist from Juilliard, to the school.

Salla arrived with a full programme of Dance. Lessons were held with students in Year 1 understanding the difference between high movements and low movements. In Year 2 students were exploring movement ideas that related to their recent theme ‘Safari’. In Year 6 students were working on a Juilliard Creative Classroom lesson based on ‘Connected Duets’ which supports the ‘Contact Choreography’ scheme of learning and in Year 8 students were working on ‘Organised Chaos’ to enhance their choreography for the ‘Captive’ scheme of learning.

The main focus for the visit from Juilliard was to observe the delivery of the Juilliard Creative Classroom and to discuss the development of this new and exciting resource that we have as a Nord Anglia Education school.

Salla delivered a professional development session to all PE staff in preparation for the Foundation Stage year groups to experience Dance at BIS Abu Dhabi next term. Year 9 girls participated in a Bharatanatyam workshop, a classical Indian dance.

It was an engaging two days during which both parties reaped the benefit of the visit. Our next Juilliard visit will be in February 2018, where Salla will continue to observe the delivery of the Juilliard Creative Classroom, offer training for the PE staff and conduct a Community Dance workshop for parents.