By Alan Foster
Dance Teacher
Dance, an activity common to all cultures and as old as old can be, allows children at Northbridge International School Cambodia to simultaneously connect to a sense of unison and self-expression.
By Alan Foster
Dance Teacher
Dance, an activity common to all cultures and as old as old can be, allows children at Northbridge International School Cambodia to simultaneously connect to a sense of unison and self-expression.
The benefits of Dance training are well documented, multiple and significant: corporal-awareness, coordination and creativity are all developed, as are balance, strength, stamina, flexibility, rhythm, resilience and musicality.
Social skills also come into play, for example, Grade 5 students are currently collaborating in groups to create and perform their own pieces of choreography. This creative process of sharing ideas, taking creative decisions and performing in front of their peers is a real boon for building confidence and communication skills, and on top of all that, Dance is a lot of fun!
As Ms Hilary Easton, our Juilliard specialist is fond of saying:
This semester the Grade 5s are also working with Juilliard Creative Classroom lessons specially selected by Ms Hilary. These lessons explore different dance genres and are designed to promote enquiry, collaboration and creativity.
In a recent lesson called 'Impatient Feet', class 5G absolutely amazed me with their focus, self-management and collaboration skills. They have begun recording their progress in digital Process Journals, which will soon be bursting at the seams with videos of improvisations, performances of their own creations and written reflections on the experience of working toward an artistic goal.
Additionally, all of our Grade 1 students recently came to the Dance studio for a workshop on creativity. They did so much dancing, which is where the unison and self-expression I earlier mentioned really come to the fore. "We learned about creativity and ballet," says Grade 1 student Maha.
The whole of Grade 1 dancing together, on beat, in time and clearly enjoying the experience was quite a sight to behold, and solid confirmation that Dance is a powerful educational tool, able to empower students to gain an array of skills and attributes that will be of tremendous benefit in all areas of their learning.
Ultimately though, the benefits of Dance are nothing without it being enjoyable, which is why I was so glad afterwards to hear Ruby reflect: "Dancing with Mr Alan was so much fun."
Look forward to seeing you all out on the dance floor again soon Grade 1.
World Children's Day, celebrated on November 20th, is a global occasion dedicated to promoting the rights and well-being of children everywhere.
Metacognition is the process of thinking about one’s own thinking. It involves reflecting on how you come to conclusions, understanding why you think the way you do, and recognizing patterns in your thought processes. By developing an awareness of your thinking, you can learn to reduce cognitive biases or identify and reuse effective thought processes in different situations. Essentially, metacognition helps people become more intentional and effective in their actions and decision-making.
Playing a musical instrument offers a wide array of benefits that extend far beyond the joy of making music. Whether you're learning to play the piano, trumpet, guitar, violin, or any other instrument, the advantages are profound and diverse, touching on cognitive, emotional, and social aspects of life.
At Northbridge International School Early Learning, we believe that children's curiosity is a powerful tool for learning, sparking discoveries that help them develop important skills for life. Through loose parts play, we create an environment where children’s natural inquisitiveness shines.
