Congrats! You are a Cultural Champion! You are the teacher who appreciates the history of dance and understands the importance of knowing what has come before us. You feel that dancers must understand the evolution of various dance styles and how those events have led us to the present moment. You take your responsibility as a dance educator seriously and ensure your classes reflect what's happening in the world. You also want your students to understand their place within dance issues and empower them to take a stand. Your students are well-rounded, complex thinkers who are firm in their values.
Your dance class might look a bit different as a Cultural Champion. You are probably the type of teacher who will bring in photos of famous dancers or share video clips of iconic choreography. You are committed to dancers learning styles authentically from artists immersed in that form's culture. You also encourage and celebrate your students' movement vocabularies and techniques, even if they differ from your own training. Letting the student be in charge and share their knowledge with the class doesn't scare you.
We love Cultural Champions at Dance Ed Tips and believe you are a vital part of a child's dance education. We have designed many resources to support your unique values. One of our favorites is the Under-Represented Black Dance Artists Bundle. Inside, we include posters, fact sheets, activity sheets, and cards about 6 influential Black dancers who are often overlooked in dance history. We saw a significant gap in our industry since most information about these artists is intended for university students. We decided to be the change we wanted to see in the world and created resources about these individuals that are appropriate for dancers ages 5-18. We believe that dancers of all ages can learn about dance history in a productive and meaningful way. The same goes true for our Latinx Dance Bundle (Elementary and Middle/High School), which covers the history and foundation of 5 dance styles of the African Diaspora. We've included posters, fact sheets, activity sheets, and cards to help make these dances more accessible to movers of all ages.
As you plan for the upcoming dance season, we charge you to continue being a Cultural Champion! We know the work can sometimes be hard and tedious, but the outcome is worth it! We at Dance Ed Tips are always ready to be part of your teaching journey and support you as you impact your dance community.
