Day 5: "This is like a dream!"

Here are some buckets I've found since I got to New York ^

After another productive rehearsal where I learned the “church” dance (which I need to work on memorizing still), we went to Our Children in Harlem. I’m so impressed with this organization- the children learn a variety of skills, not just explicitly through the activities they do, but through the values that are built into the program. What we did with them in just an hour of dance also had a lot of value to it.

By having the kids work together across all age groups to strategize and build pyramids of buckets, we give them opportunities for healthy competition and emphasize teamwork. I saw them negotiating social relationships, demonstrating leadership and consideration to each other, thinking strategically and creatively to solve a problem, and generally being very active! Our improvisational games with the buckets, like traveling with the bucket in different ways through the space and creating their own “sculpture garden” dance also really give them a chance to be themselves! As the Gators demonstrated, anything you can come up with is fair game! Each child had a unique way of interacting with the bucket, and I loved seeing their confidence in showing us their phrases! This is something that is worth teaching children to help them really learn the value of their input and their unique perspective- it’s something I’ve learned best through dance, myself.

Bringing the arts to children is so important, most significantly (I feel) because it clearly teaches flexible thinking and encourages confidence in their own value; this is important whether the child goes into the arts or any other life path. One girl I met said she wants to be a professional dancer, and when I talked about how we’ll be performing together onstage in a couple weeks, she said “This is like a dream- it’s like I’m dreaming!” It really is a special opportunity to experience the whole value of dance for these kids- today I really saw what Neta means when she says how important it is to her to be part of the community. The kids responded incredibly to our activities, each one appreciating the whole experience. I was also glad to have Matt and Colette’s examples of activities that really enrich what dance offers to kids, as I enjoy leading workshops for children when I can- I can include more improvisation having seen the absolute ability and eagerness with which these kids responded to today’s choreographic games. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s visit to Our Children!