Roots, Rhythm Race & Dance: Better Education, Better World

Week 1 (week of July 27th)

Beliefs: The all-important "5-6-7-8" that leads into the dance. 

The count-in, or the "5-6-7-8" sets up the entire dance; it sets the tone. As educators, it's important that we understand this "pre-frame"  of BELIEFS if our efforts are going to have any impact at all. 

Without a closer look at beliefs, you may be prepared to "lecture" about concepts of race, history and dance, but you may be left TOTALLY UNPREPARED to answer challenging questions as they arise. 

Why? Because each one of us - and each one of our students and their families - has beliefs that impact that way we view EVERYTHING. And as you introduce new material, you will surely be met with challenging questions. 

The first week of the program will help set the framework, so we can start the dance on the "right foot." 

Week 1 Highlights:

Go beyond the content that you're going to teach, and be poised ready to encounter the belief systems of your students and their families.

• Understand how brain science relates to the development of belief systems, and the challenges that are presented with the notion of challenging or altering beliefs
• Create space for you to become more curious about your own beliefs around race, history and dance  
• Gain tools for how to effectively respond to challenging questions from your students and their families

Week 2 (Week of August 3rd)

The "ACCORDION" Approach for Offering more depth, complexity and nuance to your most mature dance students (adults, college & high school)

We all want to do our part to ensure that the dancers we train become informed, empowered, passionate artists with their own voice. After all, we've always known that dance educators teach way more than steps, right?! Right!

Because you are working in a unique & specific setting with its own dynamics (be it a studio, university, home, etc) , I'll give you the "accordion" view of this content...I'll show you how you can CONDENSE for shorter discussions without accidentally deleting the most important concepts, and how you can  EXPAND and deepen the discussion whenever possible, to empower your students with even greater insights, because they're ready for more...

Week 2 Highlights include:

We're starting in the "deep end", by first preparing to tackle the complex work first with our dance students who have the maturity to use these concepts as tools of empowerment as dancers and human beings.

• We'll look at strategies you can use to facilitate the thought and engagement of your students, so they're not just passively listening
• I'll give you additional materials that support the content from the first two seminars, for those students who want to reinforce their learning and explore deeper source materials 
• A bonus presentation that specifically focuses on cultural appropriation 

Week 3 (Week of August 10th)

Navigating the "Mystery Middle": Teaching Grades 6-8

This is a delicate age isn't it?  

Maturity levels are all-over-the-map at this time. It's easy to overwhelm kids at these ages, so it's important to communicate in ways that they can truly grasp, but also challenge them to deeper levels of understanding. 

This is an age where young people are truly developing their ability to express themselves...teaching them key concepts and then channeling their expression through dance can be a powerful combination...

...if we hit the right notes. 

In Week 3, we'll talk about how to do just that.

Week 3 Highlights:

In this week, we'll take a closer look at the developmental stages of these Grade 6-8 students, and discover potent communication methods to meet them where they are.

• I'll show you the presentation content that I've successfully used to address this specific age group
• I'll share my behind-the-scenes experiences of navigating the nuances of this age of students - where I learned not to "push too hard", and where I learned that I could challenge the students more 
• I'll also PREMIER some NEW IDEAS that I'm developing for this age group, based on my previous experience and the demands of these times. You can take these ideas and make them your own, "workshop" them, etc.

Week 4 (Week of August 17th)

Strong from the Start: Teaching Grades K-5

Is this content really appropriate for elementary school students?  

In a word: ABSOLUTELY. 

In the past 5 years, I've actually taught this content PRIMARILY to hundreds and hundreds of kids in this age group! 

If you teach dance to students at these ages, you know that you have to be creative, right? That's exactly what we'll do here.

In this week of the program, I'll show you how I take key concepts and adapt them into a language and communication style that is very well-suited for your youngest students. 

Week 4 Highlights:

Taking the essence of the concepts and distilling them for your youngest, sweetest students is what will happen here. Kids at these ages LOVE to learn and share, and we'll give them the tools to do that here.

• I'll show you the presentation content that I've successfully used to address this specific age group in schools for the past five years
• I'll share the ways that I've successfully handled "pushback" from those who were concerned that what I teach might not be age-appropriate 
• I'll show you the ways that I navigate both large and small audiences. So whether you teach in a large "convention" or assembly environment, or in a smaller class setting, I've got you covered.
• I have a couple of FUN, NEW IDEAS that I want to try out as well!! 

Week 5 (Week of August 24th)

Long-Lasting Changes for the Better: A closer look at Equity & Inclusivity in your entire dance environment 

Now that you know WHAT to teach, what's the state of the environment in which you're teaching?  

In this week, we'll take a deeper dive into your dance program's culture and the systems that produce that culture.

So whether you're in a program that lacks diversity, or you're in a program that has great diversity, we'll look at ways you can start from where you are, and make significant and consistent changes for the better.  

From representation, to leadership, to tights, we'll get into it...

Week 5 Highlights:

In this week, we'll look at broader issues of equity and inclusivity in your dance program.

• We'll look at some foundational principles that can and should be applied to the various aspects of your program's culture
• We'll dig into some "nitty gritty" issues and practice applying principles and historical context to those issues, in order to discover ways to move forward with greater wisdom and insight 
• Help you to create solid plans and strategies to make any improvements you feel are necessary and beneficial

Week 6 (Week of August 31st)

End, Begin & JAM: Wrap Up, Get to Work, and Dance!

In this week, we'll bring this part of the journey to a close, so that the next phase of REAL WORK can begin. 

And it would be just WRONG if we didn't dance, so...we're gonna DANCE!

Week 6 Highlights:

In this week, we'll wrap up the program material, and end with on the HIGHEST NOTE POSSIBLE!!!

• We'll reflect on the content that we've covered, and do our best to address outstanding issues
• Get connected to the deep inspiration we need to carry this precious work forward to our students
• You'll be introduced to my "partner-in-crime" for some AMAZING BONUS master classes! More about this below...

BONUS #1: West African Dance Master Classes! 

To REALLY connect us with the ROOTS of several dance styles, you'll receive FOUR (4) 40-minute West African Dance master classes from my partner-in-crime (my husband), Derrell Sekou Soumah Walker! These are classes that you can use yourself, and/or take along WITH your students! Sekou has taught ages Pre-K to Adult for nearly 20 years, so we'll be sure to give a few "level" options that your students can access and enjoy. Beyond the dancing, he'll also teach cultural context, which is critical.

BONUS #2: Live Q&A Sessions and confidence-boosting "HOT-SEAT REHEARSALS"!  

Unlike the seminars that I've given, I want to open things up for more dialogue. We'll have Zoom sessions each week to answer your questions AND have more conversations. 

We'll also give some time for YOU to practice how YOU will do a short presentation for YOUR students! 

Nothing like a little rehearsal to get the nerves out and build your confidence right? We all know that practice is POWERFUL, so I want to be sure we get that chance here.

BONUS #3: A Time Management Strategy & Planning Guide! 

I know no one wants to make the mistake of having just ONE conversation with our students that they will soon forget. What's the point of that?

You want to do more, but how do you find the time?

I'll give you some ideas on how you can creatively manage your time, so that you can successfully integrate these lessons into your dance programming, for stronger retention and deeper impact.

BONUS #4: The IMANI Sessions: Exclusive discussions for Black dance teachers and parents

In this program, I'm making every effort to meet people where they are and support them for moving forward in their unique way. When it comes to matters of race, Black people are coming to this program from a VERY different experience, and I need to address that.

My personal experience and my intuition says that there needs to be an independent space for discussions that uniquely relate to being a Black teacher or parent.

Some may not understand this, but I need to honor my inner voice and provide this space.