DANCE AT PC
PROGRAM LEADER:
MS. ESSMAN
Ms. Essman serves as Pomona Catholic's Dance Teacher and Vice Principal. She has been a Los Angeles Archdiocese Catholic School teacher for 20 years. During those years she has taught math, English, dance, served as a resource teacher, Director of Admissions, Curriculum Director, and Principal. She earned her Bachelor's degree from LMU in English with minors in Business Administration and Dance. She then went on to complete two Master's programs and two credentialing programs in LMU's School of Education. Ms. Essman often took after school dance classes as a child and danced for every school talent show! But it was all for fun - the thought of a future in dance never crossed her mind - until her freshman year at LMU when her fall semester aerobics instructor was scheduled to teach a modern dance class in the spring and encouraged Ms. Essman to enroll in her class. She did, and modern dance is still her favorite style of dance! Ms. Essman enjoys yoga and meditative mindfulness practices, dance fitness, and dancing just for fun!
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The California Arts Standards are rooted in a creative approach to teaching and learning. The dance standards describe expectations for learning in dance regardless of style, genre, or culture. The dance standards require both the teacher and student to focus on big ideas and key concepts inherent to all dance forms. The primary focus of this course is the study of movement in historical, cultural, and personal contexts.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The dance standards are designed to enable students to achieve dance literacy. To be literate in the artistic discipline of dance, students need to develop specific knowledge, skills, and values that allow for fluency and deep understanding. This means discovering the expressive elements of dance; knowing the dance-based theory, terminology, and symbolic language that is used to comprehend dance; having a clear sense of embodying dance; and being able to reflect, critique, and connect personal experience to dance and the dance community.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS THAT WILL BE EXPLORED THROUGHOUT THE COURSE
Where do choreographers get ideas for dances?
What influences choice-making in creating choreography?
How do choreographers use self-reflection, feedback from others, and documentation to improve the quality of their work?
How do dancers work with space, time and energy to communicate artistic expression?
What must a dancer do to prepare the mind and body for artistic expression?
How does a dancer heighten artistry in a public performance?
How is a dance understood?
How is dance interpreted?
What criteria are used to evaluate dance?
How does dance deepen our understanding of ourselves, other knowledge, and events around us?
How does knowing about societal, cultural, historical, and community experiences expand dance literacy?