Here is where we share our thoughts about Dance.
Dance as a learning medium
‘The young child discovers the world and communicates its needs, emotions and thoughts through movement and gesture long before acquiring verbal language. In many societies, movements or dance remains the primary means of conveying cultural knowledge and affirming social structures, offering a deep learning experience to young people.
Unfortunately, in our society many people see dance only as an acquired technical skill, exclusively for those who are considered ‘talented’. This undermines the true nature of dance as a natural form of expression. Young people should be encouraged to use the enriching language of dance for their own purposes and to examine concepts within the curriculum.
Dance in the schools system should be created according to each child’s own criteria, so offering equal achievement opportunities as a complimentary symbol to students who are disadvantage physically or intellectually in other areas. It can also be used as a means of recognizing and affirming the different cultural groups within the classroom and outside.
It must be noted; however that our philosophy of dance is a creative experience that should be available to everyone and that the wonder if this art form can be used to access and inform a wide range of key learning areas.’
Ms Wong Wai Yee (Artistic Director); Mr. Ricky Sim (Co-Artistic Director)
‘Dance is Life’
Ms Gillian Tan, (Lecturer, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts)
‘Appreciating, understanding and recognizing that the human body can be an expressive tool… more than you expect!’
Ms Alice Lau, (Ballet teacher, Singapore Ballet Academy)
‘I was recently asked by a teacher from a local government school what awards I could promise the school if they could pay me a certain sum of money to teach their kids. I answered her that I could not promise her awards but I would do my best to ensure the children learn something about dance by the end of my contract. However she wasn’t too satisfied with my answer and asked again. And so I told her that it is not fair to dance teachers to be posed this question. Afterall, MOE does not ask how many straight As students a teacher can promise to produce before employing them… ’
Anonymous (A freelance dance educator and performer)