
Photo: Tony Nguyen
Crafting and Choreographing the Online/Distance Learning Experience for Undergraduate and Graduate Dance Courses
Dear dance professors near and far,
I am thinking of you this week and thank you for the huge hurdles you have tackled to take your dance courses online very quickly this spring. Thank you for your time and care supporting your students and their learning experiences. I imagine that this was a lot of re-prioritizing, editing, and creating alternate plans. I know that many of you are now preparing for summer courses, and maybe even the fall. So much new territory and new strategies for teaching, learning, dancemaking, and teacher/student relationships.
I have been writing and editing content for college students for nearly 8 years now; I actually began this site Life as a Modern Dancer in August 2012 specifically to be a free, “living textbook” for dance majors. In many ways this is the ideal time to access the site and the 1200+ posts about careers in dance, teaching, improvisational practices, starting a dance company, and becoming an arts administrator. (Since Shelter in Place, I have been writing a Movement Poem a day to use for improvising and mini compositions, each paired with a music selection available online from Michael Wall.)
This week I have been thinking a lot about the field, higher ed, and multimodal learning. I love considering content and format. I hope that some of these ideas and musings might be of interest to you too. Bottom line, I want to support the field in the coming months ahead. Each year I connect with professors around the country to help with reading lists, reviewing syllabi, suggesting guest artists, and more. I wanted to extend this invitation right now as you head into summer and fall to take courses online. If I can be a resource or a sounding board in any way, please reach out. This is one small service and gesture I am happy to offer free of charge, as a way to support our dance community.
Reading Lists and Book Recommendations
I have been doing this for several years already, but just a reminder. I have 6 kinds of reading lists on the site with material from the blog over the past 8 years for a variety of courses ranging from graduate level Choreography to Teaching Dance to Children to Senior Seminar. Free and accessible content. I also curate new lists upon request for your specific courses and needs.
There are two Technique Journals on the website to print at home. I am seriously considering making a third version for students taking technique courses online this summer and fall. Feedback welcome!
Each year I also highlight new books on dance, whether the author shares a short essay about the book or I write a review.
I am a reference librarian at heart!
Technology
I used to run another blog called Dancers Using Technology, so for years I have avidly sought out apps, platforms, and resources to use with dancers and in courses.
Today I wanted to highlight a few on my mind right now: Google Slides, Pinterest, Soundcloud, Spotify, Dance Maker, Voxer, and Voice Memo. I am thinking about the growing library of dance-specific podcasts. I am thinking about the hundreds of music options on soundformovement.com. Let’s connect and talk further about various uses for the platforms mentioned here.
I am thinking about Ted Talks, Jacob’s Pillow Interactive, the ballet dictionary from ABT, and America's Irreplaceable Dance Treasures through the Dance Heritage Coalition. I am recalling the documentaries you can now stream online (Pina, Cunningham, Upaj: Improvise, and Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, to name a few). There is SO MUCH content at our fingertips to read, listen to, and watch.
In addition, let’s use what is already out there and created in terms of courses. The National Dance Education Organization has been offering online courses for quite a few years now. The Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) now even offers online courses through NDEO’s program.
I want to mention choreographer Alexandra Beller and her awesome site Praxispace.
Additionally, Bay Area choreographer Kristin Damrow is creating, editing, and posting technique videos for beginners and int/adv contemporary dancers right now during Shelter in Place. This is a great resource to access in the months to come.
Multimodal Learning
As I was discussing with a colleague this week, how can we build online programs that are not just about watching a video of some sort and writing online? How can we craft dynamic offerings that “mix it up” in terms of types of technology used, direct instruction and group discussion, reading online and reading from books, sitting and movement activities, and much more.
Can each week involve viewing, writing, listening, talking, and of course moving? How can all theory courses involve movement each day?
How can we engage and reach all kinds of learners? Let’s brainstorm together!
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I am thinking deeply about the challenges ahead for dance education over the coming year. I am musing on the big ideas of engagement, dimension, variety, choice, and agency for undergraduate and graduate dance students.
College professors, I am sending you strength and good wishes. Please do stay in touch, and please reach out if I can help review course syllabi and activities planned, or answer questions about resources you are still seeking (reading material, books, guest speakers, apps, and more).
Sincerely,
Jill Randall
Blog Director, Life as a Modern Dancer
randalldanceprojects@gmail.com