Welcome!
Provocations
Professional Learning Circle
Thursday, Nov.14, 2024
Facilitators: Matthew Sheahan
and Christine Jackson
Photo: Nsay Benajah, unsplash
https://www.provocationsjournal.com/
Well-being and Joy through Drama and Dance�
How might drama and dance support/enhance personal well-being?
How can we foster a sense of joy and community through drama and dance?
How do we ensure a blend of playful creativity and critical thinking in our drama and dance teaching?
Let’s Warm-Up!
We need to give each other the space to grow, to be ourselves, to exercise our diversity. We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing, and inclusion.
- Max de Pree
Shining Spirit by Jane Ash Poitras
Dancing is the Best Medicine
Dance is an antidote to stress, a way to combat negative emotions, an elixir for the body, mind, and brain.
Christensen, J ; Dong-Seon C.( 2021) Dancing Is the Best Medicine: The Science of How Moving To a Beat Is Good for Body, Brain, and Soul
Short Article:
Four Ways Dancing Makes you Happier
Dancing For JOY!
Gurdeep Pandher Dancing for Joy in Yukon
The world faces challenging times, with polarization and fear prevalent in many societies. From social media hostility to global conflicts, from self-centric politics to religions being used to divide people, negativity seems to be taking up a lot of space and becoming louder than ever. Yet, it's vital to maintain faith in humanity. numerous examples of human kindness, cooperation, and resilience exist. Communities unite in crises, people show selfless generosity, and grassroots movements strive for positive change. These stories remind us of the goodness in people.
From my snow-covered environment in the Yukon, I'm sending joy.
Our mini dance series, Dancing for Joy, was born out of our commitment to bring the joy of this deeply moving art form to live audiences, while facilitating performance opportunities for local dance artists and their teams.Dancing for Joy was also our way to say thank you to the front-line workers who have given so much of themselves in very difficult conditions to keep us all safe.
Featuring:
Dorsale Danse, Moov’Ottawa, Propeller Dance, Rise & Sarah, Jose Bourgeois, /Chantal Corrillo and Shannon Slade
Joy, Healing, Strength, Resilience in Drama
“stories can be used to dispossess and change, they can also be used to humanize, empower, and heal”
Indigenous Counter Stories in Truth and Reconciliation Education
Dr. Brooke Madden
The article provides questions to guide teacher thinking and questions to help students consider the stories through the lenses of stories around refusal, resistance, resilience, restorying & resurgence.
Let’s Engage!�Yes, let’s!
Drama & Dance Games
I Find Joy… poem and tableau/movement
I Find Joy….
Feel free to allow your imagination to lead you to new places! Use adjectives, similes, repetition, pauses, etc. for dramatic effect. Add details to make the images vivid and clear.
Play with the order of your statements to find a rhythm and cadence that pleases you.
More ideas and practical strategies…
Visit https://www.provocationsjournal.com/,
Volume 4: Provocationations Learning Circles for additional resources and classroom activities to enhance joy and wellbeing in your drama and dance learning spaces.
Your ideas & experiences…
Do you have a favorite drama game, dance warm-up or learning activity that inspires joy and wellbeing in your students? Your Provocations community would love to learn about it! Please craft a brief description and send it to provocationjournal@gmail.com.
See you at our next circle….
Thursday, January 16: CRRP in Drama and Dance
�A Talk: What does CRRP look like in action in our drama and dance spaces?
�Small Group Discussion: How is our evolving understanding of issues related to voice, representation and cultural appropriation changing our practice? What CRRP-informed resources do you recommend?
Reflective Practice: What questions continue to emerge?