Dance to Health is devoted to dance in general and especially Dance and Movement Therapy for Children with Learning and/or Physical Problems.The emphasis is on the health, creative and spiritual aspects of dance as a therapy.
May and June are wonderful months to visit Andalusia if you want to see dancing. This is the period when "Feria" (the Spring Fairs) are held. It is a time of eating, drinking, riding in carriages and dancing.
The vast majority of women and children wear the traditional flounced Flamenco dresses and decorate their hair with combs and flowers.They look stunning. Everyone dances with totally unselfconscious enjoyment. It is beautiful to watch parents and grandparents enthusiastically encouraging children as young as two years old to dance. Older women often stand by approvingly as their husbands dance with a young woman to help her improve her technique.
"Feria" is a time when it is obvious to all what a deep and ever evolving hold dance has in this part of the world.
In our increasingly complex and disturbed world it is clear that new methods are called for if we are to produce educated, well balanced young people who can take their rightful place as adults in society.
Dance and education is a partnership which is finding a growing number of advocates. An understanding and appreciation of the possibilities of this combination is now necessary for teachers who are not in the dance and physical education fields. All teachers need to be aware of the possibilities of this approach.
Dr Judith Lynne Hanna of the University of Maryland is both a dancer and an anthropologist whose research has taken her around the world. In her acknowledgments she wrote "To my friends in Africa, especially Nigeria and Uganda, thank you for opening my eyes to the potential of dance as a medium of education for young and old alike. It was here that I first witnessed dance education, dance in education, and the relationship of dance to other aspects of life."
Her book "Partnering Dance and Education (Human Kinetics 1999) lays out her far-reaching ideas and convictions on the subject of dance and its importance in the future of education. The book is clearly written with educators and dancers in mind and the examples are mainly of the system in the United States. But this is a book that anyone who has an interest in the subject will find illuminating.
She writes "Our approach is to integrate dance into other academic classes, another approach is to offer problem-centered curricula using dance as one way of knowing, teaching, and learning." "In dance education as is the case with most educational practices, rigorous empirical research has not been undertaken on cause-and-effect relationship between certain dance education practices and student outcomes. Few resources have been available for research in dance education and even fewer for systematic assessment."
Here in point form are Dr Lynne Hanna's main points with regard to Dance Education:-
1. Dance education aids the development of kinesthetic intelligence. 2. Dance education creates opportunities for self-expression and communication within the constraints of the medium of the body. 3. Dance, whether representational, thematic or abstract, is a repository of civilization that changes through time. 4. Dance education teaches the values and skills of creativity, problem solving, risk taking, making judgements in the absence of rules, and higher-order thinking skills. 5. Dance provides an opportunity for students to recognize that there are multiple solutions to problems. 6. The study of dance fosters an individuals ability to better interpret interpersonal nonverbal communication. 7. Dance education provides a strong base from which to analyze and make informed judgements about corporeal images. 8. Learning the dances of other cultures helps students to develop an understanding and respect for them. 9. Through stimulating all the senses, dance goes beyond verbal language in engaging dancers and promoting the development of multi sensory beings. 10. Dance provides options to destructive alternatives in a world that is unpredictable and unsafe for children. It can empower the disempowered and disenfranchised. 11. Dance education prepares people for careers in dance and other fields, such as clinical psychology, chiropractor, anthropologist. 12.Dance enhances an individuals lifelong quality of life. 13. Participation in dance benefits our communities economically. 14. Dance education helps students develop physical fitness, appreciation of the body, concern for sound health practices and effective stress management approaches. Dance shares many of the health benefits of other athletics.
Is this really ballet? I asked myself after watching video clips of the Cuban dance company Danza Voluminosa (Voluminous Dance) most of whose dancers range in age from 23 to 41 and all of them weigh more than 200 pounds. This group was formed in 1996 by Juan Miguel Mas, now its' director and choreographer. He says he is redefining the aesthetics of beauty and raising the awareness of heavy set people. "Although we are obese and dance, we are against obesity. We are always trying to lose weight" said Mr Ma who himself weighs 300 pounds. This statement has caused outrage in certain obese quarters who claim that the statement is self deprecating. To me that is not the case. Surely it's possible to be self-confident and enjoy the beauty of ones very large body while still realizing that health wise it might be better to lose weight.
What I am about to write is not a criticism of Danza Voluminose or any other company with greatly overweight dancers.The number of such groups is growing.
Another dance troupe Big Dance was founded in 1993 in Victoria, BC, Canada with 10 large dancers and the choreographer Lynda Raino.They were well received by audiences but now the number of dancers is declining. Raino has spotted many large women in her area but few in their 20's and 30's who are willing to dance. She says "That's a shame because young women will have decades to enjoy the art form. By about age 50 women are more comfortable in their bodies, and would more readily come out to a class, but they are starting to stiffen up. Knees start to go, as do backs and hips. People should start young, especially if they want to perform."
Helen Rezanowich is program assistant in women's studies at the University of Victoria. "I tried going to a big dance class but it was all too much in my face. I was not ready to look at it, at that point. Even watching teeny tiny women leaving the class before mine was hard. And the dance room is lined with mirrors. I didn't want to admit I was that big. Now I'm 51 and much more comfortable with my body size."
The Big Ballet was founded in 1994 by the choreographer Evgeny Panfilov. The company's aim is to change the conception of large dancers grace and agility. He also wanted to prove that untrained beginners could reach professional standards.
The lower weight threshold has been raised to over 238 pounds. Any dancer falling below this weight is offered the opportunity to regain the extra pounds with the advice of a nutritionist. If they do not want to do this they must give up their place to another larger dancer."They must be eating and eating and eating " said Natalia Liensky the companies director.The troupe consists of sixteen large women aged between 19 and 28 who have not undergone professional dance training and six regular-sized male dancers. They all have day jobs and include doctors, nurses and engineers.The dancers perform in tutus and on point and do pirouttes and plies. The dancers can even manage to do the splits. In some performances female dancers are lifted by male dancers - although it takes four men to get one woman into the air.
In an unusual move the Russian government of Vladamir Putin demanded that the Bolshoi Ballet re-instate a dancer dismissed for allegedly being too heavy and hard for a partner to lift
Marina Wolf Ahmad is the director and founder of Big Moves one of the few organisations in the world dedicated to getting all body types into dance classes and onto the stage. Marina states "There's a need to offer healing, supportive space for these women to get back into dance, and there's a need to start working toward supportive youth programs that train the dance teachers to be accepting of all sizes that come through their classes - right now, dance is not psychologically accessible to most people. Big Moves will take all shapes, all sizes as long as you come to rehearsals, get better and are really dedicated to dancing. Not just fat people - all sizes". Big Move companies have been set up in many parts of the US.
China now has a professional dance troupe called "The Overweight Troupe". The company consists of ten women and four men. They weight from 16stone to 35 stone. The entry requirement is that the dancers weight more than 100 kilos (220lbs or 15.7 stone). The groups founder weighed 11 stone (154 lbs or 70kilos) at the age of eleven.
I truly believe that everyone should dance but I do have a problem with obese dancers performing classical ballet. This is a form of dance where it is well near impossible for a woman who takes up this dance form in adulthood to excel. They are unlikely to be able to manage the challenges of technique. While both dancers and audience may enjoy humorous interpretations of classical ballets this is not enough. They need to have the same level of technique as any other performer. In addition ballet as a style is about defying gravity with lightness and ease.
All dance looks best when the choreography, music, the costuming and most importantly the dancers physique complement each other. Obese women look especially beautiful when performing dances such as those from the Middle East and some forms of African dance for example. In these styles extra large hips and breasts emphasize the earth connection of the dance and its feel for fertility and life as a whole. A skinny woman doing "belly dancing" does not show the dance off to its' best advantage. I well remember a Middle Eastern dance workshop attended by one obese young woman. She moved with a grace and expressiveness which was accentuated by her ample curves. She outshone us all.
An ever larger proportion of the population is aware of the health hazards of obesity which is rapidly increasing in many parts of the world. Obesity is defined as being 20% or more of your ideal weight.Childhood obesity is a major cause of abnormal growth acceleration. Girls who are obese often start menstruating early and go through the menopause early. This problem in boys can lead to both early and delayed puberty. Gynecomastia (excessive development of the male breasts) is another common problem.
In adulthood obesity is a root cause of a number of forms of ill health such as heart disease, stoke, diabetes mellitus, gallbladder disease, high blood pressure and cancer. Gout and in women reproductive abnormalities are common, as is osteoarthritis of the knees and spine in both sexes. Every extra pound which a person gains puts four times the stress on their knees.
What is quite clear is that most of these groups of extremely overweight dancers practise discrimination. A dancer looses weight and he or she is out of the troupe in the same way as in some companies a dancer who is putting on weight is asked to leave - both represent extreme views.
It clearly is not helping dancers health wise to encourage them to put on weight again after they have lost weight through experiencing the health giving effects of dance.The human body clearly was not designed to carry large amounts of excess weight for a lifetime and remain healthy.
Both the anorexic and size zero body and that of massively overweight dancers are not sending out a picture of a long term healthy body. There needs to be a happy medium. I am utterly delighted that overweight dancers are proving that they can be agile, graceful, sensitive and aesthetically pleasing performers who give their audiences great pleasure.In many cases dance has brought feelings of self-worth and confidence to those who formerly lacked these qualities.
I am in total agreement with Marina Wolf Ahmad whose aim is to make dance all inclusive and everyone dances together.I have not had the pleasure of seeing any of the aforementioned groups perform live. For this reason it would be wrong for me to make any comments regarding the repertoire or technique of any of the companies. All my remarks have been of a general nature and not specifically aimed at any company in particular. Let us always allow dance to help us to transform peoples' attitudes and beliefs!
I implore obese dancers who are losing weight to fore go dancing with the company, but to continue dancing classes and losing weight. This is the path to long term health and fitness. Does anyone know of obese people who have reached a Ripe Old Age?
This book is about "How to..." but it's not about making money, the number one theme of most e-books. It 's about improving the Health and Wellbeing of your special needs child through Dance.
This manual is absolutely unique. It really is the only one of its kind! It is written to encourage and to help the parents and carers of children with special needs to set up their own Dance Movement therapy groups. No other professional Dance Movement therapist has suggested that this is possible.
Yes, I know - there are books on Dance Movement for the use of teachers in schools. But this is often using dance only to reinforce lesson work. This is a good thing but I offer MUCH more. It is also true that increasing numbers of dance schools welcome the child with special needs. Again this is a good thing but what is practiced is not necessarily Dance Movement Therapy. The dancing is usually geared towards the able-bodied ;majority with little or no adaptations for the child with special needs. The special needs children strive to reach often unobtainable standards. THIS DOES NOT ENCOURAGE THE CHILDREN TO ENJOY DANCE. My method is fun and totally in involves everyone in a relaxed atmosphere. This increases the children's feelings of self-worth and confidence to try new things. It is also good exercise which increases lung capacity, flexibility and improves posture.
Following my suggestions you can unlock the fountain of natural, joyous, spontaneous dance within your child. Movement which comes from deep within a person is a true expression of themselves. These movements truly express the person who is dancing and are never, ever ugly. Such dance strengthens the Mind,Body,Spirit connection. You will get to learn new things about your child and to deepen the bonds between you. You will be helping your child to realize his or her full potential. This manual has been written because I believe from the bottom of my heart that the parents of children with special needs can be taught to help their child through Dance Movement therapy.
Dance Movement therapy is gaining acceptance in general, but in many parts of the world is unobtainable, and in others expensive and hard to find. My suggestions can be made relevant to any culture in the world.
I hope that this manual will give you the confidence and know-how to start your own Dance Movement Therapy group.
STEP 1
HOW PARENTS CAN HELP THEIR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD USING DANCE MOVEMENT THERAPY
Now that I've told you something about myself I want to get right back to the purpose of this manual. I've already stated with total conviction that I think parents can become Dance Movement teachers to their children with special needs.
Why do I believe this?
Let me ask you some questions first:-
Do you desperately want to help your child who has special needs?
Are you looking for a method to calm/stimulate him or her?
Are you looking for a method to have a very deep level of communication with him or her?
Are you looking for ways to have fun and explore the potential of your child?
Are you looking for ways to help your child to integrate socially?
Are you looking for a way to improve your child's posture and co-ordination?
Are you looking for ways to give your child confidence and a feeling of self-worth?
If your answer to these questions is "Yes" then this manual is most definitely for you!
I really want to reassure you that you do NOT need to be a professionally trained dancer to be a successful Dance Movement Therapist. It is important though that you find enjoyment in dance. What is essential is to be able to recognize and understand the power of dance movement. To go from movement to dance is a smaller step than you might imagine. AND I intend to give you lots of tips as to how to do this.
Nearly all of us, even the most profoundly disabled, are often capable of a level of dance. You can dance using only your fingers and/or toes. All of us have an inbuilt ability to dance though clearly some people have greater talent than others.
ONE WORD OF WARNING! DO NOT EVER MANIPULATE A CHILD INTO A POSITION. These are not physiotherapy sessions, nor gymnastic sessions, nor formal dance lessons. These sessions are about self-expression through Dance Movement.
Also please be clear that Dance Movement Therapy is not necessarily going to be a cure in the medical sense but it can bring bout both physical and psychological improvement.
I implore you not to be frightened and put off by the idea of dance. You can move! I'll show you how to turn simple everyday movement into dance. Dance Movement Therapy is a wide ranging term and it can even lead into very physical games. Great emphasis is being laid on the fact that parents are capable of conducting Dance Movement sessions with their children who have special needs. This really is true in the main.
You will take to Dance Movement therapy like a duck to water if:-
You are open to new ideas
You have confidence in yourself
You are sociable and outgoing
You are intuitive
You enjoy music
You enjoy physical activity
You do not expect results overnight
IF
You are very introverted
Other peoples opinions are paramount in your life
You are unable to be yourself
You have difficulty communicating your thoughts and feelings
You are uncomfortable with physical contact
You are very conservative in your outlook
You have difficulty being spontaneous
then you may find things a little more difficult at the beginning. Just because someone is not immediately brilliant at something does not mean that the person is not deriving benefit from what they are doing. -You will receive great personal benefit from the sessions.
Teach yourself Three Ghanaian Dances in this fun introduction to African Dance
African Dance is the perfect antidote to stress and that down-in-the-dumps feeling. Give yourself a tonic which leaves your Mind, Body and Spirit feeling refreshed and invigorated. Dance to the exhilirating rhythms of Africa. Nuna and Charlie are both beginners. If they can get the hang of it so can you. Have fun!
The instructors in the video teach at the Centre for National Culture, Tamale Ghana where the video was filmed.
Invite your friends round and learn the dances together! In a relaxed party-moood it's much easier to overcome any feelings of shyness or inhibitions about dance.Poor co-ordination can be overcome and so can two left feet. You don't need any dancing experience to successfullly "Dance in Our Footsteps". Nor do you have to be any particular shape, size or age. Let the music take over and you will have an enjoyable, relaxing time which will leave you feeling refreshed, de-stressed and uplifted. Your cares and worries will have been forgotten.
Dance is now recognized as an effective form of excercise. It can be a really excellent Mind-Body-and-Spirit workout. Dance is the key to keeping ones body and brain healthy as we age. Bones and muscles are strengthened without stressing the joints. Cardio-vascular efficiency is improved. Dance tones the whole body and improves posture and balance. It also greatly assists people both in losing and maintaining their weight which in turn helps in preventing diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, osteoporosis, gallbladder disease, depression and some forms of cancer.
A person weighing 147 lbs loses 3.5 calories per minute. Therefore 45 minutes dancing would burn up 157 calories which is equivalent to about half a chocolate bar.
However, a word of caution. If you answer "yes" to any of the following questions please seek medical advice before using this video:-
Do you have a heart condition and your doctor recommended that you consult before undertaking an exercise program?
Do you have chest pains when you do physical activity?
In the past month have you suffered chest pains while not doing physical activity?
Do you suffer from dizziness and balance problems?
Do you have bone or joint problems made worse by changes of physical activity levels?
Are you taking prescription drugs for blood pressure or a heart condition?
Any other reasons (such as pregnancy) which make you wonder if this physical activity might not be good for you?
I am a Dance and Movement Therapist and Cultural Anthropologist who has lived and worked in England, Ghana and Nigeria.
I really hope you enjoy "Dance in Our Footsteps".
P.S To help the party along you can download some ghanaian receipes for free.
Maypole dances occur as part of May Day celebrations in many parts of the world. Traditions associated with this day include young people spending the last night of April out in the open and away from the town. They returned before sunrise bringing flowering branches to decorate the village buildings.
May Day was known as Beltane in Celtic times. It is a pagan rite celebrating the arrival of spring. In Medieval and Tudor times May Day was a holiday with great merry-making. A young girl was chosen as May Queen often with a May King. They represented fertility. They were crowned with hawthorn and may blossoms and they both presided over the festivities which included eating, drinking, games, "mummers" (plays) and of course dancing.
The celebration of May Day was banned by the English parliament in 1644 as immoral but was re-instated after the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660.
The maypole tradition appears in most Germanic countries, and in areas bordering them, as well as in countries invaded by Germanic tribes after the fall of the Roman Empire (such as Spain, France and Italy). However the tradition enjoys the greatest popularity in Germany, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Great Britain, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Finland , and Sweden. Today maypole dances http://www.dance-to-health-help-your-special-needs-child.com/folk-dances.html) do not involve the general public in the United States today. But maypole dances very similar to those in the U.K are an important part of many High School dances as part of May Day Celebrations.
In England, Morris and other local folk dances took place around a tree, most commonly a hawthorn that had been cut down, stripped of its bark and brought into the center of the village In the sixteenth century maypoles were a genuine symbol of community. They were often the focus of rivalry between villagers who would steal one another's poles.
After the pole was installed it was wound round with garlands and sometimes painted. These were the early ribbon-less maypoles. By the twentieth century maypole dancing with ribbon plaiting was well established.
Some poles have fixed ribbons, others have one or two revolving rings with ribbons attached to them. The dancers hold the end of the ribbon with their outer hand while the inner hand, nearest the pole directs the ribbon from further up. The dancers skip or gallop around each other making a woven pattern along the length of the pole, which is then reversed so that the ribbons can be unwound again. Between eight and twenty dancers are said to be the best number. Both sexes can take part.
I remember doing such a dance as a child. We were dressed in Greek style tunics in a hideous shade of green and we danced barefoot. I can still recall the feeling of pleasure as I looked up and saw the patterns we had formed around the pole with the coloured ribbons.
There are a number of well-known ribbon-plaiting dances such as the Grand Chain. In this dance partners face each other and weave in and out on the beat. In the Barber's Pole the girls make a complete revolution around the pole while the boys stand still and vice versa. These dances make a plait against the pole.
There are other dances which form a plait away from the pole. In Gypsy's Tent, girls dance once around their partner, moving on to each subsequent boy until a "tent" is formed with the ribbons. Spiders Web forms a web around the pole. Jacob's Ladder makes two "ladders" down the pole and Pyramid is a variation of this, forming four ladders.
Younger children usually dance around the pole without using ribbons. It should be perfectly feasible to create a version for children who have special needs including wheelchair users.
There is no specific music for maypole dancing. Traditionally, in England these dances were led by Morris Dancers. They played the tunes they knew. Each village had its own dance(s) with regional variations. Any genre of English folk music or Morris tune is suitable. Also suitable is Celtic/Irish folk music, anything with a fiddle, pipe, tabor, accordion or concertina. Jigs are good for fast walking or skipping steps. Marches and reels are suitable for walking steps. Waltzes suit more elegant types of walking. Also appropriate are traditional Appalachian/Bluegrass instrumental music or even music from the Tudor/Elizabethan age. The recommended tempo is about 110 beats per minute.
About forty villages in the U.K today still have a permanent maypole used to celebrate may day.
Susan Kramer (http://www.bellaonline.com) gives details of two maypole dances. One using polka steps and the other skipping. No dance or musical experience is necessary. Her instructions are very simple and clear. Waverly Fitzgerald (http://www.schooloftheseasons.com)has some lovely ideas for mayday gifts. She suggests giving packets of seeds symbolizing qualities she felt would enhance the lives of the recipients and then leaving them on doorsteps with a label wishing the person "Happy May Day". She also sends homemade cards created by making collages of pictures from flower catalogs and gardening magazines. Floral scented soaps and bubble baths are also suggested as appropriate gifts.
African Dance is the perfect antidote to stress and that down-in-the-dumps feeling. Give yourself a tonic which leaves your Mind, Body and Spirit feeling refreshed and invigorated. Dance to the exhilarating rhythms of Africa. Nuna and Charlie are both beginners. If they can get the hang of it so can you. Have fun!
The instructors in the video teach at the Centre for National Culture, Tamale Ghana where the video was filmed.
Invite your friends round and learn the dances together! In a relaxed party-mood it's much easier to overcome any feelings of shyness or inhibitions about dance.Poor co-ordination can be overcome and so can two left feet. You don't need any dancing experience to successfully "Dance in Our Footsteps". Nor do you have to be any particular shape, size or age. Let the music take over and you will have an enjoyable, relaxing time which will leave you feeling refreshed, de-stressed and uplifted. Your cares and worries will have been forgotten.
Dance is now recognized as an effective form of exercise. It can be a really excellent Mind-Body-and-Spirit workout. Dance is the key to keeping ones body and brain healthy as we age. Bones and muscles are strengthened without stressing the joints. Cardio-vascular efficiency is improved. Dance tones the whole body and improves posture and balance. It also greatly assists people both in losing and maintaining their weight which in turn helps in preventing diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, osteoporosis, gallbladder disease, depression and some forms of cancer.
A person weighing 147 lbs loses 3.5 calories per minute. Therefore 45 minutes dancing would burn up 157 calories which is equivalent to about half a chocolate bar.
However, a word of caution. If you answer "yes" to any of the following questions please seek medical advice before using this video:-
Do you have a heart condition and your doctor recommended that you consult before undertaking an exercise program?
Do you have chest pains when you do physical activity?
In the past month have you suffered chest pains while not doing physical activity?
Do you suffer from dizziness and balance problems?
Do you have bone or joint problems made worse by changes of physical activity levels?
Are you taking prescription drugs for blood pressure or a heart condition?
Any other reasons (such as pregnancy) which make you wonder if this physical activity might not be good for you?
I am a Dance and Movement Therapist and Cultural Anthropologist who has lived and worked in England, Ghana and Nigeria.
I really hope you enjoy "Dance in Our Footsteps".
P.S To help the party along you can download some Ghanaian recipes for free.
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