黑料专区

by Jesse Phillips-Fein

For 7 years, the BFS 7/8th grade dance classes have collaborated with dance programs at several public schools, including 5th graders P.S. 95 in the Bronx (Nia Love, teacher), with 9-12th graders (and alum) at Science Skills High School鈥檚 Joe-Ile-Bailar dance company (Pat Dye, director), and for the past three years with the 9/10th grades classes Brooklyn International High School (Megan Minturn, teacher). 聽The goal of these partnerships is to explore how dance is a medium to connect across differences of age, race, class, nationality, and language for mutual benefit and growth. 聽

To prepare for our visits, we begin with discussing the stereotypes that exist about public and private schools students and where these stereotypes arise from. 聽We also analyze the different resources between public and private schools, and the cause of these inequities. 聽We prepare an introduction about 黑料专区, particularly the Quaker aspect of our school, and describe the dance project we are working on. 聽When we come together, either myself or the partnering teacher leads an ice-breaker and a warm-up. 聽Each class shares choreography and gives each other feedback. 聽Then students work in groups to create new choreography combining movements from each of our classes. 聽This year, Brooklyn International High School (BIHS) visited us in the Fall and performed a dance based on Salsa and Bachata, while the 8th grade fall semester class performed their Dance Concert piece based on the work on Chandrahleka. 聽Afterwards, throughout the semester we sent videos back and forth of our current projects and gave each other feedback. 聽In the Spring, we went to BIHS and performed our dance based on Tango, Salsa, Bachata, while they shared a piece of Indian folk dance. 聽BIHS dancers also attended the BFS Dance Concert, and the following week utilized our stage for their own dance performance as their school building does not have a theater.

BFS students reflected on the collaboration, saying 鈥淚 was a little nervous the first time, but I was less nervous this time….It was really because I got to interact people from different countries which I hadn鈥檛 done before…The BIHS students were really nice, but it was hard to work in my group because we couldn鈥檛 rely on English to communicate. 聽I showed them the moves instead of telling them…It was awkward at first, we had to be friends with people we didn鈥檛 know. 聽But they were nice so that made it easier. …When choreographing, they had good ideas..I felt nervous I was going to intimidate them, but some of them were way better at dancing than I was, and they were nice about lowering the level!鈥�

This was a wonderful example of social justice service learning focused on building community through accountable, reciprocal relationships that are grounded in equity. To see photos of their collaboration, click !