Ethnic Dance Connection programs provide students with exposure to ethnic
dance as a healthy social activity, and also provide means of
introducing (incidentally) a number of developmental issues in a safe
and fun environment.
Developmental issues include: movement skills, physical fitness,
social skills, leadership skills, team skills, collaborative skills,
negotiation & conflict resolution skills, self-esteem and
confidence-building, cultural diversity, social responsibility and
exposure to new types of movement, rhythm and music.
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- Students begin to master movement activities: traveling actions (loco motor skills), movement in place (non-loco motor skills), and object handling (manipulative skills)
- Students participate in a fun activity that helps them with balance, aerobic and anaerobic fitness, agility, coordination, and strength – all without feeling like “exercise”.
- Students are exposed to health-enhancing leisure time activities and begin to understand the relationship between participation in physical activities and wellness
- Student movement competency increases as they learn to adapt to different music, rhythms and dance-styles while executing movements of increasing complexity in more structured physical activities
- Students learn to make more strategic use of movement skills and to apply concepts from other disciplines as they are exposed to body and spatial awareness, qualities of movement, and relationships to others
- Students learn the “building blocks” of movements and patterns and improve their concentration and memorization skills as they learn to recognize simple and complex movements and repeating patterns
- Students become aware of similarities and differences of movements and patterns across different styles and rhythms, and develop the kinds of mental exercises that apply in other disciplines, such as math, science, music, art, economics, etc.
- Students learn to recognize their personal strengths, skills, likes and dislikes, and as their self-esteem, self-confidence and physical skill levels increase, they learn to use these criteria to choose physical activities for enjoyment
- Students begin to see participation in physical activity as a venue for interaction with those they know and enjoy being near and for initiating and developing relationships with those they do not yet know
- Students experience social interaction in individual and group activities and pursue opportunities for personal growth in physical skills
- Students experience cooperative and collaborative skills in group activities, learn where teamwork is critical and how to participate as a leader and as a follower
- Students learn to apply rules for both school and life situations through individual and group decision making while dealing with issues of culture, race and gender in a safe environment
- Students begin to understand and model social responsibility, increase personal responsibility levels, show empathy for individuals of varying abilities and seek opportunities to help those in need
- Students begin to understand that competence in a physical activity requires practice and learn that they may need encouragement to be more expressive and less self-conscious
- Students develop problem solving skills in choosing to participate in physical activities and demonstrate an understanding of positive conduct by following rules and policies
- Students are exposed to the influence of culture on individuals and society and how individuals learn the relationships, structures, patterns and processes to become members of society
- Students learn to compare contributions of different cultures to society, appreciate the richness of cultural differences and display more inclusive behavior in group activities
- Students increase cultural awareness and the experience of “dancing in new shoes” helps cast away stereotypes and assumptions about those with whom they have limited or no contact
- Students have fun in an active learning environment
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