| The purpose of this study was to elucidate a curricular approach to introducing middle school students to the art of making dances. The study was conducted at McKinley Middle School in the Redwood City, CA over the course of two years, the 1997–1998 and 1998–1999 school years. McKinley is a Title 1 school, meaning a significant number of the students are considered at-risk academically. The student population is over 75% Latino, 12% Caucasian, and the remaining 12% Asian, African American, and Polynesian. As a full-time dance teacher, I was responsible for developing and implementing a special unit in dance as part of the annual one semester physical education requirement: six weeks the first year which expanded to seven weeks the second year. Approximately 600 students took part in the dance classes during the 1997–1998 school year, and 300 of these same students participated again during the 1998–1999 school year.; The research process was qualitatively based, with an action research approach to examining my own teaching practices and the students' responses to making dances. In the roles of teacher and researcher, I employed several formal, systematic procedures. The following types of information were gathered through my persistent experiences as both participant and observer: field notes, memos, my personal journal entries, daily lesson plans, videotapes of the classes, informal conversations with the students, and the students' journal entries.; Throughout the two years I spent teaching and learning with these students, the data made sense to me through the construction of four sets of thematic pairs: self and world, voice and dialogue, safety and danger, fun and games. The pairs built upon each other. Ultimately, these themes solidified in the narrative of the students and myself creating meaningful dances, literally and metaphorically constructing pyramids, and negotiating the ever-changing environment of a middle school dance room. The story respects the students as art makers and gives voice to the practitioner. Although many suggestions are provided for how others may conceive and construct a choreographically-based dance program for middle schoolers, the real value lies in the telling itself. |
