Dance
Philosophy
Galloway’s dynamic dance program invites all students to experience the form and the craft of dance. Deeply grounded in Galloway’s philosophy, the program is based on the National Standards for Dance Education and allows all students to discover and explore concepts related to space, time, energy, relationships and self through movement in the dance studio and in dance-integrated units in their classrooms.
Early Learning
Early Learning dance classes are closely connected to content being taught in the classroom. From the life cycle of a butterfly to various states of matter, students are lovingly guided by our dance teacher as they use their bodies to deepen their learning. For students in PreK – grade 2, the dance teacher and classroom teachers work closely together to design lessons which bring creative movement into the classroom. Students in grades 3 and 4 build on their earlier experiences and “stretch their wings” as they also enjoy classes in the dance studio that strengthen their bodies and minds as they work with their peers learning a variety of dances and creating their own.
Middle Learning
Middle Learning students build a foundation in dance as they learn basic technical vocabulary and skills in a safe environment with an option, but no pressure, to perform. In grades 7 and 8, elective dance classes meet during regular school hours and focus on learning healthy practices related to building technique, learning choreography and working collaboratively to create original dances. Dance is offered as an elective to students in grades 7 and 8.
Upper Learning
Upper Learning dance elective classes are offered for all skill levels from beginning to advanced and satisfy Fine Arts or Kinetic Wellness requirements. Students explore dance technique by studying variety of styles including modern dance, ballet, musical theater, jazz and improvisation. Conditioning tools such as Pilates and yoga are also explored. Qualified students may also elect to register for choreography classes in which they often work with younger students and create pieces for the spring concert of the Galloway Dance Ensemble. Arts-integration abounds with dance and classroom collaborations ranging from working with a biology class on the complex processes of mitosis and meiosis through movement to collaborating with playwriting students to create narrative dances for their work.