Indigenous Dance & Storytelling Workshop

This workshop includes a participatory program for all ages, that includes Indigenous storytelling, a hoop dance presentation, as well as intertribal dances and social dances to get the students moving around and participating. Each workshop opens with a group warm up, traditional storytelling, a hoop dance presentation, intertribal group dance activities, social dances, and a question and answer period. The ideal group size for this workshop is one class. 

Curriculum Links

Reflecting, Responding, and Analyzing: apply the critical analysis process to communicate their feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of dance pieces and experiences; Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of dance forms and styles from the past and present, and their social and/or community contexts. Understanding the rich diversity of Indigenous cultures; Students will develop or extend understanding of the following concepts: ELEMENTS OF DANCE • body: body awareness, use of body parts, body shapes, locomotor and non-locomotor movements, body bases, symmetry versus asymmetry, geometric versus organic shape, angular versus curved shape • space: levels, pathways, directions, pattern, positive versus negative space, various group formations, proximity of dancers to one another • time: tempo, rhythm (e.g., regular, irregular), pause, stillness, with music, without music, duration • energy: effort, force, quality (e.g., slash, press, shrink, open) • relationship: meet/part, follow/lead, emotional connections between dancers, groupings

Artist