Creative Dance in School
Author(s):
Eva Maria Corrêa (presenting / submitting) Edite Paula Vicente (presenting) Celeste Rosa Maria João Delgado
Conference:
ECER 2014
Network:
29. Research on Arts Education
Format:
Paper

Session Information

29 SES 05, Arts Education and Creative Strategies for Learning

Paper Session

Time:
2014-09-03
11:00-12:30
Room:
B120 Sala de Aulas
Chair:
Catarina Almeida

Contribution

We selected, as the central study object, the Expression and Communication in the area of motor/body expression. The project was called - Creative Dance in School.This study aimed to point Creative Dance as a mean of communication, through a specific language and vocabulary, which empowers the expression of feeling and representation. Also, we intended to deepen the knowledge and develop practices and skills that allow the knowing and experiencing of Creative Dance specific language -Body-Space-Energy-Relationship.

This work aims to highlight the importance of Creative Dance in pedagogical practice in kindergarten, and to articulate the field of artistic expression, in formal learning, and the relationship of body consciousness with the spatial and temporal development.

Therefore, we intended to work on the relationship and interaction in different content areas. In pre-school stage, we can give to children the opportunity to know their body and know how to use and control it, in the best way. A child who develops well her senses can achieve good perceptions, organizing and forming clear images for the future and establish a good relationship with herself and others around her.

It was developed with a group of 25 children between 3 and 5 years from school EB 1 / JI Alto da Peça, in the locality of Alcabideche, Cascais municipality.

The question of research was: What is the potentiating role of Creative Dance in the acquisition of learning at the different content areas?

Thus appear four hypotheses raised on the Laban´s methodology, who helped to build the action plan.
• (Body) Why have body consciousness?
• (Energy / Effort) How can the body dance?
• (Space) Where the body can dance?
• (Value) With whom, and for what, the body is related?

Four key issues have emerged, based on Laban's methodology, to which we desired to answer (Body, Energy/ Effort; Space; Relationship).

Rudolf Laban ( 1938) developed a form of expressionist dance, based mainly on the expression of emotions and whose theoretical basis resided in an analysis, categorization and movement notation system , created by himself . The method of Laban Dance expresses a focused pedagogical method in humans .
All their theories were based on analysis and study of the elements that make up the movement and how they demonstrate . The order passed by realizing the human being through their line and form of movement and how this is demonstrated in several areas of functioning .
Their analysis parameters had the ability to break down stereotypical doctrines regarding to gymnastics and dance . The author believed that a correct reading of each movement potentiated the development of interpersonal relationships of the individual and the improvement of self-knowledge and therefore their quality of life. These theories were being systematized in an educational model that went by the name of Modern Educational Dance

The importance of art comes from the ability to group essencial elements  in child development . Thus, meet and learn different artistic languages, namely, plastic , music , theater and dance. Dance , like other areas of artistic education, should provide ludic, expressive and creative activities. Ludic, in this context ,corresponds to the primary need that children have to experience the capabilities of their body in the first phase of development. According to Battle, (2004, p.20) "arts promote a full human development, allow you to extend notions of reality and create their own identity, promote creative, aesthetic and varied critical experiences, respecting the individuality of each and offer freedom in solving problems".
We recognize the dance as an art form with educational principles enhancer expressive and communicative abilities in children, in order to maximize light-reflecting minds.

Method

This study followed a qualitative approach, using the methodology of action research. It was with the critical or emancipatory model of action research, that this study was identified, as the author Nanni, (1998, p.8) "has the vision that is from the creative process, developed by the dance in school, that the individual is emancipated, (...) creativity enables independence and freedom, to the autonomy and emancipation”. The data collection instruments used throughout the development of this study were: Informal conversations, shared with the cooperating teacher, participative observation, oral and written productions, photographic records, interviews and videos. Once defined the subject, the second step was to ask children about how to understand creative dance, at first in January, and second in May, will leaning on achieving a comparative analysis of awareness before and after the activities outlined. In the third stage, children were interviewed on the five activities developed, aiming to understand how they respond to the activities, which preferred, in order to understand what the most effective. Also at this time, parents were focus of attention of this project, and were, also interviewed in order to understand what level of knowledge about Creative Dance in School. It is intended in the end, that child can achieved, in an autonomous and efficient way, the proposed challenges, which were developed over time, requiring increasingly greater ability to focus and creativity to perform them. Among the various techniques of data collection, we assume that observation allowed us to collect more information. Productions, both written and oral stood out as a crucial instrument to understand the development they were revealing, reflecting their learning. Regarding photographic and video records, allowed us to record and reinforce our observations through images. Regarding the interviews, this instrument was administered to children, related to the five activities they liked best. The interviews took place in the Preschool context and children werw questioned about their availability to dialogue about the issues being studied. We considered that this methodology was the most suitable instrument for expressing the voice of the child on the subject in question - Creative Dance. A survey to the parents, with the intent of identifying what they knew about Creative Dance School was also applied. According to Sousa (2005, p 84) "Whenever possible, you should aim to use more than one method or technique, cross-mode or parallel so that if one fails the investigation does not become hopelessly frustrated".

Expected Outcomes

With this work we intended to observe and understand the importance of Creative Dance groups in the Preschool. It is considered that their practice develops cognitive aspects, enabling further development of the child in various aspects, namely, interpersonal, intellectual, motivation and knowledge of the body. It also stimulates your ability to solve problems creatively, memory, reasoning self-confidence and finally self-esteem. At the end, it was visible a great change, especially at a self-esteem and confidence level. Finally, we achieved some internal and external changes such as, the way they move around, how they control the body movements and how they relate to it. All these areas were improving from session to session. The highlight in the whole process, were evidence of how Creative Dance has an important role in the life of the School. Was proof that to work Creative Dance, lets you "teach", from most fun way, the full potential of our body. Were surprising discoveries that were made together, how to discover what is an open line and draw it in the space with the body, discover the large, medium and small developers in small exercises of great learning. Sessions where parents participated, were driving new discoveries and a School-Family involvement, very important in the whole process of teaching and learning. According to Martins (2012, p.2), "Learn things about the world is important; perceive the world is important. Read, write, count, draw ... all that. But the world was also made to live: to look, to find out with your hands, try ... (...) What is more important? How many ways are there to learn? What is the school?"

References

Batalha, A.P. (2004). Metodologia do ensino da dança. Cruz Quebrada: Serviço de Edições da Faculdade de Motricidade Humana. Gomes, S. Castilho, J. & Calazans, J (2003). Dança e Educação em Movimento. São Paulo: Cortez. Laban, R. (1990) Dança Educativa Moderna. São Paulo: Ícone. Mommensohn, M., & Petrella, P. (2006). Reflexões sobre Laban, o mestre do movimento (1ª ed.). São Paulo: Summus. Nanni, D. (2003). Dança educação, pré-escola a universidade. (2 ed.). Rio de Janeiro: Sprint. North, M. (1990). Movement and dance education. UK: Northcote House.

Author Information

Eva Maria Corrêa (presenting / submitting)
Instituto Superior de Ciências Educativas - CI-ISCE, Portugal; CeiED - ULHT, Portugal.
Edite Paula Vicente (presenting)
Instituto Superior de Ciências Educativas - CI-ISCE, Portugal
Celeste Rosa
Instituto Superior de Ciências Educativas - CI-ISCE, Portugal
Maria João Delgado
Instituto Superior de Ciências Educativas - CI-ISCE, Portugal

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