In the world of dance, is race really that important? 

We now know that scientifically speaking, there is no such thing as race. Humanity is one. 

But we also know that race as a social construct has been woven into the policies and practices of our society for centuries…these things have had, and continue to have, a deep and profound impact on the dance world. 

There are issues including (but not limited to):

Looking forward to the next in-studio workshop, convention, or festival? Let's think about how the student experience can be enhanced with dance history!

Looking for age-appropriate strategies for introducing dance history in your dance classes? Click here for info on my Roots, Rhythm, Race & Dance program for Dance Educators!

Since we turned 3 years old, we all had the question: WHY????? 

It seems to be a part of human nature as we grow. And as educators, it’s important for us to remember that the WHY question doesn’t go away, and it WILL show up in our classes in more ways than one.

In both the Tap Teachers’ Lounge training program & my Roots, Rhythm, Race & Dance course for dance history, I offer a concept called “framing”.

How do we “frame” any lesson or exercise?

To “frame” is to answer the WHY question, before it is even asked. 

What’s the point of this warm-up? 

What’s the point of this drill & repetition?

What’s the point of improv? 

And of course…

What's the point of learning dance history? 

If we aren’t able to effectively answer the WHY question, then our students can start to 

- disengage, 

- doubt the value of the lesson,

- doubt the training as a whole,...

As an aspiring performer in NYC, I realized very early-on how uninformed I was about Tap dance history and culture.

I couldn’t hold a basic conversation with anyone about a dance form that I had studied for YEARS. There were times when I was around Tap dance “greats” & had no clue who they really were. I felt a kind of quiet, but very real embarrassment inside. I knew so little, AND I didn’t know what I didn’t know. 

It just felt OFF, very “out-of-alignment”.  

This definitely affected my teaching. In my early days as an educator, I taught very little history I’m sad to say. I didn’t know what to tell my students about Tap dance history. On top of that, I was a novice Tap teacher who didn’t have the skills to teach technique & clean routines efficiently, so there wasn’t even TIME for history. So in those ways, many of my students were short-changed.

Over time, I gradually gained more knowledge....