stacey pepper schwartz

Guest Post: Creative Ways To Keep Kids Focused

November 22, 2010 by 4dancers

Today we have a guest post from Stacey Pepper Schwartz on creative ways to keep kids focused in the dance classroom. Stacey should know–she not only has worked with kids, but she is also the person behind, “Up Down and All Around” a movement program for young ones…read on…

3 Creative Ways to Keep Kids Attention

How do you keep your students’ attention in class? Not an easy task but an essential one! This is especially difficult around holidays, birthdays, vacations; any extra distraction can send even the most attentive group astray.

1. Be flexible. Pay attention to the energy and focus of the class. If the children are focused on the snow falling outside, no matter how fabulous your lesson is that you prepared, you will not be able to compete with mother nature. You can either choose to fight the children’s curiosity and amazement or harness it and incorporate it into the lesson or change the lesson all together. Sometimes the best lessons are created in the moment.

2. Music is key. Music can affect the mood or energy of the class. Change your music often. One week have your warm-up music be sounds of a rainforest and the next week a marching band. If the class has low energy put on an upbeat song to get them going and if they are bouncing off the walls have a soothing calm song ready to influence the energy in the class. As a special treat, each week have a child pick out a piece of music he or she would like to use to end class. (If the students feel a sense of ownership they will be more likely to stay invested in what you are doing.)

3. Challenge them and praise them! A simple way to keep your class’s attention is to challenge them! If they are focused on learning something new or doing a movement in a way they have never done before (like leaping backwards) they are more likely to stay focused. Boredom is the quickest way children can become disengaged. Also, children love to succeed and show off what they know so make sure to review something they have learned from a previous week and let them show you how good they have become! Then challenge them with a new idea.

: Stacey Pepper Schwartz

Bio: Stacey is the Founder and Director of Leaping Legs Creative Movement Programs. The focus of Leaping Legs Creative Movement Programs is to help people regardless of age, experience or ability, become educated about their movement potential, develop kinesthetic awareness, and become more physically fit and healthy together as a family, and community.Leaping Legs promotes its goal through the original Up Down & All Around DVD. Utilizing the elements of movement, the video entertains as it motivates kids and their families to exercise together using movement games, silly exercises and challenges. The DVD received Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products 2009 Award and 10 Best Active Products 2009 Award. The DVD has also been featured in many magazines. In its August 2009 issue, Dance Teacher called the DVD “an essential tool for teaching the fundamentals of movement.”

Stacey received her BFA in dance performance at Montclair State University and her MA in dance education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She has taught as an artist in residency and guest artist in public and private schools for over twelve years.

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Stacey Pepper Schwartz On Dance

July 16, 2010 by 4dancers

Today, Stacey Pepper Schwartz is here with 4dancers to share some more thoughts on dance…

1. What is the benefit of teaching children about “creating shapes” when it comes to dance?

Interesting question. I don’t really think I teach kids about creating shapes. We all create shapes when we move, we do it naturally. I teach kids to become aware of their bodies and become aware that they are creating shapes. We break down shapes into straight lines, angles and curves. What does a straight line feel like and look like? Bend the line and create a point. Now it is an angle. How is that different then a straight line? Soften that angle, make it round. Now you have a curve. Dance freely around the space, now stop. What kind of shape are you in? Are there angles, curves and straight lines? Are your arms in one shape and your legs in another?

If kids understand the elements of movement then learning and perfecting technique can be a natural progression in their dance education. If you ask a child to keep her leg straight when she turns and her arms curved, well this is not that difficult because you have explored shape already. The young dancer has the resources and experiences to pull from.

The benefit of learning about creating shapes is learning about what the body can do, as well as learning about the images and ideas the body can invoke. If you ask your students to tell you about a tree, they might say it has a big trunk, the roots go deep into the ground and it has branches reaching upward. Have the dancers create the tree shape in their bodies. Next, have your students then observe a tree. Discuss the shapes, the curves, the bulges and knots in the trunk, the branches that bend down to the ground in an angle. Now have your students create the shape in their bodies again. You will have shapes that you probably have never seen your students create before.

2. What age group do you like working with best and why?

This is going to sound like a cop-out but any age that is in front of me. Each age has its own challenges but the important thing is to have an objective and to be aware of the developmental milestones of each age. I actually love teaching various ages together. It is very challenging but there is something so beautiful when all ages can move together, connected by a physical experience.

3. How has having a daughter impacted your work as a dance teacher?

I would never have created Up Down & All Around, the creative movement DVD for kids and parents. It was because I wanted to teach and create and I had to find a solution to teach without being in a studio all the time. Also, my focus changed. I wanted to reach out to more families and explore teaching families the joy of moving together. I dance with my daughter all the time. I danced with her ever since she was little. But I never taught her how to dance. Kids know how to dance. I guess my philosophy deepened when I danced with her. Teaching dance is about teaching body awareness, spatial awareness, the elements of movement as well as technique and placement. Yes, there is a correct way of spotting or stretching but there is no wrong or right way of moving.

Watching my daughter dance, and dancing with her solidified this in me. Dance is organic. I appreciate this more now.

4. In your experience, what types of ideas are hard for young children to understand in dance class?

Hmm. Space is difficult. I always start with spatial awareness. I find for a successful and safe movement experience this is a must. This is a difficult concept for kids to understand because they have to be aware not only of themselves but the people and things around them. And developmentally this can be challenging.

5. If you could tell people who have kids one thing about finding a good dance teacher, what would it be?

I would tell parents to find a dance teacher that is a good teacher. What I mean by this is find someone that is focused on the development of the child, on the overall learning experience of the child. It is not just about a great performance at the end of the year, but a wonderful experience throughout the year.

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Teaching Tips From Stacey Pepper Schwartz

May 3, 2010 by 4dancers

1. What are some things that teachers can do to improve their instruction in the dance classroom?

My advice would be watch others teach when you get a chance. I love to watch others, I gain so much insight into who I am as a teacher and what skills I draw upon. It doesn’t even have to be dance teachers you observe. We all have our strengthens and weaknesses and by watching others you gain new perspectives, new tools and learn new approaches. It also can help clarify your own teaching philosophy.

2. Developmentally, what are some of the major concerns a dance teacher should be aware of when teaching young children?

Be aware that all children develop differently and even though there are definite physical milestones some children will reach them ahead or behind others.

I watch for social and emotional cues a lot. Eye contact is huge with me. If a child is having a hard time making eye contact with you and his or her peers, there could be an underlying issue.

Also, in order for movement integration, children need to be able to cross the midline of their bodies. What this means is having one side of the body cross over to the other side, like taking your right hand and crossing the center of your body to touch your left knee. I was teaching a group of first graders and we were performing a mixing gesture on the floor. I noticed one of the children was turning around in a circle instead of reaching across his body. At first I thought he was embellishing the movement so I gave the class clear directions about how we were mixing. I changed the levels and the speed and it became quite clear to me this was very challenging for him.

We all have one side that is stronger than the other. It is important, however, to observe if any of your students have a noticeable disparity between the right and left.

Eye hand coordination is essential in the development of fine motor skills. Notice if a child is having a hard time with catching scarves, tracing shapes in the air or giving you a high five for a job well done.

If a child is having difficulties, it is important to talk to the parents or teachers. Remember, each child develops differently but the challenges he or she is encountering might indicate a larger underlining issue.

3. How do you handle teaching class when there are different levels of ability?

The elements of movement remain constant so no matter what the level of the students the elements and concepts are always accessible. Usually when I teach I pick a theme. The exercise may be the same from the previous week but our focus changes. One week we may be emphasizing space and the next week it might be weight or a sense of grounding.

You can always challenge a more advanced dancer to explore the movement quality while a dancer who is struggling can focus on the mechanics or vice versa. You could have the technically advanced dancer work on multiple pirouettes while a beginner can work on the push or spring up to posse. The important thing is to keep everyone focused, challenged and engaged.

4. Can children with special needs benefit from dance classes-and if so, how?

Yes, yes, yes!!! The benefits are endless, just like the benefits are endless for any individual. Dance works on spatial awareness, body awareness, gross motor skills, balance, body integration, body recognition, non-verbal communication and personal expression. For kids with special needs like autism, ADHD, sensory issues and non-verbal learning disabilities dance can have a huge impact on their lives and the lives of their families. Dance is a valuable tool to teach these important skills.

5. In your opinion, what is the value of having children take dance classes if they are not going to become a dancer?

Well, for all the reasons I mentioned in the last question. If you have an understanding of your body and a sense of ownership the sky is the limit. I tell teachers I work with that kids don’t own much and are not in control of much in their lives. They do however, have control over their bodies. And when you have a sense of your body’s abilities it builds tremendous self confidence. Dance also teaches a child how to follow directions, how to give directions and how to problem solve. These are skills that we need to become successful individuals whatever road we choose for ourselves. And dance enriches our lives, like all the arts. We all deserve to have dance in our life whether it’s dancing in our room, at a party, on stage for our own personal fulfillment or as a profession. And as audience members, understanding the art gives us a deeper appreciation for what we are experiencing. So dance not because of the outcome but because of the experience.

: Stacey Pepper Schwartz

Teaching Tips: Kids In The Dance Classroom

April 2, 2010 by 4dancers

Today we have a special feature–a guest, who is going to share some tips on teaching children dance. Stacey Pepper Schwartz has been featured in 4dancers series 10 Questions With…, and she is quite the breath of fresh air. I have noticed that most people who work with children in dance have seemingly boundless energy and enthusiasm, and Stacey is no exception. I asked her 5 questions about teaching, and she had some wonderful things to share…

1. When it comes to teaching children, what can you do to help instill a love of dance?

If you instill in a child that she is in charge or her body, that she can make choices with how she wants to move, and how she wants to express herself, you are in essence fostering a life that will be open to the dance within herself and herself within the dance.

We are not just beings with muscles and bones. We can choose how we want to move our muscles, which then moves our bones. When children start to master this concept of choice, they gain self-esteem and a sense of self.

You can also instill a love of dance by having children dance with each other and for each other. Many children who have difficulty with speech can be on the same playing field when it comes to communicating through dance. Even children with coordination or spatial issues can move freely with a group because there is no right or wrong way of expressing yourself. The beauty of dance is that you can communicate with one simple gesture or your entire body. You can dance with another person, a group or be free to take the space by yourself. Both the mover and the audience share the experience. They share common ground.

When we have a joyful or meaningful experience we tend to want to do it again. When you teach remember the joy, remember the importance of body ownership, expression and in sharing the experience with others.

2. What are a few tips for keeping order in a class full of young children?

My tip is to have a bag of tricks. Not one thing will work all the time and different children need different ways of being guided.

Be consistent, be kind and be deliberate. Don’t ask “Can everyone come to the center of the room?” If you ask a question, be prepared for various answers, like “no!” Instead give the children a task to complete. “Everyone come to the center of the room in low level” or “choose a traveling step to the center of the room and end in a pointy shape.”
When they complete an activity acknowledge a job well done and be specific. “I like the way everyone found different ways of moving in low level. I saw children moving on their knees, tummies and backs.” Make sure not to use praise words without backing it up or the words become meaningless. When I was student teaching I used to say “great” all the time. The teacher I was working with pointed it out to me. She told me that the word lost its value because I said it so much and I wasn’t being specific about what was so great. I great lesson to learn!
When a child is having difficulty listening I will ask them to be my partner. This way I can talk quietly to the child and give them cues without having to attract attention to the child and the behavior.
Have children earn activities. Give them a goal to work towards, like a round of “free- dance” or stickers. Make sure the goal is obtainable or the children can feel defeated. Feeling proud of a job well done is wonderful motivation to do their best!

3. How do you deal with behavior outbursts in a dance class setting?

I was the director of an arts camp and I went in to observe the dance class. I asked a child to move to a different spot in the room and she started screaming at me. I had her sit and watch class while I called her mother. Her mother told me she was dealing with anger management issues. This was a great lesson for me.

Make sure you are partners with the parents or teachers. Having information about any special circumstances will keep you and the children safe and will enable you to have a productive teaching environment.

After talking with the mother, I learned techniques to be helpful to this child and we did not have any other problems. Information will not always be available to you but I feel the more you are aware of specific issues or needs the better equipped you can be.

When I worked in a studio, after class, I made sure to tell each parent one thing their child was working on, something they did well or achieved. I found this very helpful in not only having a successful class for the child but I gained the support of the parents as well.

When I teach in schools, I always try to share my lesson with the teacher and ask if there are any ideas or concepts he or she would like me to work on. I try to model the classroom management style of the teacher to be consistent. I want to partner with the teacher, not only for educational purposes, but for disciplinary purposes as well.

Lastly, if I child is having a difficult time listening, following directions or is being disruptive, I will ask him or her to sit and join the class when ready. I have found this works very well because the child is not getting attention for the negative behavior. Most of the time, the child will join back in after a few minutes. Remember after you discipline a child to follow up with positive reinforcement to engage the child and give him or her attention for good behavior.

4. What was the best piece of teaching advice you ever heard?

By far the best advice I have ever received was accentuate the positive. When I was student teaching, I broke the class into smaller groups to work on a movement activity. I was focusing on a group that was not listening and reprimanding them. The teacher I was working with pointed out to me that the children who were doing a good job were not getting any attention. She taught me that when I praised a group, it influenced the group that was not listening because they wanted attention as well. My class went smoother after this and I was actually accomplishing two things. I was providing positive feedback and was managing the behavior of the class!

Barbara Bashaw, a wonderful teacher I had when I attended Teachers College, Columbia University for my Maters in Dance Education, taught me to always be prepared to improvise. You might have a wonderful lesson prepared but the children might have had a fire drill before your class or if you are teaching in a studio maybe they had off from school that day. You can plan for the class but not for the energy the children will be bringing. You have to ultimately take your cues from the children. This was a hard lesson to learn for me, but an absolutely valuable one!

5. What is the one thing you would tell someone who is new to teaching children dance?

I would tell them they are the student as well. Make sure you are patient with yourself as well as your students. Give yourself permission to experiment, try new things and don’t be afraid to fail. I find I have to do a lesson a few times before I am happy with it. Don’t be afraid to repeat an idea or concept. Kids learn by repetition and so will you. Remember that everyday is a new day for you and the kids. Make sure you smile, laugh and know that you are giving a precious gift. You are teaching more than movement, you are teaching an avenue to experience life.

Leaping Legs promotes its goal through the original Up Down & All Around DVD. Utilizing the elements of movement, the video entertains as it motivates kids and their families to exercise together using movement games, silly exercises and challenges. The DVD received Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products 2009 Award and 10 Best Active Products 2009 Award. The DVD has also been featured in many magazines. In its August 2009 issue, Dance Teacher called the DVD “an essential tool for teaching the fundamentals of movement.”

10 Questions With…Stacey Pepper Schwartz

December 28, 2009 by 4dancers

This is the first in our series, “10 Questions With…” which we will be doing throughout 2010….hope you enjoy taking a closer look at Stacey Pepper Schwartz…

Please tell me your name, your position and a little bit about your
background.

Hi. My name is Stacey Pepper Schwartz and I am the Founder and Director of Leaping Legs Creative Movement Programs. The focus of Leaping Legs is to help people regardless of age, experience or ability, become educated about their movement potential, develop kinesthetic awareness, and become more physically fit and healthy together as a family, and community. Leaping Legs promotes its goal through its original Up Down & All Around DVD, teacher training, and school and community workshops.

I started my dance journey studying to be a modern dancer and choreographer. I graduated from Montclair State University with a BFA in dance performance and six months later I was the choreographer’s intern on the Broadway show Titanic. After Titanic, I assisted Lynne Taylor-Corbett on several other projects. One of the highlights was being the assistant choreographer for the Broadway show Jackie: An American Dream. I was also the Dance Captain for the Broadway Workshop Swing! Unfortunately, after the workshop I had to have back surgery. I went back to school and I received my Masters in Art at Teachers College, Columbia University in dance education.

After earning my masters, I choreographed Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris and The Song of Singapore at Capital Repertory Theatre, NY. I also worked in the Education Department of Capital Repertory Theatre as the Program Coordinator for various multi-disciplined arts programs for kids ranging in age from 7-13. I was a teaching artist as part of Capital Repertory Theatre’s Community Partnership, facilitating the integration of the arts into the curriculum as well as addressing the NY State Standards.

1. How did you get the idea for this DVD?

That is a great question. When my daughter was four years old I developed a creative movement program for her preschool. I loved teaching the kids at the school but what I discovered was I loved just as much teaching the teachers how they could incorporate more movement into the children’s school day. I felt that there was a stigma regarding dance. The teachers did not understand the elements of movement or even how to begin making the connections between movement and their curriculum. And further more, the teachers were not comfortable moving and felt they could only move with the kids if they were “good” dancers.

At this time, many of the parents were asking me where else I taught. I looked into teaching at a few of the studios near where I lived but was disappointed that the schools were so heavily focused on performing instead of dancing. I felt that teaching steps without the understanding and delving into the elements of movement was leaving so much out. It’s like teaching a musician to play an instrument by only teaching the notes.

So, I decided that I was going to give teachers and parents the permission, understanding and tools to bring more movement into their lives and their children’s lives. (It also didn’t hurt that one of my dearest friends is a professional videographer that was eager to help!)

2. What motivated you to do all this work?

What motivated me was that I saw a real need for kids and adults to move more and to interact more. I deliberately created the exercises to be interactive and for the program to be accessible for all kids and all movers. When I worked at the preschool, I saw children ages 2-6, with various levels of movement experience and ability. Everyone has the potential to move. You just need a body and willing spirit. I think so many people think of dance and movement as this outward experience (what we are presenting) instead of the inward experience (what we are feeling, understanding, incorporating and processing.) It is so important to me for every child to have a movement experience, no matter the ability, or experience.

When I teach, some kids are shy at first and don’t want to participate. I point out to a child that is shrugging her shoulders that she is already moving! I guess the simplest answer to the question of what motivated me is ownership. Everybody has the right to experience ownership of their bodies. And I was passionate about making a tool to help children and adults achieve this together.

3. How did your background help you to create the DVD?

My background, without my knowledge, really sparked the DVD. After my back surgery I never thought I would dance again. I saw what I was able to do before the injury as an impossibility after, so in my mind I couldn’t dance. Maybe my passion for sharing with other’s all the movement possibilities that are out there came from my own rediscovery. I am a firm believer of teaching the elements of movement: space, time, energy and body. Understanding the tools, unlocks the toolbox.

My professional dance training and performing background of course helped. I had never worked in front of a camera before but I love performing for an audience. So, the camera was my audience, and I loved every minute of it!

Finally, my degree in dance education was priceless. It was like I had all the pieces of the puzzle and I just needed the right medium to put it all together. My friend provided me with the medium.

4. What makes this DVD unique?

I think a few things makes this DVD unique. First, I am the only dancer in the video. I wanted it to be accessible to everyone and wanted kids and adults doing the video to see other regular kids and adults doing it with them. Second, award winning children’s musician Steve Blunt performs all his original music on the DVD, which adds another element of fun, entertainment and user-friendly component. His music is fun for adults as well as kids which was very important to me, because if parents don’t like to listen to something they will not put it on for their kids. And finally, since the DVD was designed specifically to be utilized by educators and parents, a comprehensive movement guide is available to use in conjunction with the DVD. The guide explains how to do each section of the program in depth, what kinesthetic skills are being addressed as well as offers fun variations to the exercises. This is a comprehensive program that will help schools and communities meet the National Physical Education Standards as well as the 5210 program implemented in many schools.

5. How long did the process take from start to finish?

My first unofficial meeting was with my friend, Deb Mendonca Cote, and our kids at a Friendly’s Restaurant in February 2008. I looked at her and asked her if she seriously thought we could pull it together. She said absolutely and took another bite of her french fry. We shot the DVD on April 20, 2008, finished editing at the end of September, sent the DVDs to distribution in October, had my website up in December and sold the first DVD before the New Year. (This is how I work, once I have an idea I go all out.)

6. What advice would you have for anyone who is thinking about doing a DVD for teaching dance?

Do it if you are passionate about it. Do what ever you are passionate about, and listen to yourself. Really listen to what you want to do, not what you are supposed to do or what you can’t do, but what you can. Then do it.

7. What was your favorite part about the process of making the DVD?

Finding out about myself, finding out how much I enjoyed learning about what I didn’t know. Finding out that dance at 34 was more fun and rewarding because I was following my heart. Finding out collaborating with others who share the same vision is so rewarding and finding out that I wasn’t afraid to ask; that 9 times out of 10 people say yes.

8. What was the most difficult part of the process?

Hands down, the hardest part was the day of the shoot. Because of scheduling conflicts we only had one day to shoot the entire DVD. We had four kids to keep occupied and engaged. And my daughter was in the DVD. That was the hardest because she did not want to listen to me. I never will shoot a video in one day ever again.

9. Do you have anything else in the works?

Right now I am really focused on marketing and getting the DVD out there to parents, dance teachers, school teachers, community programs, etc. I am new to marketing and am learning something new everyday. I also started my own dance blog called Letters From Leaping Legs , which I want to be an extension of my website. I want to continue to be a resource for parents and teachers to gain insight, ideas and movement activities that they can do with the kids in their lives. I want to keep everyone moving up down and all around.

10. What is the best feedback you have gotten about the DVD to date?

I have gotten some great reviews. The Up Down & All Around DVD received Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products 2009 Award and 10 Best Active Products 2009 Award. The DVD has also been featured in many magazines including Dance Teacher and Dance Retailer News. In its August 2009 issue, Dance Teacher called the DVD “an essential tool for teaching the fundamentals of movement with daily adult-child interactions.” The review I got from 4dancers blew me away. It was like you were sitting with me during the early pre-production meetings. One of my many favorite quotes from the review is “the program does as much to teach adults about how children learn and what they are capable of as it teaches the kids how to move.”

The best feedback has been from the parents and teachers using the DVD. I was at a fair selling my DVD and I heard from across the room a mom yell to her two kids, “Look it’s Leaping Legs!” She ran up to me and told me how much her kids love the DVD. She has a son who is on the autistic spectrum and a daughter. They all do the DVD together. I don’t think the smile left my face for the rest of the day.

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