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Dance Pedagogical Practices in African American Spaces

(Where it was, now, where it’s going)

By Dijon KirklandPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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Dance Pedagogical Practices in African American Spaces

(what it was, now, and where it’s going)

By: Dijon Kirkland

02/02/2021

Often times I sit and observe how much the dance community has evolved. Now in the time of social distancing, were even hosting and attending virtual dance classes and webinars. Local dance studios, high school and college dance programs are finding ways to move their programs to all online. I know first hand that these challenges and changes have forced me to implement new concepts in my teaching practices. In particular, it’s been an interesting experience watching the progression of dance pedagogical practices in African American spaces from when I first started my training, now, and wondering where it will go in the future. Certain practices among my past African American dance instructors are now seen as harassment, helpful, demeaning, necessary. So in 2021 where is the happy medium between presenting challenge and showing compassion?

I started “dancing” when I was three years old, but I entered my first disciplined training ground at age eleven. The director of the studio had an extensive career in New York and had trained with The Dance Theatre of Harlem, and The Ailey School. I felt that he pushed me but he pushed as hard as he could push a thirteen year old. It wasn’t until I auditioned for his alma mater performing arts school that he tried his best to “prepare” me for the environment that I’d be entering. He nicely told me to start eating some healthier meals and to always be professional. However, it was his compassion that I remember most, because it would be a long time before I would experience it again.

Throughout my high school, college training, and professional career I encountered several strict dance instructors, but a lot of the time it was my African American instructors that upped the ante with the discipline. From the public humiliation about weight, over working in rehearsals, or just the out of the way comments. While I’m still standing, there were several times that I considered throwing in the towel. I have colleagues who did. When I was fifth teen, one of my friends parents explained to us “black dance teachers come from the ole school, and they think that the longer you yell and push someone the better they’ll get it.” Those words stayed with me, and that’s how I began to deal. However, the bigger issue is that this simply just wasn’t ok. Who and what influenced this way of thinking? Why was this the culture? The craziest part is that eventually I started to believe in this way of thinking, and at the beginning of my dance teaching career I began to follow suit in how I treated my students. I felt as if my formal instructors were watching me and I had “to make them proud.” But it didn’t sit well with me, and I knew that eventually the change may have to start with me.

Besides being a professional dancer, I always knew I wanted to teach dance. Dance pedagogy has been of interest to me since I was 15. I enjoy implementing new concepts, and watching students grow and develop in their dance study. Even though I had rough experiences with a lot of my African American dance instructors, there were a couple who I felt really thrived when it came to the artistic side of pedagogy. One in particular was a high school dance instructor. She grew up in a time where “dancers didn’t go to college” but she went anyway and received a bachelors degree in dance. To me this was a testament to her love for the art. She formatted her class in a way that everyone could understand, execute, and flourish. I knew that I longed to be this type of teaching artist, and wished there were more like her.

In 2019 I decided to leave a toxic dance environment that I had been in for four years. I was scared because while I was also working a full time job, this was my primary source of income as far as dancing and I didn’t have another dance job lined up. Still I knew I had to leave, and I had convinced myself that I was done dancing. A friend and dance colleague came to me with a teaching opportunity about a month later. This teaching opportunity was also in an African American space and I was very anxious because I knew I wanted to change up my teaching style. What I appreciated most was that my supervisor had a huge emphasis on the treatment of our students. She had let go of instructors in the past because of it. It was here that I was able to hone in on being a challenging instructor, and being a compassionate instructor. I pushed my students, but we also had a couple moments where we shared laughs, I listened to their ideas, and gave opportunities for them to create. For the first time I felt as though I was actually changing my approach and still being a challenging instructor.

We now live in a time where people are expressing their boundaries, triggers, and respecting one another. During the start of 2020, I have developed a new group of artist friends and community primarily persons of color. We all share similar views about how teaching should be and realize that you have to be the change you’d like to see. I feel that this new age of African American dance artist are seeing dance through different lenses. I’m personally excited to see this next generation of teaching artist blossom in their approach to dance pedagogical practice.

Leo Tolstoy said “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” We are all constant works in progress, and it’s important to see things in different lenses. How are you implementing change in your approach? It’s ok to find the balance in challenge and compassion.

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