For teachers and homeschool parents

Learn how to harness the power of traditional country dancing to benefit your teaching and your students!

Dancing can provide children with developmentally appropriate opportunities to work on basic coordination, left-right discrimination, and the foundation senses of rhythm, self-movement, and balance, all of which are necessary for healthy sensory-motor development. In groups, dancing fosters awareness of symmetry, patterns, and geometrical forms; facilitates awareness of others; and enhances social relationships.  Most importantly, dancing brings joy!

In this experiential workshop, through presentation, articles and reference materials, and movement sessions, you will:

• Receive an overview of traditional social dancing through the centuries
• Discover how dance positively affects learning and social health
• Explore how to determine which dances and music to bring to your group
• Discuss specific dances that are geared to each grade
• Practice ice breakers and warm-ups
• Practice calling dances, and learn about dance courtesies and etiquette

Your takeaways will include handouts with a sample of dances for each grade, resources for age- and grade-appropriate dances, and ideas for curriculum integration. Please Note: While the focus of this workshop is on grades 1-6, grades 7 and 8 dances will also be touched upon and those teachers will also benefit from the information imparted.

Instructor

Patricia Campbell is traditional country dance teacher at Housatonic Valley Waldorf School, where she works with students in grades one through eight. A lifelong dancer, and a dance caller for 30 years, Patricia began her dance involvement at HVWS in 2000, when she “called” for a Harvest Dinner & Dance fundraiser for the third grade trip. In the years since, she created the Shining River Morris Team and took on more dance projects including leading the Maypole dancing, dances for the school’s annual Halloween event, Morris dances, and a sword dance performed by the HVWS Shining River Morris & Sword Team. Patricia’s repertoire of traditional country dancing encompasses a wide range of dance genres, including historical dance (Medieval, Renaissance, Revolutionary War, Civil War, etc.), singing games, international folk dances, contra dances, square dances, and English country dances. A caller and a member of the Board and Programming Committee for the NOMAD (Northeast Music, Art and Dance) Festival for most of its 20-year run, Patricia also leads workshops and residencies, along with dance programs for numerous community groups. Her advice is always for anyone to “get a group of people together and have a dance!”

Your workshop also includes singing with Patti Regan of Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School.

Students who took this workshop previously had this to say:

– Patricia was a wealth of information and provided a multitude of useful songs and dances for grades 1-6 and beyond. 
– This course was helpful for learning new rhythms and different movements to use in my classes.
– The class was very satisfying. It provided lots of dances that I will use. Patricia was very knowledgeable.
– Very high quality. I loved being with other teachers, and the sharing that Patricia made room for.
– Patricia answered all of our questions and provided many resources to take home with us.

Schedule

Friday, July 19:  Check-in registration takes place 6:30-7pm. Orientation and your first class run from 7-9pm.
Saturday, July 20: Classes begin at 9am and run through 5:30, with time for lunch and short mid-morning and mid-afternoon breaks.
Sunday, July 21: Classes begin at 9am and end at 1pm, with a mid-morning break.

Cost
$360 includes all materials and a non-refundable $30 registration fee

Three Discount Options (Choose One! Discounts may not be combined.) 

1. Friends and Family (Personal Discount):  Currently enrolled Sunbridge program students receive a 30% discount and Sunbridge program graduates receive a 15% discount off one or more registrations. Discount instructions will appear on your registration form after you answer questions about your Sunbridge background in the Participant Profile section. Accounts must be in good standing.

2. Take Two and Save (Personal Discount):  10% discounts on subsequent registrations (of equal or lesser value) will automatically appear on your registration form when selecting more than one title. (Exception: Waldorf Weekend, which offers an $85 discount when selected as a subsequent registration.)

3. Send More/Save More (School Discount):  Schools paying for five or more registrations will receive discounts in increasing amounts.
Make 5 registrations, receive 5% off the total cost
Make 6 registrations, receive 6% off the total cost
Make 7 registrations, receive 7% off the total cost
Make 8 registrations, receive 8% off the total cost
Make 9 registrations, receive 9% off the total cost
Make 10 or more registrations, receive 10% off the total cost
NOTE: When choosing this option, please be sure to check off “Invoice my School” on your registration form. To qualify for the Send More/Save More discount, registrations must be made by July 14.

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Questions?
PPlease contact our summer office at [email protected] or 845-425-0055 x20

Sunbridge reserves the right to make faculty substitutions when necessary. See registration form for refund policy.