Eisenhower Dance Ensemble

Education

Company Educational Programs

"KIDS 'N MOTION" (LECTURE DEMONSTRATIONS): EDE presents an exciting, athletic, and informative dance presentation for all ages (50 minutes). Through the use of audience participation, entertaining repertory excerpts, and informative narration, company members inspire students about learning, creating, and enjoying dance.

EDUCATIONAL RESIDENCIES: Eisenhower Dance Ensemble can be contracted for residencies lasting one to six weeks. Residencies can include creative dance workshops, lecture demonstrations, master classes, performances, and classroom visitations for participation and discussion. Programs are tailored to meet requirements of the Michigan Content Standards and Benchmarks for Dance Education as well as the size and needs of each school or facility.

MASTER CLASSES and WORKSHOPS: All EDE dancers are qualified instructors and available to teach all levels of technique (i.e. ballet, modern, jazz, tap) and choreography classes. Creative Movement for Children, one of EDE's most popular classes, focuses on teaching the basic elements of dance (shape, level, direction, speed) while at the same time developing the child's individual creative and imaginative skills. For professional track dancers, EDE offers master classes in ballet, modern, and jazz techniques.

CLASSROOM VISITATIONS (following lec-dems): Since lecture demonstrations often spark a variety of questions, the dancers visit classrooms to interact with children for further dance education. These 20-minute sessions can involve discussion and/or movement activities.

"HEALTHY KIDS" PROJECT: Through grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, EDE, in collaboration with Beaumont Hospitals, has created an outstanding educational program addressing childhood obesity issues. Through lecture demonstrations, movement activities, family fun nights, and performance, the program inspires children to make healthy lifestyle choices. The full residency project is 4-8 weeks. Healthy Kids lecture demonstrations may be booked separately.

MINI-MOTOWN IN MOTION: Especially designed for schoolchildren, this scaled-down version of EDE's lavish production, Motown in Motion, is a fast-paced and lively presentation. Through narration, performance and audience interaction, the program teaches students about the life of a professional dancer, the elements of dance, and the history of Motown.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Name of Artists: Eisenhower Dance Ensemble

Medium or discipline: Contemporary Dance, also experience in Ballet and Jazz techniques

Educational Philosophy: Dance should be a challenging learning experience that instills confidence in the students along with developing body strength, flexibility, endurance and coordination. It is an expression that integrates the total human being, incorporating our intellectual, emotional, creative, and physical capabilities. No other art form does this.

Teaching dance should provide opportunities for self-expression and creativity for students individually and collectively. The dance classes should communicate ideas that can be related to other areas of the student's life. There should be flexibility in the program so as not to stifle creativity and to allow for the growth of each student. There should also be adequate structure to promote responsibility and discipline. The student should gain a lasting appreciation for dance as an art form and as a physical technique.

Dance should provide an outlet for creative and emotional expression as well as a physical exercise of discipline. Dance can also serve as a supplemental learning tool for the understanding of core curriculum subjects such as math, literature, and language arts. Its value in education is vitally important.

Approach: A well-rounded dance education program should be designed to include:

1. The teaching of technique. Modern dance is particularly appropriate in educational settings but a student should also be exposed to other technique forms. The classes usually begin with a set warm-up that includes specific exercises to develop strength, flexibility and coordination. Locomotor, or traveling phrases, are also included. The technique section of class gives the students an appreciation for the discipline and physical training a dancer needs, as well as helps them improve technique for participation in the improvisation and choreography aspects of the class.

2. Movement exploration. Structured improvisation is used to give the students the opportunity to experiment with and isolate the different elements of dance i.e. space, shape, time, energy and motion. This portion of the class is structured to give the students the courage to create and yet open-ended enough to encourage creative expression.

3. Composition. The students work on in-class problem solving, generally in small groups, that incorporate the elements of dance they have learned through movement exploration.

4. Performance. The students should have some opportunity for performance, which is the "final product" of the dance experience. This can be small groups in an informal presentation for the other students in class or can be a more formal presentation at the end of a residency project.

All residencies should be specifically geared for the participant's age and experience. Dance should be presented as a fun, creative and joyous activity, and yet an activity that requires discipline and hard work.

Eisenhower Dance Ensemble – One Week Dance Education Residency Proposal

Residency Summary

The goal of the residency is to provide students, teachers, and the community with a one-week exposure to dance through creative movement and composition activities. Each residency is designed to incorporate the Michigan Content Standards and Benchmarks for Dance Education. All residencies are tailored to meet the specific needs and objectives of individual school districts. A sample program is listed below...

Core activities:

Eisenhower Dance Ensemble kicks off the residency by performing its interactive "Kids 'N Motion" lecture-demonstration
EDE dancers work with six small core groups (20-25 students) at any number of schools in the district (elementary, middle, or high school). Each core group will be assigned a team of two EDE dancers.
Students present an informal "show and tell" type performance on the final day of the residency
Optional: EDE dancers individually visit classrooms not participating as core groups for a single 20-30 minute visitation session to discuss dance as an art form and/or lead creative movement activities
Optional: Eisenhower Dance Ensemble presents a public performance for the community
Optional: Workshops and master classes open to the community

Program Management

The EDE Company Manager will coordinate activities with the appropriate personnel at each of the core schools. The EDE dancers will work in pairs for teaching assignments at the schools.

Project Objectives

To directly involve students, teachers, and the community in the creative process.
To increase students' self-confidence and physical well-being and to encourage teamwork and problem-solving through creative movement activities.
To increase teacher awareness of how dance can and should fit into the curriculum.
To utilize the Michigan Content Standards & Benchmarks for dance education.
To encourage the artistic development of students exhibiting special interest or ability in the arts.
To build an audience in the community for dance as an art form.

Activity Schedule

Day 1	EDE performs its "Kids 'N Motion" show at participating school(s) for entire student body
	Core groups meet for 1st session (45-60minutes)
Day 2	Core groups meet for 2nd session
Day 3	Core groups meet for 3rd session
Day 4	Core groups meet for 4th session
Day 5	Core groups meet for final session followed by informal "show and tell" performance
	Evaluations Evening performance by Eisenhower Dance Ensemble for community

Core Group Activities

The EDE dancers will conduct daily classes with core groups at each participating school. The classes will consist of basic warm-up exercises, including a short strength and conditioning segment, and creative movement activities incorporating the basic elements of dance such as space, shape, time, direction, level, speed, motion, and gesture. Lesson plans are developed with the Michigan Content Standards & Benchmarks for Dance Education in mind. Lesson plans can also be geared toward reinforcing content currently studied in the classroom i.e. gravity, poetry, nouns/verbs, geometry.

The students will be directed in problem-solving activities that will lead to the creation of movement ideas for choreography. Through these activities, and with the direction of the EDE dancers, the students will create short "movement studies" that they will share. If possible, all the core groups will share their "movement studies" with each other in an informal setting on the final day.

Note: All of the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble dancers are experienced and qualified teachers holding bachelors, masters degrees and/or the equivalency in dance. The company has conducted numerous residencies with funding from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. References and information on past residencies are available upon request.

Eisenhower Dance Ensemble – Three Week Dance Education Residency Proposal

Residency Summary

The goal of the residency is to provide students, teachers, and the community with a three-week exposure to dance through creative movement and composition activities. Each residency is designed to incorporate the Michigan Content Standards and Benchmarks for Dance Education. All residencies are tailored to meet the specific needs and objectives of individual school districts. A sample program is listed below...

Core activities:

Eisenhower Dance Ensemble kicks off the residency by performing its interactive "Kids 'N Motion" lecture-demonstration
EDE dancers work with six small core groups (20-25 students) at any number of schools in the district (elementary, middle, or high school). Each core group will be assigned a team of two EDE dancers.
Present an informal performance of the core groups and the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble on the final day of the residency

Auxillar activities:

Parent information night
Inservice activity on Options for Dance in K-12 Curriculum for teaching staff.

Optional activites:

EDE dancers individually visit classrooms not participating as core groups for a single 20-30 minute visitation session to discuss dance as an art form and/or lead creative movement activities
Eisenhower Dance Ensemble presents a public performance for the community
Workshops and master classes open to the community

Program Management

The EDE Company Manager will coordinate activities with the appropriate personnel at each of the core schools. The EDE dancers will work in pairs for teaching assignments at the schools.

Project Objectives

To directly involve students, teachers, and the community in the creative process.
To increase students' self-confidence and physical well-being and to encourage teamwork and problem-solving through creative movement activities.
To increase teacher awareness of how dance can and should fit into the curriculum.
To utilize the Michigan Content Standards & Benchmarks for dance education.
To encourage the artistic development of students exhibiting special interest or ability in the arts.
To build an audience in the community for dance as an art form.

Activity Schedule

Prior to residency Kick-off reception/lunch with core teachers, administrators and EDE dancers for communicating goals, expectations, and roles

Week 1	EDE performs its "Kids 'N Motion" show at participating schools for entire student body (Mon-Wed) Core groups meet (45-60 mins) (Thurs-Fri) Parent information night/meet the dancers Inservice activity
Week 2	Core groups meet daily (45-60 mins)
Week 3	Core groups meet daily (45-60mins) Informal performance by core groups and EDE/public invited Evaluations Evening performance by Eisenhower Dance Ensemble for community

Core Group Activities

The students will be directed in problem-solving activities that will lead to the creation of movement ideas for choreography. Through these activities, and with the direction of the EDE dancers, the students will create a "dance." The groups will share their dances with each of the core schools and for their parents and the general public in a final gala performance.

Eisenhower Dance Ensemble – Six Week Dance Education Residency Proposal

Residency Summary

The goal of the residency is to provide students, teachers, and the community with a six-week in-depth exposure to dance through creative movement and composition activities. Each residency is designed to incorporate the Michigan Content Standards and Benchmarks for Dance Education. All residencies are tailored to meet the specific needs and objectives of individual school districts. A sample program is listed below...

Core activities:

Eisenhower Dance Ensemble kicks off the residency by performing its interactive "Kids 'N Motion" lecture-demonstration
EDE dancers work with six small core groups (20-25 students) at any number of schools in the district (elementary, middle, or high school). Each core group will be assigned a team of two EDE dancers.
Present a gala performance of the core groups and the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble during the final week of the residency for each other, parents, and the community
Students tour their work to all participating schools

Auxillary activities:

Parent information night
Inservice activity on Options for Dance in K-12 Curriculum for teaching staff.
EDE presentation at local meetings of Rotary, Lions, City Council, Chamber of Commerce, etc.

Optiona activites:

EDE dancers individually visit classrooms not participating as core groups for a single 20-30 minute visitation session to discuss dance as an art form and/or lead creative movement activities
Eisenhower Dance Ensemble presents a public performance for the community
Workshops and master classes open to the community

Program Management

The EDE Company Manager will coordinate activities with the appropriate personnel at each of the core schools. The EDE dancers will work in pairs for teaching assignments at the schools.

Project Objectives

To directly involve students, teachers, and the community in the creative process.
To increase students' self-confidence and physical well-being and to encourage teamwork and problem-solving through creative movement activities.
To increase teacher awareness of how dance can and should fit into the curriculum.
To utilize the Michigan Content Standards & Benchmarks for dance education.
To encourage the artistic development of students exhibiting special interest or ability in the arts.
To build an audience in the community for dance as an art form.

Activity Schedule

Prior to residency	Kick-off reception/lunch with core teachers, administrators and EDE dancers for communicating goals, expectations, and roles
Week 1	EDE performs its "Kids 'N Motion" show at participating schools for entire student body Community master classes Parent information night/meet the dancers Inservice activity EDE presentations at local civic organizations
Week 2	Core groups meet daily (45-60 mins)
Week 3	Core groups meet daily (45-60mins)
Week 4	Core groups meet daily (45-60mins)
Week 5	Core groups meet daily (45-60 mins)
Week 6	Core groups meet daily (45-60mins) Six core groups of students tour each participating school performing for entire student body Gala performance by core groups and EDE/public invited Evaluations Evening performance by Eisenhower Dance Ensemble for community

Core Group Activities

The students will be directed in problem-solving activities that will lead to the creation of movement ideas for choreography. Through these activities, and with the direction of the EDE dancers, the students will create a "dance." The groups will share their dances with each of the core schools and for their parents and the general public in a final gala performance.