Experiencing Dance

Marty Sprague is a dance educator with over 30 years of experience. She has taught all levels, from early childhood through higher education. She recently retired from teaching dance at the Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex, a high school in Providence, Rhode Island. She has also been an associate professor at Brown University and an associate professor and clinical supervisor for Roger Williams University’s education department. Sprague has been involved in program and curriculum development, professional development, policy development, and advocacy support for arts education in Rhode Island. She holds an MA in dance education from the Teachers College of Columbia University and a BFA in dance from Boston Conservatory. She has written and reviewed dance standards at the district, state, and national levels. She was honored by Dance Teacher magazine with the 2004 K-12 Dance Teacher Award and by National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) as the 2005 K-12 Dance Educator of the Year. She is coauthor, with Helene Scheff and Susan McGreevy-Nichols, of Building Dances, Building More Dances, Dance About Anything, and Exploring Dance Forms and Styles. Helene Scheff (1939-2023) was a registered dance educator who taught dance in the private and public sectors beginning in 1960. She coauthored five other books for dance educators, focusing on helping educators incorporate dance forms in their classes, and was a founding member for the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO). A graduate of the famed High School of Performing Arts in New York City, she was a dancer with the Joffrey Ballet. Scheff received numerous awards as an educator, including the Outstanding Registered Dance Educator Award and the Meritorious Service Award from Rhode Island Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (RIAHPERD). She was named the RIAHPERD Dance Teacher of the Year in 1996 and was honored as an EDA Outstanding Professional in 1996. She received the President’s Honor Award from RIAHPERD in 1997 and the Presidential Citation from National Dance Association (NDA) in 1998. She was awarded the Dance Legacy Award by the Rhode Island Dance Alliance in 2002. Susan McGreevy-Nichols is the executive director of the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO). She taught at Roger Williams Middle School in Providence, Rhode Island, from 1974 to 2002. She was the founder and director of the urban school's nationally recognized dance program, in which more than 300 of the school's 900 students elected to participate. She is a founding member of the NDEO and a former treasurer and board member; she served as president before becoming the executive director. McGreevy-Nichols is the coauthor of Building Dances, Building More Dances, Dance About Anything, and Exploring Dance Forms and Styles. Kelly Berick launched the Akron School for the Arts dance program at Firestone High School in Akron, Ohio, and she has been director for 27 years. She has served on the writing teams for the Ohio Department of Education’s Fine Arts Standards and Fine Arts Model Curriculum as well as on the boards of Ohio Alliance for Arts Education and OhioDance. She received the Dance Educator of the Year award from the Ohio Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (OAHPERD) in 2001, the Contributions to the Field of Dance Education award from OhioDance in 2013, and the NDEO President’s Award as part of the K-12 Mentoring Committee in 2021. Berick holds BA and MEd degrees in dance from Columbia College and Temple University, respectively. She is licensed in K-12 dance and career-technical education in Ohio.

Unit I. Recognizing Your Movement Potential
Chapter 1. Surveying Your Body at Work
Lesson 1.1 Stand on Your Own Two Feet
Lesson 1.2 Body Mechanics: Matching Movement to Muscles and Bones
Lesson 1.3 Dancing at the Joint
Lesson 1.4 Personal Physical Survey

Chapter 2. Warming Up, Taking Class, and Cooling Down
Lesson 2.1 Your Personal Warm-Up
Lesson 2.2 Dance Class Basics
Lesson 2.3 Stretch What You Strengthen and Cool Down

Chapter 3. Choosing a Dance Form That Suits You
Lesson 3.1 Determine Your Movement Preferences
Lesson 3.2 Recognize Your Physical Traits and Abilities
Lesson 3.3 Connect Your Physical Traits and Abilities With Movement Preferences

Chapter 4. Learning More Than Steps
Lesson 4.1 Develop Thinking Skills Through the Study of Dance
Lesson 4.2 Apply Dance Learning Strategies to Other Life Situations
Lesson 4.3 Explore Careers Beyond Performing

Unit II. Becoming a Dancer
Chapter 5. Diversifying Your Dance Training
Lesson 5.1 Observe and Analyze to Improve Technique in All Dance Forms
Lesson 5.2 Experience and Train in Various Styles and Forms of Dance
Lesson 5.3 Sharpen Your Rehearsal and Performance Strategies

Chapter 6. Improving Your Skills
Lesson 6.1 Find Classes and Teachers Who Meet Your Needs
Lesson 6.2 Share Your Knowledge
Lesson 6.3 Practice Makes Permanent

Unit III. Making Connections Through Dance
Chapter 7. Expressing Ideas and Emotions
Lesson 7.1 Dance as Nonverbal Communication
Lesson 7.2 Dance as a Report or Essay Without Words
Lesson 7.3 Dance as Social Commentary

Chapter 8. Exploring Dance as an Art Form
Lesson 8.1 Differences Between Everyday Movement and Dance
Lesson 8.2 Theatrical Dance
Lesson 8.3 Your Aesthetic Preferences

Chapter 9. Connecting to Community and Tradition
Lesson 9.1 Cultural Dance
Lesson 9.2 Historical Dance
Lesson 9.3 Social Dance

Unit IV. Becoming a Choreographer
Chapter 10. Creating Dances
Lesson 10.1 Choreographic Elements
Lesson 10.2 Choreographic Processes
Lesson 10.3 Choreographic Structures

Chapter 11. Choreographing With a Seven-Step Method
Lesson 11.1 Choose Subject Matter and Explore Movement
Lesson 11.2 Coordinate Music and Movement, Explore Possibilities, Refine, and Memorize
Lesson 11.3 Add Finishing Touches and Perform

Chapter 12. Showcasing Your Work
Lesson 12.1 Costumes and Props
Lesson 12.2 Lighting, Scenery, and Sound
Lesson 12.3 Production Information and Time Line

Unit V. Refining Yourself as a Dance Artist
Chapter 13. Learning From the Works of Others
Lesson 13.1 View, Analyze, Interpret, and Critique Others’ Works
Lesson 13.2 Learn From the Choreography of Others
Lesson 13.3 Improve Your Performance by Watching Others

Chapter 14. Sharing Your Art Form
Lesson 14.1 Create and Plan Presentations for Specific Settings
Lesson 14.2 Find Places to Share Your Presentation
Lesson 14.3 Give Back to Your Community

Chapter 15. Developing Your Portfolio, Résumé, and Audition Skills
Lesson 15.1 Build Your Portfolio
Lesson 15.2 Create Your Résumé
Lesson 15.3 Prepare for Auditions