Seattle Dance Project engages Parkwood Elementary students in performances

By Cindy Tien, SAN Intern

Earlier this month, the Seattle Dance Project presented a performance called Project 4, which showcased works by female choreographers.

Interactive dance matinee

Seattle Dance Project is currently five months into a year-long dance residency with Parkwood Elementary School in Shoreline, as a direct result of a grant awarded to the SDP by the Laird Norton Foundation.

SDP teaching artists have been working closely with Parkwood teachers to integrate dance into their curriculum. At the end of the school year students will stage a performance to showcase what they have learned from each other.

Parkwood students attended a special student matinee performance of Project 4 on February 4. These matinee shows give students the opportunity to be involved with what goes on behind the scenes, see a live dance performance, and get them excited for the performance they will be doing at the end of the school year.

Timothy Lynch and Julie Tobiason talk to students

Artistic directors Timothy Lynch and Julie Tobiason made sure to incorporate student activity and participation throughout the show. Lynch and Tobiason demonstrated different techniques, choreography, and types of dance used before each showing.

SDP teaches students that dance incorporates the use of their human senses such as touch, hearing, and sight. Students were invited on stage to experience the perspective of the dancers from the stage. They were taught about the different lighting effects and how it is incorporated into the dance to enhance the performance.

Seattle Dance Project encourages dance education, as it brings many benefits to students. Arts instruction brings learning enrichment for students, and is intended to add a different element to the core curriculum. It gives students the opportunity to be educated in new ways.

For more information on how to include dance education in class curriculum, email SDP and see the Seattle Dance Project webpage.

Photos courtesy Seattle Dance Project