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A Redbank Plains State School dance project led to new moves for QPAC's Out of the Box Festival

Students used creativity, choreography and collaborative learning as part of Dance… Like No One is Watching

 

What

Redbank Plains State School students joined in a state-wide dance party with Dance… Like No One is Watching, presented by the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) as part of the 2018 Out of the Box Festival for children eight years and under.

All classes from Prep to Year 3 participated, with each year level learning a different dance, culminating in a community dance party at the school.

Artist Neridah Waters and her team of teaching artists worked with the students to choreograph the dances, encouraging the students to incorporate their own cultural and creative elements.

More than 100 Year 3 students from the school visited QPAC in July 2018 to join in Dance…Like No One is Watching and other Out of the Box activities.

 

When and where

May – June 2018, Redbank Plains

 

Key Stats

  • 670 students participated
  • 50 teachers participated
  • Two performances
  • A community dance party for students, teachers and the broader community

 

Primary school children practising dancing with two teachers in a classroom

 

Arts Queensland investment

$13,820 - Artists in Residence (AIR) 2017-18 program. 

The $200,000 AIR program 2017-18, supported through Arts Queensland and Department of Education, connected artists and arts organisations with students and teachers. 

 

Outcomes

  • Dance workshops for all students and an excursion to Out of the Box Festival for Year 3 students.
  • Engaged students in the languages of dance.
  • Professional development for educators focused on the inclusion of dance in their curriculum and daily practice, and using dance languages as a modality for instruction and behavior management.
  • Employed four artists. Ongoing opportunities for artists to deliver the program in other educational environs.

 

Artist comments

The balance of learned movements with freedom for children to be creative and perform their own thing has been paramount to the success of the project. 

 

Reviews and feedback

I cannot express in words the impact our school’s participation has had on staff, students and parents.

The best memory was that I was dancing with my friends, made me happy – student

The project has provided AMAZING exposure to the arts for the students at RPSS. The whole experience has been awesome – School staff

The staff were professionals who inspired and gave our students opportunities to experience and express joy - THANK YOU – School staff

 

 

Reflections and learnings

This project surpassed expectations in a number of areas. This program has brought dance into the everyday lives of the children at Redbank Plains State School and has enabled educators to confidently use dance language.

The opportunity had a massive impact on students, staff and parents as the children shared their dances, participated in cultural activities and saw for the first time a live performance in a theatre.

The project was extremely positive for all students, but the impact was felt most through observing students who generally have difficulty engaging in classroom activities on a day-to-day basis. To see children with learning and behavioral challenges suddenly engage with creativity and concentration, was very satisfying. 

The project reinforced the concept that participation in arts and cultural activities is an essential part of learning, and for some students, a key to their participation in school activities.

 

Tips for others

If we were to do this project again we would allow more in our planning to achieve our desired outcomes. We were very ambitious in regards to achieving the objectives with the proposed timeline, so would increase the duration of the AIR to achieve our goals at a less rapid pace!

 

What next?

A significant legacy for the school has been the opportunity to develop our arts curriculum units with an emphasis on literacy as a general capability.

 

Find out more

Watch the video below of the project.