The power of dance.
This week we have been able to celebrate dance at school. Students from Year 3 to Year 12 have been taking part in our own 'BREAKING NEWS' dance exhibition in our new auditorium. What a show! I was so impressed with the students (and the staff dance). It covered a range of themes and genres and all were executed with care, attention, love, and dedication.
Dance is such a valuable art form. It provides opportunities to grow and is a powerful means of self-expression. Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or have just tipped your toe into dance now and again, we all know that dance offers a world of possibilities and benefits that extend beyond the dance floor.
For those who take part in dance, it not only has the obvious physical benefits of building flexibility, strength, control and stamina, but it has wider benefits in wellbeing and communication. It is a unique celebration of movement. It allows young people to connect with their bodies, express themselves through fluid motions and experience the sheer joy of being in tune with music through movement. Every step, spin and jump becomes an opportunity to experience freedom whilst being connected to others and the music.
Dance also allows self-expression, enabling young people to communicate emotions, stories and ideas without uttering a single word. It would feel strange to ask someone to tell a story without words, but this is the power that dance has. It provides a platform to paint a narrative, to convey emotions and connect this to an audience whose only job is to watch and interpret what the movements are showing. The shows we have witnessed over the last few days have done just that.
When developing a sequence for dance, it requires students to explore their creativity both individually and as a group. It has the benefits of being able to work in your own way as well as part of a collective and it also allows students to work with different people, sometimes from different ages and stages of the school. It helps build collaboration, teamwork and add to the sense of community. The shows have certainly added to our experience as an audience but also helped students to work together, grow in confidence and build stronger relationships that they may never have experienced if they hadn’t put themselves forward to have a go and dance.
It was a sheer pleasure seeing these young people enjoy themselves and succeed in communicating emotions, themes and stories to us all. Thank you, dancers, – the world is a better place when you share your creations with us.
Alan Cocker
Associate Principal
The British International School Abu Dhabi
