University's "Hip-Hop" Dance Project in schools a great move

Posted December 16, 1997


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, Dec. 8, 1997

University's "Hip-Hop" Dance Project in schools a great move

SASKATOON -- The gyrating Backstreet Boys, of music-video fame, got
nuthin' on this city's hip-hop dancing school children.
In recent years, thanks to the efforts of hundreds of enthusiastic
education and physical education students from the University of
Saskatchewan, thousands of elementary school students throughout Saskatoon
have had the chance to learn the basics of creative dance, hip-hop and
line-dancing.
And now, midway through its seventh year, Project Move is estimated
to be teaching its 10,000th Saskatoon student -- using the fun and
motivation that dance offers youngsters.
The project's leaders say this professional outreach initiative of
the Colleges of Education and Physical Education has blossomed from
impromptu lessons for a half dozen inner-city kids in 1991.
Brenda Kalyn and Joan Krohn say Project Move is now an extensive
ongoing school activity that provides valuable educational benefits not
just for thousands of youngsters, but also for the dozens of
student-teachers and in-school teachers involved -- and for arts and
physical education as a whole.
"The children are getting exposure to dance as a vehicle for
fitness -- and it's in a way that's relevant to kids today," says Krohn, a
College of Physical Education faculty member.
"We teach to Saskatchewan's physical education and arts education
curriculum. The lessons offer some strength and flexibility development,
creative work, endurance and balance -- all aimed at wellness and healthy
lifestyles for the kids," Krohn says.
"It's also an alternative to competitive sports as a physical
activity in school," adds Kalyn, a faculty member in the College of
Education.
"And Project Move contributes to Quality Daily Physical Education
(QDPE) programming," an important element of schools' programs that is
being promoted across Canada, Kalyn says.
The project leaders say they offer the dance program to schools on
a first-come, first-served basis each year to schools in Saskatoon's public
and Catholic systems. This fall 10 two-student teams gave dance
instruction to about 450 kindergarten to Grade 8 students in St. Anne and
St. Frances Schools. Each class gets three sessions of instruction, spread
over three weeks. Another set of student-teachers will do other Saskatoon
schools next term. More schools ask for Project Move than can be
accommodated.
Kalyn and Krohn say the schools gain a helpful exposure to dance --
which is a good portion of the physical education and arts curriculum, but
which classroom teachers sometimes feel unprepared to teach. This project
provides new curriculum ideas in dance for teachers to apply to their
physical education programs. Hopefully, it also helps teachers feel more
comfortable with teaching dance.
All the participating university students volunteer their time and
get no credit for their Project Move teaching -- but they get invaluable
in-school experience.
"These are very enthusiastic and confident education and physical
education students, and we give them three preparatory sessions on how to
teach the dance lessons," Kalyn says.
"This gives them exposure to students and to the culture of a
school," Krohn adds. "They see what works in dance, and how they can
modify the lessons to suit their own teaching styles," she says.
Kalyn says the Project Move experience sometimes leads a
participating school or class to go on and create a dance production for
presentation to parents.
She and Krohn recall that Project Move began in 1991 when a few
students and the principal from Pleasant Hill School asked for rap-music
and hip-hop lessons they thought would motivate the youngsters to become
more interested in school. The lessons worked so well that the students
choreographed and presented the featured performance at the University
School of Dance annual parents program.
Kalyn notes that, with some funding from Dance Saskatchewan and the
Saskatchewan Physical Education Association, and small honoraria from
participating schools, Project Move is self-supporting.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Brenda Kalyn, College of Education
Tel: 966-7566

Joan Krohn, College of Physical Education
Tel: 966-6477