What is the course about?
This is a creative dance and performance class for people aged 60 +. Working within a fun and light-hearted atmosphere we aim at improving your physicality, expressivity, musicality, confidence, health and well-being. The course will give you the chance to work with a professional choreographer / dance educator who has experience of working with older movers. The class will consist of a mixture of set dance exercises and creative tasks that will inspire mind and body. You will be exposed to a range of diverse movement styles set to great music, to develop your knowledge, understanding and skill of dance as a creative tool of expression. The course has an emphasis on the application of movement and dance within a performance context and offers individual the opportunity to explore dance within the art of choreographic practice to create performance based work at the end of each term.
What will we cover?
We will cover warm-up including mobilising, strengthening, stretching and balancing exercises, then move into set dance sequences, creative explorations, which will consist of partnering, individual and ensemble exploratory tasks. You will work on developing creative skills which will enable you to work towards the creation of a high quality performance that reflect yours and the groups creative learning journey.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Learn and recognise a wider range of movement styles
• Move with more freedom and ease
• Develop a greater understanding and appreciation of rhythm and its association to movement to express dance
• Improve your fitness, health and well-being
• Recognise mproved flexibility, co-ordination and balance
• Demonstrate increased stamina and control of movement
• Connect and engage with your body in a more embodied and owned manner
• Perform a short piece in front of an audience with more ease and confidence
• Make new friends and increase your social circle.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The course is for any level of experience: beginners in dance, and people with experience in moving or dancing, with an enthusiasm for it and the desire to work within a group.
In order to get the most from the course you will be able to:
• Follow spoken instructions.
• Use numbers to recognise musical phrasing within dance.
• Work within groups and pairs safely.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught within a guided learning, group environment, through a variety of creative based activities, demonstrations, explorations and various reflective processes in a well equipped, modern sprung floor dance studio with music. Students will receive feedback on a regular basis of their progress during the course through sharing’s, and reflective processes. The learning strategy is very much grounded within the framework of reflective learning, where individuals are encouraged to take ownership for their development under the guidance of the course tutor. The course has a physical approach and is structured to help students take that step out of their comfort zone and into the unknown, through an experiential journey of exploration to unfold discovery.
It is essential to be ready to start on time. There may be a little bit of homework practice every week.
HEALTH CHECK
You may or may not be asked to participate in rigorous activity from time to time. Please consider whether you could do this, if you are in any doubt consult a medical practitioner.
As part of the course content, your tutor may record your image for initial and ongoing assessment purposes. You are entitled to decline to participate in the recording of your image.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Bare feet or anti-grip socks should be used except in exceptional cases to be discussed with the teacher. It is
recommended to tie hair back if it is long for safety and comfort and to wear short or long-sleeved tops for the floor work.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Dance 60+ performance, Dance 60+, Silver Swans ballet class, Jazz, Ballet, Tap or Contemporary dance.