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Negro Spirituals/Civil War (1861-1865)

This reflection is optional for you.  If you would like to share insights, connections or lesson ideas about this era please share them here.  (Quadrille, African Movement w/Noemia, Battle Hymn of the Republic, Wade in the Water, Cakewalk).  Thanks for a terrific first day!

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  • It was truly a lot of fun to dance with Noemia!  I don't know if I would use the dances she did with us in my class or not, but I enjoyed myself and am inspired to think of creative ways to apply those moves. 

    I liked learning about the history of the Cakewalk and how it may have evolved into the "cakewalk" carnival activity we do today.  

  • Noemia did a fabulous job with our class.  I love how she started the session with the assurance that all moves are "right" and to not compare ourselves to others.  I think we all felt successful and were not reluctant to try each dance introduced.  I can see myself using the movement activity that we started with, walking to the music, feeling the beat and allowing our bodies to experience the music with movement.  What a perfect way to warm the body up and get us ready for more.  Noemia was so graceful and lead us beautifully through the stories she was telling.  

    The Quadrille was so fun and easy.  I will add this one to the dance unit I teach every year.  It is a great partner dance without being too threatning.  The upbeat music will keep the students moving while enjoying the dance.

  • I love spirituals ! They are so moving! The quadrille was very fun and an easy pattern to learn. Once students recognized the pattern, I would have them make up their own pattern for a quadrille to share with the class. Noemia did an amazing job presenting and dancing! The  everyday movements from that culture were made into dance movements. Students could use the same technique to show some of their everyday activities like brushing their teeth, washing dishes, making beds,etc. Jesse did a great job with percussion. Some students might want to play an instrument while others dance.

  • I loved Noemia's dancing and her explanations of how African dance moves came to be.  This would be sooo easy for kids who have a difficult time learning dance moves.  Lots of repetition, easy-to-understand moves, nearly impossible to mess up the moves on accident, etc.

  • This was fabulous! It brought back memories of high school gym (more than 40 years ago!!!) and our dance unit. We did a dance in which we killed a zebra and then carried it over our heads! I'm going to use the techniques that Noemia shared in my upcoming theater camp. She encouraged creativity and imagination with minimal narrative. Fabulous!

  • Noeima was amazing!  In my perfect world, I would like to showcase at least one traditional dance lesson in my Geography classes every quarter, focusing on one of the continents/areas we are studying.  I am now interested in trying to find community volunteers to try to make this happen!

  • Exhausted.   The west African dance via Brasil that Noemia taught was incredible.  I would love to bring her to my classes to do an intro class with my students and then continue with them my self.  I would liked to have gotten her exact contact information.

    I also loved the cake walk idea for teaching emotions.

  • Noemia's dances were like a workout/yoga session!  I think I'd do one just for fun to wake the kids up and get their blood flowing!

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