MOLLY HELLER

Key tenants:

*1.) Cultivate a space of Belonging: decenter power in the classroom, reflect students’ culture and diverse backgrounds in course content, acknowledge multiculturalism, address gender, and express care for the individual and collective (adapting to these differences).
*these tenants are influenced by Critical Dance Pedagogy practices and Nyama McCarthy-Brown’s writing in “Dance Pedagogy for a Diverse World.”

2.) Lead by example: encourage students to evolve as I evolve, where learning and respect are foundationally mutual. Language and behavior are aligned consistently.

3.) Learning space as a model of life: dance as a mirror to reflect on all facets of life— that dance allows us to practice conviction in what we uniquely have to offer, to be immersed in discovery, to question why this—why dance?

4.) Attend to history: who and what brings us here? What people/histories are not acknowledged historically and why, and how can they be included?

5.) Ritual as ceremony: anchor and punctuate an experience and to further tune in.

6.) Practice patience and care for one’s self: invite self-compassion and self-care into teaching. Curate a space where teaching is a synergistic relationship—an exchange of energy that also nurtures the teacher.

7.) Autonomy and choice-making: imbedded in curriculum, including the co-designing of syllabi and course mapping.