GROUP 1: HARD WORK, NEW STRANGE THINGS, AGAIN TEACHER AGAIN, REAL PROGRESS, EVERYONE' S LEARNING8/18/2016 its already the end of week 3 , we are over half way and only have 3 more classes with group 1 until there final performance! In this short period of time i have already learnt so much about my teaching and the girls challnge me and teach me new things every day. By the end of some classes I am exhausted with the amount of energy to takes to encourage and support these girls to keep on trying and to give it there all. Today I had a translator in the class which was so helpful. I asked the girls to create there own movement phrase with a Kick, Balance, Turn and Jump. But after explaining the activity to them only a few girls actually engaged with the task. I am so glad for translation because I couldn't understand the problem. Do they not understand? Don't they want to do it? Vanna, who translated and works with the girls everyday explained that they all want to do it but they were tired and didn't want to do it badly or wrong. So instead they just sat at the edges.
In my Khmer class I take on a Saturday I am learning a dance which has been danced for many many years, the same way, in perfect unison with no deviation from the original movement. I am now really challenging a culture with these girls to give them creative reign and think up there own movement. Also trying to challenge the idea that you cant dance "badly' or 'wrong' is a real challenge. I don't think I had appreciated how many cultural barriers i would face when teaching, the Language barrier was excepted and we muddle through ( most of the time) but trying to distill new ideas in learning and moving is a whole other issue. I am so proud of there progress but I am in this constant state of feeling like I am doing a great job with the girls to thinking I still have everything to learn. And I guess that is the state I always need to be in, always questioning my approach, always finding new ways to do things, always learning, always growing. Bring on next week!
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Caroline RowlandI am a dance artist from Leicester who is teaching dance in Cambodia with Girls who are survivors of sex trafficking and with young disabled Khmer people ArchivesCategories |