Our
education team employs a child centred and inclusive approach
to Movement Arts Education, trying to make each session participatory,
creative and self-contained. We also try to bring fun into
learning and at the same time take care to follow sound pedagogic
practices.
The education outreach programmes are offered to students
from all backgrounds irrespective of their financial status,
language, cast, creed, or religion. These include private
schools, government schools as well as schools and organizations
from the voluntary sector that work with children with special
needs or backgrounds.
Dance artists of international repute who have undergone training
in India and abroad in a variety of movement styles and aspects
of pedagogy lead the education team at Attakkalari.
Attakkalari has set up a core group of dancers as resource
team. It consists of dancers who have been training as part
of the Dance Development Program (DDP) for the past two years
as well as dancers on temporary contract as outsource persons
to work on the Education Outreach Programme (EOP) and Dance
in Education Programme (DIEP). They have been training in
Contemporary Dance, Indian classical dance forms, Yoga, Kalarippayattu,
Ballet, Mechanics of Movement and Body Conditioning, Contact
Improvisation and Choreography.
These multiple skills and experiences have resulted in the
emergence of a unique style of Indian contemporary physical
expression, which is the hallmark of Movement Artists from
Attakkalari. The movement style that Attakkalari has successfully
developed is influenced by a number of Indian physical traditions
as well as valuable information from outside India. This makes
our traditional knowledge relevant and accessible for young
people today. Having gained valuable experience over the years
working in different parts of the world, the artists of Attakkalari
would like to share that with the youth of India, specifically
through these dance education processes.
We have developed a structured project with a proper syllabus,
lesson plans prepared according to this syllabus and a well-defined
process for conducting classes and training youngsters. The
dance instructors adhere to this syllabus and all inputs are
documented. A creative dance therapist was drawn upon to provide
expertise on dance pedagogy.
Typically, each session can range between 40 minutes to one
and half hours. Depending on the requirement of the school,
a proper schedule can be worked out to mutual satisfaction.
We also train students in contemporary dance for school day,
annual day, founder’s day, etc and offer theme-based
choreography.
This perhaps is the first time in Bangalore that an institute
is offering dance education to school children in this scale
and magnitude.
In the year 2003-04, we had worked with 10 schools in Bangalore,
both in the formal and non-formal sector, conducting regular
classes for the primary, secondary and senior students in
different grades. The schools are: National Academy for Learning,
Gear Innovative International School, BKS High School, Innissfree
House, St. Paul’s English School, Golden Bead, Navkis
Education Centre, Parikrama (2 branches) and Sindhi High School.
In 2004-5 there were 9 schools under
the EOP including Parikrama Humanity Foundation (2 branches),
Navkis Education Trust, Sri Kumaran's Children's Home, Sindhi
High School, Headstart Education Trust Golden Bead, Greenwood
High School and St Joseph's High School. |
Some of
the benefits of working with dance are self evident such as
enhancing physical fitness and motor coordination while giving
children a sense of rhythm. In addition, dance helps develop
extra-verbal communication skills and enables children to be
self-assured and at ease in groups. It encourages children to
develop skills to work in a world requiring teamwork, without
compromising on individual creativity. Thus, the movement arts
on the one hand reinforce learning while on the other, encouraging
creative and critical responses.
Physical education develops physical competence and confidence,
and the ability to use these in a range of activities. It promotes
physical skilfulness, physical development and knowledge of
the body in action. It provides opportunities for pupils to
be creative, competitive and to face different challenges as
individuals and in groups. It promotes positive attitudes towards
active and healthy lifestyles.
Participants can learn how to think in different ways to suit
a variety of creative, competitive and challenging activities.
They learn how to plan, perform and evaluate actions, ideas
and performances to improve their quality and effectiveness.
Through the process they discover their aptitudes, abilities
and preferences, and make choices about how to get involved
in lifelong physical activity.
Over time they build on their natural enthusiasm for movement,
using it to explore and learn about their world. They start
to work and play with other participants in pairs and small
groups. By watching, listening and experimenting, they develop
their skills in movement and coordination, and enjoy expressing
and testing themselves in a variety of situations. |
