The greatest lesson dance educators can teach their students is how to learn.

In a world where dancers are often told to listen and blindly comply, we need to train students to think for themselves. This presentation will give dance educators actionable advice to transition from a passive to an active learning model in their classroom.

Together, we will explore:

• how to use open-ended questions to help dancers take responsibility for their training

• where to build in opportunities for dancers to provide constructive and detailed feedback

• the use of guided improvisation to develop smart decision making skills

• areas where educators tend to operate on autopilot

• how we can change up our teaching to engage dancers’ brains

By giving dancers opportunities to be partners in their education, we cultivate not just smart dancers, but strong capable adults who are prepared for whatever career path they choose.

Caitlin Sloan

Caitlin Sloan, founder & CEO of The Brainy Ballerina, is a Dance Educator and Career Mentor based in Madison, WI. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Grand Valley State University and Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Missouri. Caitlin danced professionally with companies including Ballet Tucson and Missouri Contemporary Ballet. She served as Director of The School of Missouri Contemporary Ballet and has also been on the faculty of Central Indiana Academy of Dance and the School of Madison Ballet. Caitlin founded The Brainy Ballerina to empower aspiring dancers with the tools they need to succeed in a professional career both on and off the stage. Through 1-1 career mentorship, virtual private lessons and digital resources, dancers gain the skills necessary to build a smart and sustainable career in the dance industry. text goes here

Email: thebrainyballerina@gmail.com

Website: www.thebrainyballerina.com

Social Media: @thebrainyballerina

Our needs as dance artists shift throughout the year depending on the season, weather, personal constitution, and other outside factors. What if we taught dance, and set up our teaching practices, based on these cycles?

The field of ecology (i.e. the study of the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical environment) teaches us that the survival of a species is based on interdependence, or dependence on other living organisms and nonliving components in the environment.

This workshop draws on Marissa Molinar’s unique positioning as a former environmental scientist and current dance professional and arts administrative activist. Marissa will guide us through the ways we can lean into our own human ecology and creativity to grow a new cultural foundation for dance that supports sustainability, interconnection, resiliency, and longevity.

Whether you’re a dance teacher, studio owner, studio manager, or arts administrator, you’ll develop an awareness of cycles and seasons in dance education, and gain insight and practical strategies to use them to your advantage. Instead of pushing for constant hustle, perfection, and productivity, this workshop will show us the steps we can take to eliminate burnout in the dance industry.

Marissa Molinar is a contemporary dancer, arts administrative activist, and Founder/Director of Midday Movement Series, a grassroots initiative cultivating a new generation of dance leaders through professional development, mentorship, and advocacy. She holds a Bachelors in Environmental Science from Brown University with a focus in Urban Conservation and Environmental Justice, and a certificate in Contemporary Dance from the Professional Training Program at Gibney Dance, NYC.

A late-comer to contemporary dance, Marissa performs with Nathan Trice/RITUALS Dance Theater in Brooklyn NY and Ruckus Dance directed by Michael Figueroa, in addition to working as a freelance performer. Most recently, she performed in Boston Lyric Opera’s Cavalleria Rusticana, and in Dara Capley’s “f..-.r.-.o—n-.t-i..e.r.-.” at the Dance Canvas Performance Series in Atlanta, Georgia. Administratively, Marissa creates artistic sustainability by empowering artists in their individuality while building strong community. Marissa is passionate about centering people of color at all levels of the arts ecosystem, and bringing diverse wisdom into the dance sector. She was the coordinator for the Network for Arts Administrators of Color at ArtsBoston, has consulted for Urbanity Dance, Next Steps for Boston Dance, and others, and is currently a Create The Vote Fellow with the Boston-based arts advocacy organization MassCreative.

Email: marissa@middaymovement.org

Website: www.middaymovement.org

Social Media: @middaymovementseries

This presentation introduces eating and nourishment as a fundamental component of promoting radical self acceptance in dancers.

The state of energy restriction and low energy availability can be chronic for many dancers for various reasons: unrealistic body ideals; pursuit of thinness; lack of daily fueling; discrepancy in intake vs expenditure; lack of education; lack of diverse representations; and overtraining to name a few. As a result, their bodies are physically suppressed. The health consequences of such restriction are widely known, including, but not limited to, eating disorders, body dysfunctions, and anxiety/depression.

Although mental health care and safe dance practices training are becoming increasingly available, these do not address the fundamental vulnerability of dancers: chronic energy deficiency that creates a ripple of negative mental-, physical- and social-health impacts.

In this presentation, participants will learn how eating can be a vital component of promoting self-acceptance through its role as self-care and self-advocacy, and promoting positive emotional-, mental-, psychological-, physical-, and social health.

FUMI SOMEHARA

Fumi Somehara (she/her) is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian and director of DDD Centre for Recovery, a trauma-informed, fat-positive, queer-positive, and culturally-inclusive private practice dedicated to helping individuals heal their relationship with their food and body.

Fumi aims to disrupt dance by advocating for dancers’ fundamental right to eat and nourish their bodies, instead of submitting to the ‘traditional’ practices of minimising one’s body in order to be accepted. Her work has been featured in various dance magazines and webinars in Australia and internationally, and she has presented at dance conferences and workshops including IADMS, RAD and ASPAH.

Email: fumi@dddcfr.com.au

Website: https://dddcfr.com.au/

Social Media: @ddd_centre_for_recovery