PS 78 Bronx Anne Hutchinson School hi rez ps 78 last interview from Amanda Selwyn on Vimeo. PS 78 Classroom Teacher Feedback (January 2009) "Some students can't stop making the moves that they practiced during the program. I found that after dance, the students are more enthusiastic about continuing the business of education in other subject areas." "Dancing together has enabled my students to let down their guard. They are able to leave their comfort zone and work to include other students." "The program promoted collaboration, understanding, and confidence. It also promoted diversity. Student writing became more creative as they learned new dance concepts. For instance, students were able to create more visual descriptions." “Dancing together has enabled my students to let down their guards. They are able to leave their comfort zone and work and include other students.” (December 2009) “I am pleased to see the level of commitment and dedication that our teachers and students exhibited throughout this residency.” “We learned to move to the beat, listen to the music, and follow the music.” PS 78 Parent/Guardian Feedback (January 2009) "Notes in Motion had a great impact on my child for he hadn't had this experience at his old school." "He is very excited about dance and proud to perform to show what he had practiced. He is more confident to present his talents in public." "The program is original, energetic, and educational, and builds self-reliance and self-esteem. It keeps the students energized throughout the day." (December 2009) “He is excited when talking about the dance program. Our son is happy to see his parents at his school during the dance performance.” “My child has experienced personal growth. My child is relaxed, happy, and having fun.” “The program helps him to be more open about his overall learning experience and promotes creative positive feelings.” PS 78 Student Feedback (June 2009) “You dance what you feel.” - 4th grader “It makes me feel good about myself.” - 4th grader “It taught me levels, improvisation, and choreography.” - 4th grader “I like dance because it’s fun and keeps me motivated.” - 4th grader (December 2009) “Dancing is how we move our body. It taught me that I can control my body.” – 1st grader “It taught me that when you work together, you will not feel shy.” – 2nd grader PS 63 Manhattan PS 63 Classroom Teacher Feedback (June 2009) "Several boys who had been reluctant to dance developed an enthusiasm for it, especially when given the chance to be onstage.” “We used the rhythm activities from dance for transitions in the classroom. Kids considered dance a fun part of the day and felt motivated.” (December 2009) “Children who struggle academically had a chance to SHINE!” “It was amazing to see the students value different talents in each other instead of academics because they often fall into habit of judging one another based on scores.” PS 63 Parent/Guardian Feedback (December 2009) “Loved it! I loved the creativity of it, the sense of timing the students show. I thought it really showed how dance is a form of communication." “He looks forward to it every week and talks about it when he comes home.” PS 63 Student Feedback (June 2009) “Dancing makes me a super star!" - 4th grader "I like the brain warm-up and making up my own moves." - 4th grader "My favorite part of the residency was everything because it woke up your body." - 4th grader "I learned how to make my own dances." - 4th grader (December 2009) “It taught me you can also move your body, and moving your body is dancing!” - 3rd grader “How to FEEL dance.” – 3rd grader "TEAM WORK!" - 3rd grader Bronx Charter School for the Arts Last spring, Notes in Motion Outreach Dance Theatre partnered with Bronx Charter School for the Arts for the first time. Since that time, we have continued our relationship as arts partners and I look forward to future programs in collaboration. In the 2006-7 school year, Notes in Motion did a 10-session residency program with 2 first grade classes at our school. The name of the residency was "I am a Choreographer" and the focus was teaching our students to be creators of dance movement, to understand and have ownership over an artistic process, and to develop their own choreographic voices. In addition to the residency last year, Notes in Motion's Education Ensemble performed an interactive lecture/demonstration for several grades call Dances are Built from Movement Ideas. This performance was a great jumping off place for the residency. During the course of the performance, the dancers created an original dance with the help of our students. Finally, during our special "Arts Week" last April, five dancers from Notes in Motion's Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre came to perform an excerpt of their newest work Interiors and discuss their lives as professional dancers in New York City with the students. This was a great highlight for everyone. This April, I have invited Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre to return to the school to perform for our "Arts Week" once again. Also, we are in the planning stages for another residency program with Notes in Motion Outreach Dance Theatre for the 2008-2009 school year. I am eager to bring Notes in Motion Outreach Dance Theatre back to Bronx Arts. Their programs are highly professional with talented and energetic teaching artists. Their curriculum reflects the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts with a focus on dance making and inter-disciplinary dance learning. Company director Amanda Selwyn met extensively with myself, our dance teacher, and her teaching artist to develop an effective curriculum for our population. Thought was given to every detail of each lesson and Ms. Selwyn was open to revise curriculum as necessary as the residency unfolded. Notes in Motion Outreach Dance Theatre is the kind of arts partner we seek because they are so committed to this dialogue with everyone involved in the school. Ms. Selwyn also prepared evaluation forms for students and families so that she could measure the success of the residency and continue to hone her programs. I look forward to working together with Notes in Motion for many years to come. -Ann Ledo, Arts Director, Bronx Charter School for the Arts May 2008 The Academy for Young Writers Notes in Motion Outreach Dance Theatre recently completed a 20-session residency program at my school The Academy for Young Writers in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The residency program served the entire 10th grade, which comprises half of our school and over 100 students. I was very pleased with the quality of the program and the overall professionalism of Notes in Motion. Amanda Selwyn, the organization's director partnered with us to find a way into the study of dance that would excite our students. We decided to focus on social and Latin dance as a jumping off point to draw the students into dance. This approach worked excellently. The students mastered the curriculum, expressed enthusiasm about their learning process, and developed new community cohesion from their dance experience. With an emphasis on the learning standards as outlined in the Blueprint, Notes in Motion developed an engaging dance curriculum that taught our students dance making, dance literacy, and ways of making connections between dance and culture and community. Crystal Davis was the teaching artist from Notes in Motion who came to our school. Ms. Davis' warmth, energy, talent, and commitment to the students were paramount from her first day at our school. She brought attention to detail to all of her lessons and kept the students moving physically throughout the class period. Throughout the 20 sessions, students mastered a range of dance skills, learned about improvisation and choreography, and prepared a final performance for our entire school community. Ms. Davis and Ms. Selwyn worked well as a team. Ms. Selwyn visited several times throughout the residency to observe Ms. Davis' teaching and they worked together to hone and refine the curriculum to best meet the needs of our students. Looking to the future, I would be eager to bring Notes in Motion Outreach Dance Theatre back to our school for further dance programming. I hope to continue to build on our relationship and find ways that this arts partnership between Notes in Motion Outreach Dance Theatre and the Academy for Young Writers might expand. With future residencies, students can go deeper into their creative exploration of dance, different teachers and students in our school could have the opportunity to participate in the programs, and the school population may develop performance and audience skills that can transcend into all areas of learning, strengthening our community. -Carolyn Yaffe, Principal, The Academy for Young Writers, Brooklyn January 2008 McGraw Hill Publishing Company I hired Notes in Motion on our "Bring Your Children to Work Day" this past April 26, 2007. Amanda Selwyn, the Artistic Director, was excellent at working with the needs of our company to create the perfect program for the day. The program included a warm-up, interactive performance, and 6 workshop round-robin with dance, drama, and visual art components. At the conclusion of the day, the children all had huge smiles on their faces and seemed to have learned something more about their parents' jobs through the art form of dance. In addition, the children created a colorful mural of their impressions of their parents' jobs at the McGraw Hill Companies that included personality, thought, and detail. I have already extended an invitation to Notes in Motion for next year. All of the 7 Teaching Artists that presented the program were tremendously skilled at their craft, energetic, warm, and courteous and professional when dealing with our company. Notes in Motion also has a great website that captures the vitality of the organization with accuracy and successfully highlights the necessary information for those who contract their services. I look forward to working with Notes in Motion again in the future and recommending them to others. Any NYC school would be lucky to have such creative educators partnering with their community. As a vendor of arts-education services, they are well-organized, communicative, and expert in all of their dealings. -Alicia Putrino, Human Resources Specialist, The McGraw Hill Companies April 2008 Greenwich Village Center, Children's Aid Society I am writing to express my admiration, respect and support for Amanda Selwyn. I have been most happy to support and partner with Amanda in her capacity as Founding Director of Notes in Motion. Under the auspice of Notes in Motion, Amanda has presented original dance performance for the public through Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre. Amanda has also brought arts-in-education programs to children in New York's public schools and to families at programs called "Family Day" through her Outreach Dance Theatre. As evidence to our commitment to Amanda and Notes in Motion, we have been very happy to offer her rehearsal space and to host her public events at the Center. One example of our successful partnership has been Notes in Motion's bi-annual "Family Day" event. This March will mark their fifth "Family Day" at the Center. "Family Day" creates great opportunities for parents and children in the community to have an art-making experience together. Families join the company's artists in create original dance, murals, ceramics, song writing, and collage. Future "Family Days" at the Center are already scheduled for fall of 2008 and spring of 2009. Amanda consistently does a great job promoting her events in the NY Times, gocitykids, and New York Parent resulting in a large and diverse audience. We have been privileged to serve as venue for these events and our audiences have benefited enormously from them. I have also personally attended performance by Notes n Motion at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College and the 45 Bleecker Theater and I have always been impressed by the talent of her performers, by the intricacy of the choreography and by the overall professionalism and production values. I consider Notes in Motion to be an important, vital and groundbreaking company and I am proud to support and promote its work. -Steve Wobido, Center Director, Greenwich Village Center, Children's Aid Society June 2008 |
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