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I have been a Ballroom and Latin dance teacher since
1989. I started teaching kids to dance in 1999 at the Gabriola
Elementary School. In 2003, I changed how I teach them
and it is working so well that even the boys like it!
What I do now is teach the kids 12 dances. By the end of
the 6 sessions they know the basic steps in each dance; what its rhythm is;
where it's from; and they can identify the music and a characteristic to each dance. I have
taught grades 2 through 12 (it can be taught to any age group). I
don’t usually partner the younger kids up – I focus on them learning the
rhythm, movement and confidence rather than lead and follow. With older
kids I add the lead and follow aspect.
Sometimes during the course I will teach them a line dance that
they practise during
the week. By the end of the course they are able to perform the line
dance in front of the
school and/or their parents.
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Two of the motivating factors
that got me to put this course together were:
-
The question I am asked the
most by my adult students is "How do I know what dance to do to what
music?" I can't count how many times I've seen people sit out dances
because they don't want to be wrong.
-
I have had adult students tell me
that they can't dance - and when I'd ask them "who told you that" they
would give me some horror story from their childhood - the stories
were all different but the result was the same; these adults went
through their life avoiding dancing because they believed they
couldn't.
We can all dance - We all have rhythm
Every
student I teach knows that they can dance - that they do have
rhythm!
Like most teachers I like working with small classes. We
all develop our motor skills at different rates; being able to work with
the kids that are having trouble is very important to me – I want each
child to feel successful. If they "don't get it" for what ever reason -
they will believe they can't dance - and that will affect how they feel
about themselves and dancing as they get older. What makes the class a success for me
is when I have been able to point out to each child their own
abilities.
Dancing is a part of our society. How much easier social
events would be if we had a basic dance knowledge. This program sets the
foundation; because dancing is a motor skill – yes, just like riding a
bike – they will know it all their lives!
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What the Kids learn:
— is the basic foot work to 12 dances
— to develop their motor skills
— to develop their listening skills
— the origin of the dances
— to be able to pick out the rhythm of
the music
— to be able to identify different styles of
music and what dance(s) are done to it
— a line dance to perform for parents, etc.
— to have fun
The 12 dances are:
Argentine Tango, Rumba, Salsa, Cha Cha, Merengue, Foxtrot,
Country 2-Step, Waltz, Polka, Samba and
Single & Triple Rhythm Jive. |
What the teachers
get:
A CD with 2 songs for each dance (labelled so that they know
what songs go with what dance) and a booklet that describes each
dance. They can use these to drill the kids during the week or
not.Teacher comment:
“the first lesson of dance with Gwen Spinks, my grade sevens had to have
the curtains drawn and the door shut to ensure no spectators. By the
last
lesson, the doors were wide open, the curtains were up and they
“waltzed”
down the hall – it was beautiful to be part of the learning experience.”
B. Peacock (Grade Seven Teacher - Gabriola) Letter of
Recommendation: at bottom of page |
What I recommend is:
a 40 minute class once a week for 6 weeks – Ideally, they would get
this course once a year for 3 years.
Dancing is a motor skill and like
any other sport you need to practise.the course can
be taught in a week - and I have offered it as a 1 day workshop.
The cost:
$420 per course - additional
classes are $300 |
Letter of Recommendation:
May 17, 2009
To whom it may concern,
It gives me great pleasure to recommend Gwen Spinks as
an outstanding dance teacher.
She has been teaching dance to our grade 5 to 12 for the
last 3 years and demonstrates knowledge and passion about the subject.
She is able to connect easily with all children and establish a great
relationship with every group.
Gwen adapts her program "Listen to the rhythm" to all
age group and provides a continuum of instruction from year to year. For
the returning students, she expands on techniques and composition of
each dance and adds new component, which keeps the students motivated
and interested.
Gwen is also very liable and always on time. She is very
easy to communicate with and she is very flexible. Our school had to
change the schedule around and she always found the time to accommodate
our needs.
Her intensive experience on the international dance
scenes is definitely an asset. As an International Baccalaureate School,
she easily makes connection between our curriculum and her knowledge.
With all that in mind, I do not hesitate to recommend
her services as a dance teacher for all age levels. After working with
Gwen, your students will be able to follow the rhythm and keep their
feet moving.
Dancingly yours,
Claude Therrien
PE Teacher and Athletic Director
Aspengrove School
7660 Clark Dr., RR 2
Lantzville, B.C. V0R 2H0
250-390-2201 FAX:250-390-2281
April, 2009
Greetings,
We have had the pleasure and privilege of having Wanna Dance’s
Gwen Spinks teach our Grade 5 and 7 Dance Units here at Aspengrove
School for the last three years. Her extensive and obvious knowledge of
dances from around the world greatly benefited our P.E. program and keep
the students engaged, and even enthralled, with Dance.
Gwen’s easy and respectful rapport with the students
allows her to cover a lot of material in depth while ensuring the
students are on task and enjoying themselves. She is always organized
with dance music ready to go for each dance, and with a natural and
effective instructional progression that allows students to learn
quickly. Her Teacher Resources Package is well-designed so that teachers
can easily keep up with the instruction and can enhance Gwen’s
instruction if needed.
I would recommend Gwen’s natural talent for teaching,
her extensive knowledge of Dance, and her excellent organizational
skills and materials for any teacher or school who wishes to provide a
topnotch Dance program.
Graham Shuley
Teacher
Aspengrove School, Nanaimo
March, 2009
To Whom it May Concern,
I was recently fortunate enough to have Gwen visit my Dance 9 – 12 class
at N.D.S.S. Gwen came for two 80 minute sessions and covered an amazing
amount in that time. She was able to engage students of various ages and
abilities as she weaved cultural significance, knowledge about various
dances, music, and technical dance movements throughout the lesson.
Because the students learned the roots of each dance, they were able to
become more involved and enthusiastic about these dances. I would highly
recommend Gwen’s "Listen to the Rhythm" program to other teachers.
Sincerely,
Leah Hickman
N.D.S.S., Nanaimo
June, 2007
To Whom It May Concern,
I participated in Gwen Spinks' Country Two Step and West Coast Swing
dance classes for adults in Duncan this year. Her classes were well
organized and very enjoyable. She taught the dance steps with the
students' skill levels in mind and helped individuals as required. She
was able to dance both the lead and follow positions with amazing ease.
Gwen has a passion for dancing and is able to pass that on to her
students.
I was so impressed with Gwen's dancing skill and
teaching style, that I arranged for my school (Queen Margaret in Duncan)
to hire her to teach a group of children once a week for eight weeks.
The students ranged in age from 10 to 13. The students enjoyed Gwen's
relaxed and easy manner.
Gwen also visited my grade one class and introduced a
variety of dances to my young students. They had a wonderful time and
Gwen was able to manage their energy with ease.
It is my pleasure to recommend Gwen as a dance
instructor.
Sincerely,
Patti Small
Queen Margaret Private School, Duncan
phowens@shaw.ca
for
more
information
you
can
call
me
at
250-247-9756
or
Email Me
Searching the Web
(in creating the booklet that goes with the lessons):
These are some of the websites
I used for the booklet (there are a lot more). An interesting
side note I discovered is how much the African slave trade has
influenced the world’s music.
History & terms of
dances
www.centralhome.com/ballroomcountry/history.htm
www.streetswing.com/histmain/z1q.htm
www.streetswing.com/homepage.htm
www.dancesask.com/danceforms/ballroom/latinhist.html
www.centralhome.com/ballroomcountry/dance_terms.htm
http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/d5index.htm
http://www.salsa-merengue.co.uk/revealit/histsal/prologue.html
