What do dancing and teaching have in common?
- Charles Alexander
- Mar 9
- 4 min read
This photo is a scene cap from what is arguably the most dynamic Lindy Hop dance sequence ever captured on film. The movie itself is forgettable, with its stereotypical Jim/James Crow era story lines and costuming, but this dance is iconic for anyone who has ever gussied up and gone out to dance Lindy.
My formal dance story (I've actually always really enjoyed dancing--from Soul Train and American Bandstand every Saturday to local theatrical stages and night clubs) began in Baltimore in 2015. I went to a Lindy Hop dance and was hooked. How could you not have a good time getting dressed up and dancing with such exuberance? I signed up for Level 1 classes shortly thereafter. It was GREAT! But, I got really bogged down in the basic techniques--the things that seemed to my novice eyes and ears to be Lindy non-negotiables. So...I practiced. In my basement for HOURS, and on Sunday afternoons in our uncharacteristically sunny dance hall...with anyone who was willing to join hands (but often by myself, repeating the same moves over and over).
Then came Level 2. It was harder, but starting to make sense. By this time, I had a regular group of dance partners I clicked with and that made it a little bit easier. It still felt not quite right, though. It seemed like I had spent enough time doing it (close to a year by this point) for it to really feel comfortable in my body, but it didn't.
Level 3: a revelation! The instructors said, "Forget everything you've learned, and just feel the music!"At last! The words that I didn't know that I needed to hear for everything to finally seem right. I did, and my brain and body had enough Lindy know-how to feel comfortable letting go and just going out there and making amazing dances. I still held back a little, because I was hung up on having the fundamentals just so in spite of the good advice. It wasn't until I traveled to Scotland for a dance event almost a year later (The Glasgow Get-Down--I'm not making this up) and I was dancing with a totally different crowd (away from the eyes of the dancers and teachers of the Baltimore scene) that I finally felt empowered to explore my personal style! I also remembered that a dance doesn't have to be perfect to be fun! I spun, swung, hopped and smiled until I could hardly stand up! I felt like Frankie Manning!
This school year has been, by far, the most transformative of my entire teaching career (nearly 40 years!). It's important for me to point out that I haven't "forgotten everything I learned", of course, but I am teaching a lot more with my gut than ever before. In order to do that, though, I've had to really feed my head. I needed to answer questions around meeting the needs of as many different brain types as possible. I work in an amazing school full of some of the hardest-working, most talented and compassionate human beings you can imagine. In spite of this, I didn't feel like I was meeting as many of my students' needs as I could.
In order for the transformation to stick, I've had to start allowing students to feel more comfortable self-selecting what they need (space, time, movement, etc.). The biggest change came when I stopped focusing so much on the fundamentals (all kids having the same behavior/posture/demeanor at the same time in the classroom all the time, for example). I added alternative workspaces, universal written directions, and outside-the-classroom breaks for certain students. By letting go of a lot of what I have developed over so many years, (within the constraints of safety, of course...some kids "need" a backflip), I'm actually becoming a quieter classroom leader (you heard that right!), and my students are responding with calm and focus. Most importantly, the headspace that used to be taken up with the constant verbal policing of behaviors is looking more like observing instead of intervening, which frees up time I can spend listening to students. Discarding my previously-held notions of classroom "perfection"is allowing more of my kiddos to achieve at higher levels, and to (I hope) have more fun!
It's still a work in progress, of course, but it feels more like Glasgow than Baltimore in my class these days (the answer is YES, students dance in my classroom!). I have to remember the way Frankie and his buddies at the Savoy did it back in the day...wake up, meet up, try out new things...and, in the process, reinvent joy every day!
What inclusive and trauma-sensitive techniques are you using more of these days to grow genuine engagement? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below! Please also consider liking and sharing this article with your teacher friends!
As always, thanks for reading, and
Happy snacking!
Chef Charles
Head chef
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