We performed two shows, bright and early, at Sweet Apple Elementary yesterday (Monday) as the kick-off to "Exceptional Children's Week". The school really enjoyed us and offered us many positive comments.
Eight dancers underscored, through our performance, that different is not good or bad, that different is just different. The show begins with the dancers in a straight line, moving in response to a set of questions - "If you were born in the USA, move forward" or "If you've gone swimming in the Black Sea, front and center". At the end, the dancers then respond to a set of questions to which everyone can say 'yes': being a good friend, driving a car, and loving to dance.
This is followed by two more dances, one highlight our innovative partnering work, and the second showcasing how we translate movement from two seated dancers to two standing dancers to a seated and standing dancer and, finally, converting the duet into a trio.
Midway through the performance is the audience participation section. We ask students from each grade to select one way everyone is the same, and one way the individual student is different. The difference is usually something they feel they are good at doing such as a particular sport, school subject, etc. This is then translated into movement and performed, with the help of Full Radius Dance, by the entire grade. For instance, Sweet Apple fourth graders performed a dolphin move in response to the answer "I like dolphins".
The show wraps up with an ensemble dance, which is a restaged excerpt from one of our concert dance works, with age appropriate music added. (Somehow, I don't think a piece from "Bar Song" would go over too well with the faculty and administration.)
Thank you to Sweet Apple Elementary for hosting us!
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