Trauma Informed Pedagogy for dance

Robyn Gobin’s Trauma Diversity & RESILIENCE course was critical in helping me conceptualize how to approach my solo dance practices and also cultivating the framework for healing communities who have experienced trauma and disability. She also helped me better understand how to approach teaching those individuals who are disabled and who have experienced trauma differently than mine.

I was able to apply the knowledge gained in these courses to the curriculum I developed at the Dreaam House. I began working at the Dreaam House in September of 2019. It is an after school program for at risk boys, some of whom have disabilities, aged 5-24 years old who have experienced trauma in their lives. I created a dance curriculum for healing for these kids which was inspired by my independent research and modeling of a dance movement therapy school in England, The New School University for Creative Arts and Health.

Prompt: Give 5 examples of how and why trauma-informed experiences can impact students learning abilities in relationship to dance pedagogy and dance choreography.

Describe the process of what it looks likes to teach those with disabilities and trauma. Describe the challenges and also places were students excel in learning dance. How does this process affect the learning environment?

What are some key takeaways from this way of teaching? What does the process look like?

Create an outline of a dance curriculum you think would best work for those who have disabilities and trauma. Identify the questions you may have. How does this affect your learning as a teacher with a disability?

Conclusion – how does dance empower and heal these populations. How does dance allow us to tell stories and connect with one another on an emotional and spiritual level? Describe how this is seen in your teaching strategy – and also how this is developing in the classroom with dance pedagogy.