DanceWAVE (Working Artists Video Ensemble) is a combined 7th/8th grade dance course in which students choreograph, perform, direct, videotape and edit their own dance videos. The class serves as a laboratory for students to workshop their ideas and acquire new skills in a collaborative process. Strong emphasis is placed on creative exploration and working productively together. The curriculum features a series of small dance video assignments throughout the year, culminating in the creation of a class dance video set in various locations in and around the school.
The DanceWAVE blog serves as place for students to gain inspiration, exchange ideas, and critique work outside of class time. Students post and view their own footage, from which they learn to strengthen their performance and choreography choices and improve directing, videotaping and editing decisions. They also view and comment on professional dance videos in a range of dance styles (modern, hip-hop, tap, ballet, site-specific, etc.), exposing students to new dance forms and expanding their understanding of the genre.
DanceWAVE has come about through collaboration between the Dance Department, Cypris Megias (Video Guru) and the New Lab for Teaching and Learning.