Teaching Tolerance In Dance Education
Are we teaching our students to simply tolerate each other? Or, are we teaching tolerance through the lens of respecting and appreciating one another’s differences? There is a clear distinction between tolerating others and demonstrating TOLERANCE. The verb “to tolerate” means to endure or to bear with someone or something you don’t like or agree with. On the other hand the word tolerance promotes respect and a deeper understanding of someone or something you don’t agree with.
Tolerance is a heavy subject and one that stirs up a lot of emotions and personal stories, but it is an important subject to address. Especially in the climate we live in our world is demonstrating acts of violence and hate filled speech toward people who are different than us. This is where teachers have the power to make a difference in the lives of future generations, and is a reminder that teaching goes deeper than academics and reaches the heart.
What do we know about people in history that have demonstrated tolerance? Mother Theresa, Ghandi, the Dalai Lama and Jesus have all showed LOVE through connecting with those who were in pain, sick and dying. They’ve demonstrated loving kindness, empathy, and concern for those in need with not only prayers and kind words but through ACTION. They treated others with dignity and respect despite differences in race, religion or gender.
Without the action piece we simply tolerate each other.
How do we encourage children to step out of their comfort zone and take action to get to know others that are not like them? Fear is usually the reason why we remain in our comfort zones. So how might we encourage more courageousness in the classroom? The teacher must model safe and inclusive practices and the students must be trained in how to persevere through discomfort and fear of the unknown. Other steps to take towards tolerance includes, listening to others stories, conversations about our difference AND similarities and curriculum rooted in identity and diversity.
When we speak of tolerance I think it’s important to recognize that privilege also plays a big role in this issue. I have been challenged as a white female teacher who has been privileged to been given access to dance classes my whole life that my story doesn’t always connect with my students. My training is in ballet, jazz, tap and modern, but yet the students I teach know more about hip hop and folklorico. Obviously, with a well rounded education students should be exposed to ALL different kinds of dance. And in order to be culturally sensitive to our students backgrounds and heritages we must include dances that are relevant to them and connect to their own identity. Since, my cultural identity is different than my students I must be sensitive by bringing ALL dance forms into my curriculum. Because no two people are the same, diversity must be a thought about when designing lessons and curriculum for our students.
Ways in which to teach the appreciate of others different from ourselves:
Read aloud texts for building friendships of people different than you
Take a dance class that’s out of your comfort zone
Learn dances from different countries
Learn dances from students own culture
Watch dances choreographed and performed by men and women of color
Collaborate and work with people different from yourself.
Discuss the disability Etiquette: PDF http://www.unitedspinal.org/pdf/DisabilityEtiquette.pdf
Bring visibility to dance companies with special needs dancers: AXIS Dance Company http://www.axisdance.org
This blog was inspired by the teacher training at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, CA. Teaching Tolerance Website: http://www.tolerance.org
Disability Arts Online Website: http://www.disabilityartsonline.org.uk/home
Thanks for stopping by!
Alison