In junior high school, on rainy days, we had co-ed dancing in the gym. Sometimes this was line dancing or square dancing. Listening to instructions or the “caller” while staying in step with the music and circling in a “grand right and left” was great multi-sensory activity.
Integrating listening, movement, touch, in sync with music and song was a great fun and theraputic right-brain/left-brain activity for the full spectrum of learning diabilities. It was also a great equalizer because no one was a superior dancer. We we’re all learning together a new dance. And since it was multisensory, the dyslexics had a great chance of keeping up. Emotional, auditorial, social, visual, mental, and physical learning with the risk of embarassment meant alert holistic participation. Great exercise and fun.
A bigger folk dance opportunity happen through a youth church group activity where we practiced square dancing in smaller groups in preparation for a big performance with the joining of hundreds of groups. the final performance was in the Rose Bowl in southern California. This was a visual, and audible extravaganza. All those dancers, with the loud country music, and entertaining such a large audience. Everyone all connected and synchronize with movement and music. Being connect so big externally and being connect with my body and senses was a great landmark
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