Learning under the guidance of Celeste Snowber has encouraged me to listen deeply to my body and to monitor my opinions of it (both negative and positive). As a dancer, I move and challenge my body to accomplish difficult tasks and in succeeding, I am reassured with confidence that I am also capable of overcoming difficult situations in my life. Conversely however, if my body  is not able to accomplish a task, I am equally discouraged. In my Bodygraphy, I explored and redefined my relationship with my body. I realized that no matter what season my body is in, it is still capable of dancing and making art. Through deep listening, I was able to find my body wisdom. 

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I learned that listening to our bodies and accepting the seasons our bodies go through is integral to self-love and body-love. Our bodies are incredibly resilient and are always working to keep us alive and well. Our bodies are deserving of love and gratitude. 

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In my own teaching practice, I hope that I am able to create a language around the body that allows each student to develop a healthy relationship with their own. I hope to create a culture of love and gratitude for our bodies for the many things that they do and accomplish for us each day. This year, a student of mine was working with a weakened knee. Her passion for dance however was so great that she began to ignore her body's need for rest and thus caused more injury to her knee as a result. My hope is that I will be able avoid future situations like this. I hope to create body-mindfulness enough that each student will be able to recognize  and attend to what their body needs without judgement. 

In Michael Ling's class, we created and shared a Musical Autobiography comprised for three songs that we each would enlist as part of the sound track for our lives. We were asked to select songs that have touches us and sounds that carry deep meaning for us. This activity opened my eyes and my ears to the emotional attachments that we have to music and the memories that are triggered when listening to them again. 

I learned that as humans we are moved by sound and that often students will identify with the popular music of their time. I learned that as a dance educator, it is my job to also introduce sounds from history and from range of cultures in order to diversify the musical identity and palette that my adolescent students are exposed to. 

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In my own teaching practice, I hope to be able to expose my students to a range of musical styles and flavours with in my dance class. I hope to encourage my students to discover and embrace traditional dances from their own cultures as well. This year, we were privileged to have explored Metis Jigging and Powwow Dancing - through which my students and I were able to enjoy and engage with traditional indigenous music and drumming. I hope to continue exploring new sounds and movement in order to introduce my students to a range of expressions that they may gravitate to and identify with. 

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"Listening to pop music is such a central part of teenagers' lives that  it becomes a 'badge of identity' for many of them. […] The influence of the media and the pop music industry is considerable: and this provides a prime example of how social and cultural environment plays  a major role in individuals' musical development and identity."

Page 154

Music Education in the twenty-first century: a psychological perspective

David J. Hargreaves, Nigel A. Marshall and Adrian C. North

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Throughout my experience in this Master of Arts Education Program, I have never been more reassured that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. As a result of my bodygraphy, I realized that there is no better time than now to pursue my passions as a dance-artist and educator. 

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I learned that one way or another all of our bodies move. But for some (in particular, my students and I), dance becomes our passion. Dance becomes our identity. Dance becomes our vocation. 

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In my own teaching practice, I have witnessed several of my students take the leap of faith and pursue a creative career. My hope is to continue to support my students in their pursuit of dance and the arts at whatever capacity they feel called to - whether it recreational, performative, choreographic, or vocational etc. I recognize that this kind of support is unfortunately rare. Pursuing a career in the arts is often not a parent's first choice for their children. However, as their dance teacher, I recognize that it is my job to articulate for my students exactly why they could pursue a career in the arts OR find ways to integrate arts in their lives while still pursing careers outside of it. 

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