Wednesday, March 24, 2010
{The Blue Banner}
Page 9
Megan Dombroski- Staff Photographer
Eighteen young students from Mountain Area Child and Family Center joined Kelly Davis’ UNCA African dance class last Wednesday.
African dance class welcomes children at UNCA
By Katherine Walker
Staff Writer
KPWALKER@UNCA.EDU
The elated squeals of children rarely
echo around UNC Asheville’s cam
pus, but last Wednesday, 18 preschool
students joined Kelly Davis’ African
dance class.
UNCA alumna Cristyn Olenick
brought her class of 3, 4 and 5-year-
olds from Mountain Area Child and
Family Center to watch and participate
in traditional African dance.
“The children have been really in
terested in Africa and different places
around the world, specifically a little
obsessed with cheetahs. So we kind of
tried to expand on their interests,” Ole
nick said.
Olenick said Mountain Area teachers
try to build on what children are inter
ested in, and after taking the African
dance class while attending UNCA,
she knew it would be a great field trip
for her students.
“We’re just honoring the interests
of some preschoolers,” said UNCA
health and wellness lecturer Constance
Schrader.
Davis, who has taught dance for
12 years at UNCA, said she has tak
en danee classes to schools and done
many performances on the quad for
ehildren.
However, these were the youngest
children to join her class in the dance
studio.
“It’s really important, especially
leaving a comfort zone like their class
room or the school,” Davis said.
Witnessing art and communication,
being comfortable around music and
becoming familiar with people outside
their homes and classroom are all im
portant aspects for the children’s edu
cation according to Davis.
Live musicians Chris Johansen and
Donald McKinsey, who have per
formed in the class for many years free
of charge, accompanied the class.
Lena Bastes, a participant in the
class, said one of the things she enjoys
most is the fact that there are live musi
cians in every class.
“I just think it’s such a wonderful
community. I’ve been taking it since
my freshrnan year and I’m a senior.
I’ve danced in the class three times and
drummed once. I love the movement,
the live drums,” Bastes said.
Bastes, a cross-cultural sustainability
student, said she tries to take the class
before a long lab, because it is a great
release of energy and use of her body.
Davis believes it is very important to
expose people to different art forms,
whether they are visual or performing
arts, she said.
“It’s pretty amazing what (the kids)
probably absorb. You saw a lot of kids
mimicking, and they’ll hold onto that
and take it back with them,” Davis
said.
According to Davis, a dance group
“I think culture is sonnething that you can feel,
and it's so hard to learn about a musical tradition in
your mind. You have to learn in your heart,
and It’s a vibration that you feel. So, It’s really
critical to actually hear the music and be
dancing to the music.”
- Lena Eastes,
participant in Kelly Davis’African dance class
can serve as something similar to a
community, which she said could ben
efit a child greatly.
“It’s very important to have the
communal tmst and to have a group,
or family, outside of the mother and fa
ther that you feel comfortable sharing
and learning with. Davis said the danc
ers also provide an extended family to
the children.
Bastes said the class is a great way to
leam about culture in a nontraditional
way.
“I think culture is something that
you can feel, and so it’s hard to leam
about a musical tradition in your mind.
You have to leam in your heart, and it’s
a vibration that you feel. So, it’s really
critical to actually hear the music and
be dancing to the music. The rhythms
say so much about where it came
from,” Bastes said.
Bastes also said giving children the
freedom to move is beneficial to them.
“Sitting in a classroom reading and
writing can really stamp out the spirit
of a child. To have spaces for them to
move, express themselves and be cre
ative is extremely important,” she said.
“Kids really need to move their bod
ies, and I think that every child is kind
of a kinesthetic learner. I just think it
was an all around neat experience for
them,” Olenick said.
Participation in Kelly Davis’Afri
can dance class is open to the public.
It is held every Monday and Wednes
day at 11:25 until 12:15p.m.