Florence Regional Arts Alliance Provides Grant for Dance at Williams Middle

The Florence Regional Arts Alliance Board of Directors voted to fund Dancing Outside the (Classroom) Box through its Quarterly Grants Program.  The Williams Middle School dance team, “Phat Pheet”, will receive $2298 in funding.

This grant is to encourage dance throughout the school. Twelve Williams Middle School advanced dance students will attend the Showstopper Convention in Myrtle Beach from January 16-19, 2015. Stars from shows such as "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Glee" will teach the classes.

The students will be required to take thirteen classes during the weekend of the convention. They will be required to keep a journal during the convention in which they will write about the classes and what they learned about the different genres of dance. They are also required to write in their journals about how they will be able to bring that information back to the students who are enrolled in dance classes at Williams. Every student will teach a class throughout the third nine weeks that demonstrates their understanding of the learning that took place at the convention.

The students will also use their notes from the classes to create a piece of choreography entitled

“Convention Combo” which incorporates dance combinations they learn in their classes. This piece of choreography will be performed at other events throughout the year.

The chaperones will video-tape all of the classes that the students attend. Upon returning from the convention, the students will download the video and create DVDs so they will have a “digital memory” of their convention experience.  The videos will be used to help the students identify aesthetic criteria for evaluating dance and to help the students discuss their opinions about dance in a supportive and constructive manner.   Dolores Johnson is the  dance instructor and adviser of Williams Middle School’s Phat Pheet.