Canyon Movement Company

We can be reached at 928-774-3937, Studio address: 2812 N. Izabel St., Flagstaff, AZ 86004 email: cmcgina at aol dot com

We offer school and community residency teaching, performances, lec/dems, and presentations. We also have a school of dance, Canyon Dance Academy (http://www.canyondance.org/).

For information, please scroll down to find the appropriate section.

What they say about our residency work:
****Note from Thomas School teacher (where we did a lec/dem on the dances from the Quilts of Gee's Bend project in April 2008)
Mrs. ________ called me this morning and went on about:* how educational our lec dem was* how she knew of another teacher who already had her student looking up Gee's Bend on the internet because we mentioned Googling it* that our take home point of facing adversity and choosing to make art rather than complaining or giving up really hit home and was a great message for the kids and adults* we showed art that was accessible - not necessarily big expensive props and costumes - we gave the kids an idea that they could do the same without heaps of money. ****

Canyon Movement Company class is open to dancers in the community. It is on Mondays at 6:30-8 p.m. Intermediate level dancers. Teachers from the company teach for 3 consecutive weeks and then a new teacher starts. Classes include technique, repertory, and sometimes improvisation. Come join us at the CDA studio, 2812 N. Izabel St. Cost is $12/class or $100 for a 10-class pass.

See our newspaper article about our Residency at Cromer School in March 2008 on our "Reviews" tab. Or go to this link for the article and picture: http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2008/03/11/news/20080311_front_page_2.txt

"Cotton Eyed Joe" with young dancers from Canyon Dance Academy and the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, July 3, 2007

School and Community Residency Work

Current projects: Canyon Movement received a "Partners in Arts Learning" grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts to work with Bothands' transitional housing residents. We completed a dance residency at Cromer School in the Spring of 2008. We have a lec/dem available based on the American Masterpiece project, Dances about the Quilts of Gee's Bend, and performed it at Thomas School in Flagstaff, AZ.

Canyon Movement Company conducted its fourth three-month residency at The Peak School in the Fall of 2007, which concluded with a holiday performance at Flagstaff High School.

Canyon Movement presented 3 lecture/demonstrations and one school performance in conjunction with it's production of the The Nutcracker Suite in Modern Bare Feet on November 29th, and December 7th, 2007. The performance at the Peak School residency included the Pas de Deux. The lec/dems were at Marshall School, Cromer School, and San Francisco de Asis, all in Flagstaff.

DEDICATION TO EDUCATION!
We provide in-school residencies, with the Arizona Commission on the Arts Roster http://www.azarts.gov/roster_display.asp?namekey=80&Submit=Go

LET US HELP YOU!
Incorporate the Arizona Art Standards in your school!

We have been conducting dance residencies in Flagstaff for 16 years, as well as in Colorado, the Verde Valley, Tuba City, and Ireland. We were the resident dance company at Marshall School for 5 years which was a significant part of their magnet program and contributed to their state recognition award.

Residency Options:
Arts in schools make better students. In 2005-06, director Gina Darlington served on the Arizona Department of Education committee to re-write the Arizona Art Standards in Dance. In 2007-08 she is serving on the National Arts Assessment committee for the ADE as well. Throughout these intensive trainings and committees, she and the companyI have become even more convinced of the need to include MORE arts, especially dance, into the elementary curriculum. Our program can include assessment, utilizing ideas on Gardner’s Seven Intelligences.

Residencies may include:

1. LECTURE/DEMONSTRATIONS - A lecture/demonstration provided by the company is an excellent way to provide a live dance performance experience for your students.

2. DISCUSSION AND PRESENTATION ON CAREERS IN DANCE

3. PERFORMANCE FIELD TRIP -Students will travel to the performance theater to attend a dance concert. Daytime performances can be scheduled. A pre-performance outline will be provided and a post-performance discussion will conclude the event.

4. TEACHER IN-SERVICE -Teachers will participate in movement exercises, games, and curriculum development ideas. This workshop includes photocopies of lesson plans and ideas.

5. MOVEMENT WORKSHOP -Students will participate in a movement class that can consist of technique,improvisation, choreography, or a combination.

6. ART CURRICULUM IN THE SCHOOLS

"Cotton Eyed Joe" with young dancers from Canyon Dance Academy
and the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, July 3, 2007

With regards to finding time to include dance in the curriculum, we offer several ideas:
* We are experts at cross-curriculum incorporation. We can use dance to enhance any other subjects the students are studying. For instance, at Cromer, the fourth grade will be the primary participants and we will be learning pioneer dances while learning about Arizona History. Grades K-3 will have one session each with us as an introduction to creative movement and dance as art.
*Dance and creative movement are kinesthetic learning mechanisms which are usually excellent alternatives to students who have a hard time “sitting still.” Many teachers welcome the chance to try new teaching/learning styles. Working with the dance artists, they will become more comfortable and skilled at incorporating kinesthetic learning into their classrooms.
* In past residencies, we have substituted library time for dance, as we incorporate literature into the dance class. Other times, we have substituted music and/or PE, as a dance residency easily incorporates these elements into the lessons. At the Peak School, dance has become a curriculum subject for the 3 months that we are there.
* The residency can be spread out with weekly classroom meetings, or condensed into a one or two week event. We can work with one core group, such as the 4th grade at Cromer, or work with all the classes within the allotted time frame.
* Ideally, a space like the gym or any other open space is best, but we easily adapt to classrooms, or even outside if the weather permits.
* Each residency includes a performance or event at the conclusion, and a teacher in-service meeting which can be at the beginning, middle or end of the residency.

CANYON DANCE ACADEMY

School of Dance

The company teaches classes at Canyon Dance Academy including creative movement, modern jazz, ballet for modern, tap, hip hop jazz, and company class. For more information about classes at the academy, call 928-774-3937. Studio is located at 2812 N. Izabel across the street from Coconino High School.

Canyon Dance Academy has it's own web site. Please go to http://www.canyondance.org/ for the current schedule and happenings.

Students from Canyon Dance Academy traveled to The Hague, Netherlands in July 2006 to participate in the Dance and the Child International conference. They performed excerpts of WaterDance, participated in a world record breaking clog dance, took class, and one of our teachers taught class! See pictures at the CDA website, http://www.canyondance.org/

What makes Canyon Dance Academy different?

*We focus on the development of the whole person by presenting dance as an art form, thus spawning creative and independent thinking, leadership skills, self-control both physically and emotionally, working cooperatively in groups, and confidence building in activities such as choreography and performances.
*We advocate the philosophy of Virginia Tanner, a pioneer in the field of creative movement for children: "The motivating force behind my work is not only developing excellent dancers, but more importantly, developing young people who are useful, imaginative, worthwhile human beings."
* We offer performance opportunities, not competitions.
* We offer excellent technical training by college graduates with professional experience.
* We offer a variety of classes while staying true to our mission of teaching dance as an art form.
* We offer specialized workshops, AZ Jazz Dance Festival attendance, travel opportunities, and company training for our teens.
* We also offer scholarships, reduced prices on costumes, discounts on dancewear for our students, and many other family-friendly resources for our students.
* Our Bravura! teen company performs monthly at various community events.

The Quiltings, 2001

(photo by Norm Shrewsbury)


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