MOVE EVERY BODY.

Dance Educators Association of Washington envisions equitable access
to quality dance education for all people regardless of
gender, age, race, religion, culture, socio-economic status, or ability.

 

Mission:

Dance Educators Association of Washington supports and advocates for the dance community in Washington State.

Announcing 2019 DEAW Annual Conference!
Every Body is a Dancing Body

October 5-6, 2019
All That Dance
3012 NE Blakeley St, Seattle, WA 98105

NEWS

Upcoming Events

Featured
Outdoor Reception at the Gonzaga Spring Dance Concert
DEAW at the Recycled Arts Festival (Vancouver)
DEAW Seattle Pride Picnic
Dance Educators in Performance
End of Year and GU Dance Intensive Garden Party
Back to School Coffee Hour (Seattle)
Post Showcase Party (Spokane)
DEAW Annual Professional Development Conference

2018 DEAW fall conference

Dance Saves Lives:
Awakening Radical Joy Through Movement

Dance Educator of the Year

SchoolFieldtrips_LT_002 (1).jpeg

The 2018 Dance Educator of the Year is Shannon Barnes!  Shannon was honored at the 2018 DEAW Conference.

See what's new with DEAW. Follow our Instagram feed below.

SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR FALL CONFERENCE! OCTOBER 5-6 2019 AT ALL THAT DANCE IN SEATTLE. • As dance educators, we constantly use our bodies to communicate information and make meaning. To feel as though we are thriving in our profession, it is important to take time to feel connected to our form, treat our bodies with safety and love, and become knowledgeable about current understandings of how it functions best. • We believe all bodies are dancing bodies, and want our teaching practices to be inclusive of a diverse student body and support students in a full range of abilities and identities. It is important that we are always learning new ways to welcome every body into our classrooms and helping students find power in their unique body. • We can't wait to see you there!
It’s International Transgender Day of Visibility! Which is a great day to remind ourselves to know and respect students’ pronouns. It’s a simple way to make sure our dance spaces are safe spaces. 🙌
Please help us welcome our new Conference Director, Margaret Behm! She's already doing great things for DEAW. • Margaret Behm is a dancer and teaching artist with an affinity for improvisation. She takes pride in her own, and guiding others’ discoveries of their dancing bodies, and wants everyone to feel empowered to take up space in the world. As an educator, Margaret is passionate about creating community empowered through movement. She has taught people of all ages and abilities in both studio and community settings. Margaret also uses her leadership and interest in community in dance-related administrative and event planning roles, and is eager to continue that work as DEAW’s Conference Director. • Check out our website for Margaret's full bio! We're very excited to have her on the team. deawa.org
Did you know that @ndeodance has a mentorship program? PreK-12 dance educators apply by April 8! • #seattledance #danceeducation #danceeducator #k12education #tacomadance #bellinghamdance #bellvuedance
DANCE PANTS OF THE DAY inaugural shoutout to Rebecca Lucero, Lindy Hop instructor at @centuryballroom. We love your cat galaxies. • Share your dance looks with us. We are ready for your dance fashion. 😎 • #issadancelook #seattledance #tacomadance #bellvuedance #bellinghamdance #vancouverdance #dancepants #pantsthatmakeyoudance
We were thrilled to have a stepping workshop at our 2018 conference with @michaelpgalen, and since then it seems that stepping is popping up everywhere! As this dance form gains visibility and popularity, it’s so important to learn its roots and create dialogue with its lineage. Check out this Stance on Dance article about the first professional stepping company! • #Repost @stanceondance with @get_repost ・・・ Step Afrika! is the first professional #dance company dedicated to the tradition of #stepping. Founder C. Brian Williams shares the history of the company and how he helped evolve stepping from a traditional form primarily practiced in African American fraternities and sororities to an internationally touring repertoire. Read more here: https://wp.me/p4eKKc-25g or on stanceondance.com. Photo by Jati Lindsay. @stepafrika
2018 CONFERENCE REFLECTION • A huge highlight of our conference this year was our student panel. Dance students told us what they love, what annoys them, and what sticks with them long after they leave the studio. It is so easy to take time in dialogue with your students. All it takes is a few minutes at the beginning or end of class to ask them what they need. Try giving students paper to write anonymous feedback for you if they feel more comfortable writing than speaking. What kinds of questions do you like to ask your students? • Photo by Nico Tower Studios.
More great ideas from @danceprehab ! See their post for video examples of FUNCTIONAL ab exercises. • #Repost @danceprehab with @get_repost ・・・ More often than not, we see many dance teachers utilize “crunches” or “sit-ups” as part of an abdominal workout or conditioning circuit in their classes. HOWEVER, with this exercise, are we really getting to most bang for our buck? . The sit up works one motion - trunk flexion (bending forward). Obviously this is beneficial for the muscles that are required to bend our torso forward, but does it really address stability? Second, if your feet are being held down by someone/something else, chances are you’re probably using your hip flexors to help lift your body up. . Are sit ups really doing what we think they’re doing? Probably not as much as we’d like. Why not try the following exercises over the crunch or sit-up: . ✅With the following exercises, the emphasis is trunk STABILITY while the arms and legs are IN MOTION. ✅The purpose here, besides strengthening, is to develop an AWARENESS of how our body is (or perhaps isn’t?) stabilizing against movement, rather than just muscling through an exercise. ✅Our muscles do not work in isolation, and incorporating an exercise like the side plank lifts are a way to incorporate glute muscles into the picture as well. . 1️⃣ Abdominal Bracing 💭Utilizing a “drawing-in” cue to activate deep abdominal stabilizers. Think about bringing your belly button down towards the floor. The goal is the maintain low back contact with the surface. . 2️⃣ Ab Bracing + Marches (+ Heel Slides) 3️⃣ Deadbugs/Dying Bug Variations . 💭With these two exercises, focus on not letting the low back arch off the table. . 4️⃣ Sideplank Lifts 💭While “drawing-in” your abdominals, incorporate some glute med activation into your core exercises. . ⚠️TO THINK ABOUT: How are we as educators facilitating proper form and incorporating safe practices into our class and studio settings?
DON’T FORGET TO SUMBIT YOUR PROPOSALS! 🙌 Deadline is TODAY. Link in bio. • #tacomadance #bellvuedance #bellinghamdance #vancouverdance #seattledance #danceeducation #danceeducator #danceteacher #danceteacherlife #seattleart
How will YOU participate in Dance a Difference week? • #Repost @ndeodance with @get_repost ・・・ NEXT WEEK! NDEO invites you to participate in the 3rd annual NHSDA Dance A Difference Week - a week dedicated to dance based service in our communities. Learn more about your dance program can participate at nhsda-ndeo.org/danceadifference, then share your experience next week using the hashtags #NHSDA and #DanceADifference.
HAVE YOU SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL YET?? • DEAW is seeking performance proposals from members. Submit a piece of choreography to be featured in this showcase of incredible dance educators from around the state. All proceeds from the concert will support DEAW progamming including statewide conferences, workshops and networking events, professional development scholarships, and regional dance advocacy. • LINK IN BIO. DEADLINE IS MARCH 1.
There is still so much body love covering @rainierdancecenter ! Did your studio do Love Your Body Week? We would love to hear about it! • #lybw #danceeducation #danceeducator #dancestudio #seattledance #vancouverdance #bellinghamdance #bellvuedance #tacomadance
NHSDA AWARD (and WA State Award) APPLICATIONS DUE FEBRUARY 22! • Students who have been inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA) Secondary Program and are current juniors and seniors in High School are eligible for the NDEO Artistic Merit, Leadership and Academic Achievement Award, the highest student dance award in the nation. • AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, DEAW will recognize a Washington State winner of the Artistic Merit, Leadership and Academic Achievement Award. Submit your application for the national award to be considered for the Washington State award! • Application here: nhsda-ndeo.org/NHSDAaward
ANNOUNCING DEAW'S FUNDRAISING PRODUCTION: DANCE EDUCATORS IN PERFORMANCE! DEAW is seeking performance proposals from members. Submit a piece of choreography to be featured in this showcase of incredible dance educators from around the state. • This event provides dance educators with the opportunity & encouragement to engage in their own artistic process. By creating a platform for teaching artists to showcase their choreography, DEAW aims to shine light on the intersection of choreography, dance performance and education. Dance Educators in Performance is a fundraiser for DEAW. All proceeds from the concert will support DEAW progamming including statewide conferences, workshops and networking events, professional development scholarships, and regional dance advocacy. • SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSALS! LINK IN BIO.
SEATTLE, DON’T MISS @thethreeyells THIS WEEKEND! • FRI & SAT 7:30 Cornish Playhouse • DEAW Director of Social Media @sarahjoydances is performing! Go support our community! • Beautiful photography by Jim Coleman. • #seattledance #seattledancers #thingstodoinseattle #seattleperformance #seattleart
NDEO-logo-with-watermark-dancer-300x185.jpg

DEAW is a

proud affiliate of the

National Dance Education Organization