Wind and Whirls (Whirlwind?)!

Rhythmically Speaking 2015 came and went in an incredible whirlwind. Wanna know more about how it went? Visit rhythmicallyspeakingdance.org!

Shortly thereafter, I traded in mountains for bluffs in my current high ed setting; My days as a CU student have ended and the ones as an Adjunct Faculty member at Winona State University (part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system) in beautiful Southeastern Minnesota have begun. I am already enjoying my teaching, getting to know a new institution and building new routines in my life.

On Sunday night, I picked out my back to school outfit, but this time not as a student, or as a student and teacher, but as a teacher alone. I got to thinking about this on my first drive down on Monday, and realized that this line of thinking actually isn’t accurate; aren’t we ALWAYS teaching and ALWAYS learning, no matter what label we are given or give ourselves? It is with this consideration that I approach my first school year as Adjunct Faculty at WSU.

I’m teaching one of the three sections of Dance Appreciation class and the Intermediate/ Advanced Modern class, and am creating a new piece on student dancers for their annual concert in February. My spring schedule is yet to be set. I realized along the process of creating my syllabi and course calendars that part of what is attractive about this kind of work is that it asks you to be constantly redefining your values on the subject you are versed in and care about. I loved writing these documents; they speak proudly to my systems of value surrounding dance.