Task 4c

Dance in primary school:

I have recently been involved in working with children at a local primary school.  The class were given a ‘Private Project’ where they studied a secret topic and after a hard few weeks presented their work to the school and family.  The topic area was Africa.  A large majority of the presentation was a production of two African themed dances and an African based play.  The children were aged 7/8 yrs old.  The children were eager to learn the dances and get involved with the play. We collectively chose to dance to the Lion King (Broadway recorded version) this music really captivated the attention of the children as they instantly were moving like their chosen animal.  When I spoke to Miss Evans (yr3/4 teacher) she really thought that dance in education was a necessary tool to teach a subject/theme and interpret it through body movement.  It was a great experience to be a part of. 

Family run business:

My grandfather opened a painting and decorating business.  He had 8 children, my father being one of them.  I asked my dad about how he felt about the family run business and the changes he saw in the family dynamics.  He found it hard to answer as he grew up in that situation so to him it was a normal circumstance; one thing that he was sure of was that a family run business was a 24/7 operation as the work was brought home and discussed in the evening.  It wasn’t a 9-5 job as such.

The above provoked the questions below:

Can dance at primary school level be an educational tool?

From my experience of working at a primary school my personal opinion is that dance was an educational asset.  Children had to use new skills and perform them in a way that communicated the story of the dance to the audience.  They had to understand the plot of the dance to therefore convey that.  Things such as rhythm, coordination and confidence were all part and parcel of their dancing experience thus far.  I was talking to the reception teachers who gave a really interesting take on dance in education...the children they work with are 4/5 yrs old, and the majority of learning is done through play- work based play- the children learn to share, to count and so on...dance is an extended version of this, the children enjoy the dancing and learn new skills subconsciously perhaps, but none the less still learning and being educated.

How can you run a company that you co-own with a family member and be able to cut off the business side of conversation?

I found this question challenging to answer...I’m sure as my inquiry progresses I will add more and more in terms of the answer to this, however from looking at this with fresh eyes my immediate reaction is does this question relate to you and the co-owner of your business?  My co-owner would be my sister...I think I’ll interview her and find out what her reaction to this question would be.