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THE HIGHER ED VOICE
The Next Dance Generation,
Part Two
By Tom Ralabate
Approaching
education from a generational point of view
"Over the next decade, the Millennial Generation will entirely recast the image of youth from downbeat and alienated to upbeat and engaged—with potentially seismic consequences for America.” —Neil Howe and William Strauss, Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation
Last month we identified seven core traits (and examined the first three of them) of the Millennial Generation (Mils) as defined by historians Neil Howe and William Strauss in their book Millennials Go to College. This article explores the remaining four traits from a dance-learning perspective and environment. As in the first article, each trait’s description is followed by three questions for dance school owners to answer that will help them tailor their programs to the needs of Mil dancers.
1. Special
2. Sheltered
3. Confident
4. Team oriented
5. Conventional
6. Pressured
7. Achieving
Trait Four: Team oriented
Teamwork is a strong learning preference for the Mil dancer, which is easily accommodated in the studio setting. The dance studio creates a unique situation for group activities, structure, creative experimentation, and fun. Placing students in small groupings for critical analysis of each other’s practical work facilitates this kind of learning. Small group choreography projects encourage creative sharing and the exploration of ideas that can enhance the students’ creative work as future teacher/choreographers.
Questions:
1. Does your curriculum design allow for group or shared activity?
2. How receptive are you to the voice of the students and their creative impulses?
3. Do you incorporate improvisation studies into the classroom activities or use improvisation as a
tool in choreography?
Trait Five: Conventional
In general, Mils trust their hovering, helicopter parents and value their opinions. Typically both children and parents are involved in important decisions such as choosing a reputable dance school or appropriate college. Mils converse with their parents and usually share their values. In this sense, they are traditional. Because Mils are accustomed to getting lots of parental attention and expect the same level of attention in the dance studio, educators need to foster a mentoring relationship with them. Such guidance helps the students feel valued and creates a sense of trust between student and teacher. Establishing this relationship is a pathway for acceptance and quality learning.
Mils also trust what they hear in the media and conform to an established brand. Tracy Navarro, a teacher at the David DeMarie Dance Studios in Clarence, NY, and an adjunct instructor at University at Buffalo, notes the Mils’ fascination with brand names and designer collections. “The studio dancers want to make fashion statements with accessories and apparel, over the standardized studio dress code, and get annoyed when asked to remove [them] . . .,” she says. “Throughout history, every new youth generation has felt compelled to make a fashion statement against the established norms. They feel a need to . . . go along with the crowd because it means acceptance and fitting in.”
Questions:
1. Besides coaching, do you mentor your students?
2. Have you built a sense of trust with students and parents?
3. Would you consider a break from the studio dress code once a month?
Trait Six: Pressured
High expectations, advancements in technology, and an optimistic view of life connected to a drive to succeed and make money all lead to pressure for the Mil generation. Most Mils and Oh-Ohs (those born post-9/11) are college bound. Mils worry about their academic grades; they understand that their performance in school will determine their degree of success (or failure) in their professional pursuits. Unfortunately, this extreme pressure can lead to extreme measures, such as cheating on exams with cell phones or iPods, or PC plagiarism. In the dance studio setting, this pressure translates into a highly competitive environment. Dance teachers and choreographers find themselves doing a balancing act in assigning lead roles in dances for recitals, competitions, and projects. In a class or group dance, every student wants to make it to the front line and have the opportunity to shine.
Questions:
1. Are you involved in continuing dance education to stay abreast of current dance trends?
2. What support do you have in dealing with your job and personal world?
3. Does your dance studio have a high-pressure atmosphere?
Trait Seven: Achieving
Today’s competitive dance studio owners and teachers may welcome high expectations from their students, but in turn they must deal with the Mils’ overbooked schedules (cheerleading, softball, piano or voice lessons, a huge increase in homework, and so on) and the demands placed on them by academic teachers and competitive parents. Studio schedules must be designed to accommodate the full life of the Mil. Their high level of confidence leads them to expect to earn high grades in school and get top-notch choreography in their dance activity.
Questions:
1. Do the teachers and choreographers at your school excel in both areas—choreography and teaching?
2. How much accommodation of other student activities do you allow in your class and rehearsal
schedules?
3. Is artistic integrity being compromised in your school because of students’ outside activities?
Today, newer studios are incorporating workstations for Mils and the upcoming Oh-Ohs into their designs, allowing them to do homework between classes or while waiting for siblings. In the future school owners may choose to equip these workstations with computers to make the dance studio similar to the “smart classroom.” Classes that incorporate technology into the dance setting will soon receive high praises. The Mils have grown up with all kinds of tech toys—PCs, video games, and cell phones—and they expect technology to be present in their daily activities and included in the learning process. Computers are being integrated into the classroom for most subjects, so why not in the arts, including dance? Through their research and historical reflections Howe and Strauss have come to believe that the Mils, with the advantages of these advancements in technology, have the potential to be the smartest generation ever, based on their rising proficiency in math and science and performance on standardized test scores. In dance they are already proving themselves to be virtuosos in technique and artistry as seen in commercial performance venues, on the concert stage, and on reality TV.
You may wish to reflect on and discuss with your colleagues the work of Howe and Strauss (www.millennialsrising.com). Everything that dancers think, feel, dream, dare to imagine, or explore is expressed through art. Regardless of the great advances the next generation might make in the sciences and technology, the arts connect us to our humanity. Making your dance environment as supportive of the Mil Generation as possible will only strengthen that bond, keeping you in step with this “rising” generation.
Reference
Neil Howe and Strauss, William. Millennials Rising: The Next Generation. New York: Vintage Original, a division of Random House, Inc., 2000.
Contact:
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Phone: 888-i-dance-9, 508-285-6650, Fax: 508-285-3179,
Email: Goldrushdance@aol.com
Copyright 2006 Goldrush Magazine, a division of the Rhee Gold Company and Gold Standard Press, LLC. Goldrush Magazine and Goldrush Online is published twelve times annually. No contents of Goldrush Magazine and Goldrush Online may not be duplicated in whole or in part without permission of the publisher. Inclusion in the Goldrush does not imply endorsement by Goldrush or its employees