Blog
Why Aim for Transformational Teaching in Dance?
“Why Aim for Transformational Teaching in Dance?” By Brenda Pugh McCutchen Originally written July 30, 2015 for a presentation on entrepreneurship For the 2015 National Dance Education Conference. Reprinted as a Blog August 12, 2024 When I am asked why I continue...
Principals & Teachers–Where Are the Dance Elements?
Blog: “Principals & Teachers--Where Are the Dance Elements?” June 1, 2024 by Brenda Pugh McCutchen With “literacy” an imperative in K-12--and “holistic learning” a hallmark of education, why aren't school principals paying more attention to what's...
Bear Blog
Bear BLOG November 5, 2023 By Brenda Pugh McCutchen “The Place That Dance Curriculum Designs Now Calls Home” (written to share a rare video event) Many of you who follow Dance Curriculum Designs know that due to an extreme...
The Philosophy That Underlies Dance Curriculum Designs and Resources
Dance Curriculum Designs creates print material to serve the innate tactile needs of users, especially children’s. Compared to previous generations, today’s child is noticeably in deficit of tactile experiences and human touch. Person to person interaction is...
How Do I Create a Model 6DC Educational Dance Program
BLOG: "How Do I Create a Model 6DC Educational Dance Program" By Brenda Pugh McCutchen March 22, 2023 This is in response to a frequently asked question I get, “What is a ‘6DC Model of Educational Dance’?” The response usually goes something like this: “As...
CELEBRATING DANCE CURRICULUM DESIGNS MOST POPULAR TOOLKIT
“CELEBRATING DANCE CURRICULUM DESIGNS’ MOST POPULAR TOOLKIT” (drum roll, please…) Dance Curriculum Designs (DCD) wishes to thank customers who have made Toolkit One: Viewing Dance—Vocabularies for Critiquing a vital part of your dance literacy program in Grades...
Components of an Arts Education and Student Wellness Ecosystem
"Components of an Arts Education and Student Wellness Ecosystem" By The Arts Education Coalition Considering education as an ecosystem — rather than a single, independent system or agency — recognizes the interconnections between environments within and outside...
The Dance Magnet Collection Has a Choreographer!
“The Dance Magnet Collection Has a Choreographer!” January 25, 2022 By Brenda Pugh McCutchen, creator and curator of Dance Curriculum Designs™ (DCD) If there is anything that brings me as much joy as creating Dance Curriculum Designs’ original line of dance...
Hurry! Price Increases Coming Soon!
“Hurry! Price Increases Coming Soon!” November 15, 2021 by Brenda Pugh McCutchen, DBA Dance Curriculum Designs, LLC This advance notice to our valued customers comes as the holidays approach and the school year nears midterm. It is a “heads-up” to expect to see...
An Interview with Kellianne Floyd, a Member of the Transformational Teaching Cohort in South Carolina
Blog: “An Interview with Kellianne Floyd, a Member of the Transformational Teaching Cohort in South Carolina” by Brenda Pugh McCutchen August 1, 2021 Context: A dozen South Carolina dance specialists are now half-way through their coursework in Transformative...
Dance Heritage Coalition Adds New Treasures to its Original List
“Dance Heritage Coalition Adds New Treasures to its Original List” By Brenda Pugh McCutchen December 10, 2020 “To bring attention to the amazing people, places and things in the dance field….” Kudos to the Dance Heritage Coalition for adding new dance...
To all the Dance Educators in the midst of the Coronavirus
We at Dance Curriculum Designs share your worry and frustration as we deal with this pandemic on so many levels. We know that your priority is your students and giving them the best instruction when you cannot even share a classroom. We know that your creative minds...
Message to Colleagues and Friends of Dance Curriculum Designs
Message to Colleagues and Friends of Dance Curriculum Designs, This is to let you know that the team from Dance Curriculum Designs is keeping things going from their home offices while I search for a place to relocate my home and our company. Our temporary...
The Dance Teacher As Artist Institute Adds Another Cohort of Dance Education Professionals in SC
As we wrap up an intensive, invigorating, and rewarding week in Greenville, SC at the Dance Teacher As Artist (DTAA) Institute, which was funded by the SC State Department of Education in conjunction with Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) Project, I am in awe of the...
40 Startling Facts That Will Totally Transform How You Look At Ballet
We are reposting this article to give wide exposure to it. It is informative and well-written and full of information that would answer the 40 likely questions you might want to know about classical ballet. So if you have wondered what it is like to perform the...
“Dance Teacher as Artist Institute” Offered in SC Again in Summer 2019
“Dance Teacher as Artist Institute” Offered in SC Again in Summer 2019 May 28, 2019 By Brenda Pugh McCutchen Dance Curriculum Designs is part of the team offering SC dance educators a special dance education “boot camp” this summer. The one-week intensive--2019...
Heartfelt Congratulations on Culminating The 2018-19 School Year!
“Heartfelt Congratulations on Culminating The 2018-19 School Year!” May 15, 2019 Guest Blog by Tressa Oswalt Congratulations! Most of you are getting close to the close of another school term - hopefully, a successful one. We at Dance Curriculum Designs...
Take a Moment to Dance
"Take a Moment to Dance" By: Tressa P. Oswalt April 10, 2019 If you attended the 2017 NDEO Conference, you received, from Dance Curriculum Designs, a gift poster with a photo of a water splash that is frozen in time. We were searching a stock photography...
Creative Presence in the Art of Folding
“Creative Presence in the Art of Folding” Blog by Brenda Pugh McCutchen, M.F.A. Author of Teaching Dance as Art in Education, (Human Kinetics, 2006) and creative force behind DanceCurriculuomDesigns.com July 2, 2018 What I want to share with you is how...
CREATIVE PROMPTS FOR DIFFERENT ART FORMS
When I was writing stanzas to abstract for choreography and other creative arts in these two books, I searched for a symbol that would capture the sense of motion and also of transformation. I found such a symbol coincidentally when an iridescent dragonfly visited me...
An NDEO Moment at the 2017 National Conference
A NDEO Moment at the 2017 National Conference By Cyndi Wellborn November 19, 2017 Although Brenda McCutchen was unable to attend the 2017 National Dance Education Organization conference in San Antonio Texas recently, that didn’t stop Dance Curriculum Designs...
Guest Teacher at University of Northern Colorado
“Brenda Pugh McCutchen—Guest Teacher at University of Northern Colorado” August 29, 2016 (keep this date) Brenda McCutchen spent part of July 2016 in Greeley, Colorado as guest professor of dance education at the University of Northern Colorado. She was invited...
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Nature-inspired Choreography
Nature-inspired Choreography By Brenda Pugh McCutchen June 25, 2017 Inspiration for dance making comes from many sources. The natural world provides numerous cues that nudge us into intuitive improvisations and creative dance compositions. Such...
Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Awards for the Arts
On Tuesday, May 2, 2017 the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Awards for the Arts were presented in the SC State House by South Carolina governor, The Honorable Henry McMaster. The South Carolina Arts Commission and the governor’s office have presented the awards,...
Student Thank You Letter
Dance Curriculum Designs appreciates elementary school dance specialist, Kellianne Floyd, in Spartanburg 2 Schools (SC) who sent this image she made of a "thank you" note that one of her 2nd graders wrote to Donors Choose. Donors Choose was started by a history...
S.C. ARTS COMMISSION ANNOUNCES 2017 ELIZABETH O’NEILL VERNER AWARDS RECIPIENTS
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Arts Commission announces the 2017 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Awards for the Arts, the highest honor the state presents in the arts. Established in 1972, the annual awards recognize outstanding achievement and contributions...
Thoughts About Teaching Beginning, Middle, and Ending In Dance
Reposted from an earlier date. Blog by Brenda Pugh McCutchen September 10, 2015 This is written in honor of National Arts Education Week starting September 13, 2015. Today as I wrote teaching materials for dance composition several points of clarity emerged. I...
Dance Teacher Gift Certificates
=ANNOUNCEMENT= Good news when shopping for a dance teacher! from Dance Curriculum Designs Inspired Teaching Tools Did you know that Dance Curriculum Designs offers gift certificates at www.dancecurriculumdesigns.com. Is your group pooling resources to...
Dance Curriculum Videos
Here are several short videos of the entrance to the exhibit hall at National Dance Education Organization's (NDEO) annual conference in Washington, DC (USA). The conference was conveniently located near the Reagan International Airport in Arlington, VA at the Hyatt...
Brenda McCutchen—Guest Teacher at University of Northern Colorado
“Brenda McCutchen—Guest Teacher at University of Northern Colorado” August 29, 2016 Brenda McCutchen spent part of July in Greeley, Colorado as guest professor at the University of Northern Colorado. She was invited by Dr. Sandra Minton and Ms. Christy...
Dance—the Ephemeral Art
Dance—the Ephemeral Art by Brenda Pugh McCutchen August 1, 2016 “Mountains and trees were considered tangible, measurable, and verifiable while reflections were only colored light—lost from one moment to the next.” ...
“The Value of a Well-Rounded Education” and How It Impacts Dance Education
The Every Child Succeeds Act (ESSA) makes for a brighter future by broadening the perspective about what it takes to educate a child in today’s schools. That expansion bodes well for education which has unintentionally languished through the years of the No Child...
How Do You Teach Modern Dance Techniques?
Calling technique professors in higher education and dance specialists in grades 8-12! How do you teach modern dance technique? Do you teach technique from a somatics perspective? If so, what are your key phrases and images that get the best results? Would you...
Personalizing Dance History for Tweens and Teens
An Interview with Author, Anne Dunkin, Ph.D. by Brenda Pugh McCutchen February 20, 2016 Here is an interview with Anne Dunkin about her dance history book, How They Became Famous Dancers: A Dancing History (2015). It is a satisfying read for anyone who loves...
What is Dance Doing in Education?
Dance, when it is at its very best, is an indelible representation of the history of the human species. Dance as art and human expression has flourished since the dawn of mankind. It is the natural way to communicate. Indeed, it preceded human language and...
Teaching Dance as Art in Education (Chinese Edition)
PRESS RELEASE December 26, 2015 TEACHING DANCE AS ART IN EDUCATION (Chinese Edition) Chinese Version Shanghai Music Publishing House, Human Kinetics, and Dance Curriculum Designs announce the publication of the Chinese edition of Teaching Dance as Art in Education. ...
Dance Appreciation—the Discovery of a Dynamic Art Form
Arts appreciation courses at the college level are some of the most important to help us navigate in the civilized world. A universal language, the fine arts communicate across language barriers and thereby become shared experiences among people around the world....
Catalysts for Creating Dance
PRESS RELEASE August 28, 2015 CATALYSTS FOR CREATING DANCE (Kids Koolkit for K-5) Dance Curriculum Designs www.dancecurriculumdesigns.com 803-754-7384 Dance Curriculum Designs announces another new creative dance resource for elementary grades, CATALYSTS FOR CREATING...
Dance Elements Daisy – Press Release
PRESS RELEASE August 26, 2015 DANCE ELEMENTS DAISY™ Dance Curriculum Designs www.dancecurriculumdesigns.com 803-754-7384 Dance Curriculum Designs announces the arrival of the innovative Dance Elements Daisy, designed to facilitate creative dance. Geared to...
CHOREOGRAPHIC IMPULSES (Press Release)
PRESS RELEASE June 6, 2015 Brenda Pugh McCutchen (Dance Curriculum Designs LLC) announces a newly completed stanza book, CHOREOGRAPHIC IMPULSES to Explore, Improvise, and Abstract. (Special pre-publication orders are taken until July 15 at 25% off.) Its 187 poetic...
Guest Blog: The Hoped-For Impact of the New NCCAS Standards
Introduction: I invited Dr. Rima Faber to share her perspective as chair of the dance writing team for the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards in order to give us insights into the vision behind the new NCCAS dance-arts standards. The team’s work was...
Keys To Developing Dance Literacy
=Part 1 in a series= Keys to unlock dance literacy are found in holistic models of dance education. One holistic and adaptable model proposes that six defining characteristics explain and guide dance content and instruction in K-12. Successful implementation...
Join the Movement—the K-12 Educational Dance Movement
The New York City Department of Education and the New York City public schools partnership has made a significant impact on the quality of dance education in America. Not only did they produce the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Dance, Grades PreK-12 in...
Choreography Resources
The stanzas in Choreographic Impulses to Explore, Improvise & Abstract are open-ended creative catalysts. It is up to you to decide what to do with them. They were envisioned to stimulate choreography yet are equally effective for creative dramatics,...
Holistic Dance Characteristic #1: The Comprehensive Dance Program
In our last blog post, We noted the tendency for people to blame others and play the victim. We found that a holistic dance curriculum based on democratic pedagogy puts students in a position to take responsibility for learning and for contributing to the learning...
The 6 Defining Characteristics of Holistic Dance Education
“The 6 Defining Characteristics of Holistic Dance Education” By Julianna Hane, Guest Blogger Feb. 15, 2015 We live in a society where is it not uncommon for people to blame others for their problems. Dumping responsibility onto other people and playing the...
Transformational Teaching in Dance
Article by Julianna Gaillard Hane (MFA, CLMA), January 2015 Our society is now experiencing the affects of information overload. Notifications and blinking lights bombard us 24/7. Anyone with a smart phone can find out just about anything they could ever...
Manipulative Ways to “Build Your Own Body”
It was my pleasure to interview Anne Harris Wilcox at the Chicago National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) conference in November. This interview followed my discovery of the amazing life-size metal skeleton boards Anne created--and her colorful magnetic...
2016 Dance Study-Abroad in Bali
NOW BEING PLANNED! =“2016 Dance Study-Abroad in Bali”= WANTED NOW: University faculty who want to offer graduate level courses in Balinese dance, arts, and culture in May-June 2016. Are you faculty at a college or university who dreams of...