Teaching Portfolio

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Feyi Orisadipe

Dancer• Teacher• Choreographer

Dance Experience

Jazz
Ballet
Modern
Contemporary
Majorette
Hip Hop

University of Maryland Baltimore County (August 2021-2022)

Ballet
Contemporary

Bowie State University

Ballet
Modern
Jazz

IMPACT Dance Ensemble- Bowie, Maryland

A collegiate dance ensemble that trained in Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Liturgical, Majorette, and Hip Hop

Teaching Philisophy

My mission is to educate children on the art of dance and movement by nurturing them into being not only magnificent performers, but exemplary human beings. I encourage my students to strive for excellence in everything they do. In addition to having a compassionate and empathetic character as they navigate through the world as people and performers. As a dance educator, my objective is to teach dance at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced level to children ranging from the ages of five to eighteen who are aspiring to dance professionally or recreationally. Professional dance training may take place in performing arts schools, dance studios, or summer intensives while recreational dance training may take place in public schools, community centers, or after school programs. I do not limit my knowledge to only support the dancers who want to be professionals because it is an art that deserves to be explored by all. I was a student who learned dance in a recreational environment which led to my passion for dance and a teaching career in the art. As a result, I never want to gatekeep a form of expression that should be accessible to all. Furthermore, I cultivate a judgment free, open minded, patient, positive, and potential-stirring environment in my classroom. I create a safe space for my students while they are learning different styles of dance so they are able to express themselves without the fear of judgment. Additionally, I encourage them to connect dance to not only their personal lives, but also using it as a tool for advocacy in social and political issues.

In my classroom, learning is collaborative by knowledge being shared among teachers and students. When students are passionate and dedicated to learning it makes the learning environment more enjoyable for not only the student, but for the instructor as well. As a movement instructor, I feel it is important for the teacher to be able to execute the movements as flawlessly as possible. This is so the students will receive a better understanding of not only the movement, but the terminology as well. As my students progress and grow as dancers, I in return grow as an educator. When I am teaching, I explain the anatomy of the body along with terminology so students can leave my class with a clear understanding of the dance terminology they have learned. For example, I make sure my students understand how important the alignment of the pelvis is when it comes to all dance styles so they can be successful. Through the efficient execution of dynamic motions and static positions that result from neutral pelvic alignment, my students can more effectively activate muscles. (Fischer Gam & Urmston, 2015). I do not assume that my students are not capable of learning terminology based on their age or abilities. I motivate my students to challenge themselves so they are constantly learning and growing as dancers and people by setting goals. Creating a set goal will help them learn more material, and advance as a performer. For example, every quarter I tell my students to create a goal they would like to achieve by the next quarter. One of my students had a goal to become more flexible so she can perform some specific tricks. I worked with her on the goal by holding her accountable and implementing more stretching activities into the class. Once her goal was reached she then had a new goal to improve her strength because she realized it took more than flexibility to properly execute the tricks she wanted to perform. This kind of self encouraged goal setting helped my student learn new strategies for increasing flexibility, and advancing as a performer by identifying that strength is a key component. These are healthy goal setting strategies that can be applied to life outside of dance.

Oftentimes, students will spend more time with their teachers than they do their families. As a result, I want my students to come into my classroom knowing somebody cares about them and their future. Whenever it is someone's birthday I ask if they would like to be sung to by the class if they are comfortable. Additionally, I keep miniature party hats and a stash of small gift bags that consist of candy, pencils, and journals for students to take home with them. As their teacher, I give them a positive outlook on life by hopefully introducing a side of themselves they never knew they had before through dance. Children are starting to discover their talents at the ages five to eighteen. I hope by attending my dance courses I can shed light on one of their many talents. To enhance my skills as an educator I believe it is important to continue to be a student in dance classes.

I truly believe in the saying that “If you don’t adjust to the times, then you’ll get left behind.” because this can definitely be applied to the dance world. The world is evolving everyday and so is dance. Any successful job requires both growth and evolution. The motivation to refocus and enhance teaching techniques can come from taking a class from someone new (Hilton, 2019). To ensure I am the best educator I can be, I constantly seek professional training to improve myself as a dancer and choreographer. It is valuable to keep up with the current trends of choreography and teaching practices to ensure my students are receiving an exquisite education. I have to constantly put myself back in the shoes of a dancer and student to truly understand how my students may be experiencing dance. The more knowledge I obtain, the more I am able to educate my students to the fullest.