Course Title: Multicultural learning through dance / Diversity through Dance This course will immerse participants in creative approaches to teaching and learning in diverse communities through first-hand experience. Students in this course will read the literature on cultural psychology, dance education, and prejudice reduction and learn a repertoire of Latin dance moves to engage in joyful and rhythmic cultural awareness. No dance skills are required. Our goal will be to interrogate preconceived notions of dance as "talent," to step out of our cultural comfort zone, and to work toward performance as a medium for cultural and linguistic connection, cultural empowerment, and cross-cultural understanding. An additional goal is to suggest ways for language educators and social science teachers to incorporate dance an innovative tool to enrich the cultural component of their classes, not only to engage their students in learning content but also to create the sense of community that is so needed in our increasingly segmented public schools. Additionally, Latin dance fulfills the socialization need of middle and high schoolers and instills sense of pride and self-esteem for the increasing Latino minority. This course was taught in Summer of 2011 and Summer of 2012 for UGA College of Education.
