Building Community Through the Arts: dance highlights from the Nov. 19 conference

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This November, Bangor HS teacher Angela Domina’s two Junior English classes hosted BCTA dance
residencies with teaching artist Katenia Keller. The two college-preparatory classes had been
studying several texts in medieval British Literature. The dances they created and performed at the Orono conference
explored the universal themes the students saw represented in those texts. The symbolic capacity of dance allowed the students to render the large and abstract themes visible and creating the dance focused the students on shaping them into a narrative story. Performing for an audience gave the classes the opportunity to have
their ideas impact others. The students in one
class aimed to show the audience the essential balance between humans and nature. The second
class attempted to give to the audience a sense that a powerful force, Love, is given to them to
care for and to carry into the world.

For more photos and excerpts from the students’ own description of their dances see
MAAE Programs/BCTA – Latest News. Interested in bringing BCTA residencies to your school? Contact Susan Potters at spotters@maineartsed.org.