Movement Residencies with Scott Stafford
Scott has worked as a teaching artist around The United States, and has been in residence with over 100 k-12 institutions - with 10 years of experience behind him. Through Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater, The Cowles Center for Dance, and independent efforts, his outreach has spanned dance technique and repertory, dance history, story telling through movement with senior populations, caring for the caregiver workshops with doctors, nurses, and hospice staff, and k-12 residencies focused on movement fundamentals, dance creation, and developing skills in artistic agency.
All residencies are modifiable, and able to be taught in-person or virtually.
Topics in Dance Residency
This residency, piloted on students at The University of Minnesota, familiarizes students with dance as both a physical technique and a culturally significant artform. Class is structured to include a warm up and exercises in contemporary technique, viewing excerpts of dance works, followed by a guided discussion. These discussions encourage students to engage with dance as informed audience members (how does one watch dance? What does it mean?), and how dance can carry social, community, and cultural significance. This residency is well paired with a language arts or social studies course – with opportunity for writing exercises and at home assignments.
Target grade levels: 9 – 12, undergraduate
Dance 4 All Residency
This three to five day residency focuses on immersing students into the dance style of contemporary dance – with an emphasis on body awareness, musicality, movement generation, story telling through choreography, and self-expression. Students will be introduced to technical movement fundamentals of contemporary dance, and how they are utilized to express an idea, belief, or emotion. Exercises will be conducted at the individual, small group, and class level – to facilitate a sense of group community, as well as individual artistic agency.
Target grade levels: 6 - 12
Creative Movement Residency
In this three to five day residency, students will be introduced to fundamentals of creative movement – with an emphasis on exploration of body, action, space, time and energy. Each class is structured to include a warm up, an across the floor exercise, movement activities, and a cool down – with content modifiable to be inclusive toward all levels and abilities. Classes includes exercises to stimulate cardiovascular activity, choreographic exploration, guided improvisation, movement for stress relief (yoga, tai chi), reflective writing, expressive release through dance, and introduction to concepts like levels, tempo, accumulation, and gesture.
Target grade levels: k-5
