Speak Up, Dance Out!

Dance doesn’t necessarily include dialogue, but it can still say a lot!

Take inspiration from companies like Urban Bush Women and Shamel Pitts | TRIBE that use dance and performance to advocate for social issues. Begin by gathering as a group to watch videos of these companies performing to get a feel for how dance and activism can co-mingle.

Invite each kid to think about a local or global social issue that matters to them and keep a list of them to reference later. Ask the group to research their issue, what caused it/causes it to persist and steps they can take to help create a pathway to positive change in response to that issue.

Afterward, prompt kids to generate three movements that relate to their issue; these might be literal movements that portray their social issue or movements that represent the emotions that come up for them when thinking about their issue.

To culminate, ask each kid to share their movements along with information gleaned from their research to both help their peers better understand their issue and help spread awareness.