This workshop introduces students and teachers to a variety of folk dance styles and traditional barn dances. Bob will explain the history and forms of barn dances, including those still danced in northern communities (also known as square dances). He will then teach the dances with student participation on the dance floor.
By participating in the workshop, students will learn:
* The history, traditions and different forms of barn dances
* Social skills needed to dance with a partner and in a group
* Respect for each other
* The importance of listening to dance instructions
* Physical coordination
* The fun of actively moving to music in a group setting.
The dance workshop will take a minimum of 1 hour for a simple introductory session with one class. It can be expanded to as long as the school wants. For example it can be part of a multi-day program that ends with a school wide family barn dance, where students can teach their parents!
If requested, Bob can also include a special training session on techniques for leading and calling barn dances. This will be useful for any student or teacher who wishes to continue with barn dancing in the school after the workshop is over.
| Grade Suitability | 1-12 |
| Maximum Class Size | 30 |
| Time Required | 1-3 hours (depending on workshop length) |
| Material Required | School to provide suitable dance space. Bob will supply sound system if required. |
| Material Cost | 0 |
| Language of Instruction | English |
| Communities | All |
Bob Kuiper is an experienced multi-instrument performer and dance caller. He has been leading barn dances since 1990. His clear and easy to follow calling style is great for beginners and experienced dancers alike. In no time at all, people of all ages at his dances are smiling and are dancing together in circles, squares, Virginia reels and two steps.
Bob has delivered barn dance workshops in several Yukon schools and festivals, including Ecole Whitehorse Elementary School, Golden Horn Elementary School, Ecole Emile Tremblay, Ross River School, the Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival and the Woodshed Music Camp. He and his band have also played for family barn dances many communities, including Whitehorse, Mount Lorne, Marsh Lake, Ross River and Haines Junction.
Bob is motivated to call for and promote barn dances because they are an active and fun way to connect with family, people and community. They promote both physical coordination as well as social development. They foster cooperation through coordinated group moves. They also expand social interaction. Many dances are "mixers" where participants meet new people and partners as the dance progresses. This encourages all members of the community to interact in a healthy, active and positive way, no matter what age or background. At many barn dances that Bob has lead, people have come up to tell him how wonderful it was to finally have a chance to dance with their own children on the dance floor (often for the first time), and with other people in the community that they otherwise almost never see. The dances bring people socially together in a physical activity that is invigorating, artistic and inspiring. Introducing these activities to the schools is an important way to continue this dance tradition.