Early Childhood Dance Education Workshop

July 22nd - 24th

Teaching tiny dancers is a hard task. Dance educators need to have background knowledge of the developmental stages for children, learn how to teach body + space awareness within the dance class, help bring the joy of dance and communicate with parents on what they're working on with their child. Creating lesson plans, coordinating with a studio's curriculum, choreographing recital dances and more - we'll focus on it all with two experienced and talented teachers. Students will earn their Early Childhood Dance Education certificate and be placed on Dovetail's sub list or be offered a teaching position (based on schedule availability). On the last day (July 24th) they will get an opportunity to teach a free community class either in Itty Bitty Dance (18 months - 2 years with a parent), Tiny Tots (3 - 4 years old without a parent) or Pre Ballet (5 - 6 years old without a parent) and get feedback from one of the instructors.

July 22nd 1 - 4:30pm taught by MK Victorson

M.K. Victorson is the Dance Content Specialist for the Chicago Public Schools Department of Arts Education. M.K.’s arts education career extends from dance studios to arts organizations to 15 years in the pre-K–8 classroom. At Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, M.K. worked in the education and youth programs and helped to develop the Autism Project. She is a two-time recipient of the Fund for Teachers Fellowship for professional development. Her passion for continuing education has led her to the National Dance Institute, Luna Dance Institute, and the Dance Education Laboratory (DEL). M.K. is a recent graduate of the DEL Institute and a certified DEL facilitator. She holds an MFA in dance from Smith College, and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

July 23rd 1 - 4:30pm taught by Alicia Wilson

Originally from Delaware, Ohio, Alicia Wilson began dancing at the age of three. Since then, she has trained in ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, hip-hop, tap, lyrical, and acrobatics. When she was sixteen she trained with Ballet Chicago at their 2009 Summer Intensive and fell in love with the city, so it was an easy choice to attend Columbia College Chicago, where she graduated in 2015 with a BA in Dance. She has spent time studying Urban styles of dance in London, England, where she helped to organize the 2014 Collide Dance Festival in Stratford. Alicia now lives, performs, choreographs, and teaches in Chicago. She is also the Competition Team director at Dovetail Studios as well as being a curriculum specialist.