Australian Coach Visits M.S. 88 Salsa Team
As a Thanks Giving treat, Dave and I invited a special guest from Australia. One of our many acrobatic trainers, Anna Platt, coached a two week session with Paradizo Dance. Anna had no idea what Thanks Giving was, and quickly learned she would have a lot of work to do to get our weight back to normal after all our eating! While she was here, we also had her work with the Middle School 88 Acro-Salsa Dance team. Here she taught 18 kids such skills as basic counter balancing, pyramids, and partnering positions called “Flag” and “Thigh Stand.”
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
The M.S 88 Acro-Salsa Kids Team is ...
a two year old after-school program that meets two times per week for two hours. Directed by Dave Paris and Zoë Klein, the team has grown immensely to a consistent attendance of 36 6th through 8th graders. The M.S. 88 Acro-Salsa Team has performed at public schools throughout Brooklyn including the multicultural festival at Kingsborough College. The team also participated in the 2006 Boston Salsa Congress on an over night trip.
Through this program, students learn professional level choreography, dance technique, full body coordination, handstands, aerial circus skills and partner acrobatics. In addition, there has been significant improvement in the students’ grades, attendance, self-esteem, and behavior.
Last year, C.E.R.C. became a part of the Acro-Salsa Team by implementing “Independent Project Week.” Here students integrated their physical activity with academics with a focus on ecology. C.E.R.C. also funded tumbling mats for safe acrobatic practice.
We hope to develop more funding for our program so that the team can receive skillful instruction from a variety of professional Salsa and Acrobatic teachers. The team really soaked in the foundational skills of what Anna was teaching them during her special visit, and we hope to choreograph these new skills into the Holiday Acro-Salsa Performance that will be presented to parents, faculty and students before the winter break.
Thanks Anna!
About the M.S. 88 Acro-Salsa Kids Team:
