Minds in Motion News
Going Pro
March 1st, 2018
February brings some new faces to the Minds In Motion classroom: professional ballet dancers! Every year, members of the Richmond Ballet professional company take a week out of their rehearsal schedule to groove it out with the 4th-graders. It’s a fun exchange where the professionals learn some MIM moves, and the students get to try out some ballet moves. It’s also a chance for the students to ask questions, everything from: “How do you jump so high” and “why are you wearing tights” to “What was your inspiration to learn ballet” and “What’s…
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It was a cold and snowy month…
November 13th, 2017
in Richmond, but not for the lucky members of the Minds in Motion residency team, who packed their bags for new adventures in Israel! This January, teaching artists Jordan Glunt and Katherine Smothers, along with musician Bentley Cobb, spent two weeks moving and grooving with children from Al Salam School and Beit Yitzhak Elementary School. Additional support came in the form of teaching apprentice (and Richmond MIM alum) Alex Zaslav and Tel-Aviv based musician Guy Frati. So what does Minds in Motion look like when the teachers speak English, half…
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Hip Hip Hooray
September 20th, 2017
It’s September, and that means time for students to hit the books. It also means that for about 1300 4th-graders in the Richmond and Charlottesville area, it’s time to get out on the dance floor, because Minds in Motion is back in session. For some, it’s a dream come true. For others, it’s a little scary. (Dance is kindof like science class that way). But that’s the beauty of Minds in Motion: it doesn’t matter if you have perfect coordination or three left feet. Or even no left feet. All…
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MIM Summer Dance Camp Begins
June 19th, 2017
Emily Poff Dandridge, Camp Director, along with Paul Dandridge and Bentley Cobb are ready to go for this summer’s first of two Minds In Motion Summer Dance Camps. It’s the first day of camp and already our campers are dancing to the music and rhythms provided by Bentley. Before starting one camper said, “I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to keep dancing.” For the next two weeks, rising 5th and 6th graders will be exploring dance, creative movement, music and related arts and crafts. Campers will learn about…
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Minds In Motion Israel 2017
March 24th, 2017
Nervous chattering and smiles of anticipation filled the gym as the students from Al Salam, an Arab Israeli school, and Beit Yitzhak, a Jewish Israeli school, gathered for their final performance of our 2017 Minds In Motion Israel Residency. As the classes presented their culminating performance together, the audience partook deeply. Everyone was clearly moved by the experience of witnessing these two groups of students smiling, dancing, collaborating. It is no wonder when the audience was asked to dance and join us that the gym erupted into a huge dance party. The…
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