Abstract

It is vital that future dance educators have experiences in the many areas that they will be required to fulfill as they enter the K12 dance arena. Their skill sets must range from the knowledge of classroom management, pedagogical principles, community building through dance, to understanding and application of artistic and aesthetic values and a deep embodiment and application of the creative process. However, there are many logistical obstacles to the successful achievement of these many and varied goals. This paper details a project that attempts to simultaneously and fluidly develop several of the necessary skills needed for the dance educator, to be implemented in a dance program at the college or university level. The project, entitled PACES (Performing Artists Creating, Experiencing and Servicing) involves a combination of community service, teaching, and performance training in a student-driven program, culminating in a community performance. The major components to this project that will be detailed include the following: • A service learning project that actively engages pre-service teaching with K12 students • Performance training for PACES students (pre-service teachers) that centers around master works • Lessons that are created by the pre-service teachers and are derived from the content and choreographic structures of the master works • A culminating performance in which all are participants