Connection through Movement with Colleen

My daughter enters the hallway at ROCS and yells “Colleen!” at the sight of her favorite (and only) dance teacher. I don’t know a lot about Colleen, but I do know that the kids at ROCS are often ecstatic to see her on “Movement” days. I sat down with Colleen in her classroom, to find out more her and the goings-on in Beach Hall.

Colleen moved here in 2019 from NYC. While investigating what kind of options she had for her own kids, she came across the ROCS website and was immediately drawn to it. “I had been teaching in public schools since 2014 and I really connected to the social justice aspect and the connection to nature… how that facilitates the growth of the whole child into becoming just really thoughtful, kind, empathetic, activist- adults.”

Then the pandemic hit, and although Colleen found homeschooling was not an option for her family, she felt ROCS was a place that she still wanted to be connected to. After a morning interview out in the rain (the then pandemic protocols) Colleen was soon brought in as a dance instructor through a grant awarded by Art Possible Ohio.

One of the highlights of last year as a parent, was seeing the culmination of Colleen’s work with the kids during ROCSFest – a student driven event featuring performances, exhibitions, a graduation ceremony and a Community fair. I asked Colleen about her part in the festival and the process she undertook to prepare the kids for their dances.

“That was totally guided by me but student created. So through the different activities that we did in the classroom we started to put things together and use their ideas on how to explore movement through the words on the page. We did lots of improvisation, we asked a lot of questions: If we do this movement does it make sense? How would we show this? What did this feel like? We went through a lot of work pulling out the feel of the text. Not just the words, but the art [too.]

“There was a lot of interpretation. Some people thought it was this thing, and some people thought it was this…so we would navigate, and collaborate, and bring our ideas together.

“You know, the performance is one thing – that’s always lovely and wonderful –but the jewel of it is what’s happening in the process. It really speaks to how thoughtful all [the ROCS] kids are.”

Colleen has returned this year with the same artist-in residency grant. I asked her what she wants her students to take away from Movement Class as well what are some of this year’s goals.

“A deeper understanding of themselves, of how their body is capable of so much. How it can be a center of strength; how you can connect to others but also understand your own personal boundaries.

“I think that being able to recognize what’s happening on the inside and connect it to feelings… being able to communicate that either through movement or verbal communication is so important. But it really takes time to just sit and be in your body. I think dance is really a place for exploration and freedom and joy and…, you know, that’s your body.”

As for goals this year, Colleen is focusing on connecting with the social justice aspect of ROCS curriculum. By making students aware that everyone experiences life in their own unique way, students can celebrate and share these differences.

“I think it’s a lot to be recognized for our own creativity. We all have our own voice, and that voice is powerful and meaningful and we can be here and share it and it’s going to be accepted by others.”

We’re so very thankful for Colleen’s continued contribution to our student’s growth. I think that most would agree the experiences had in Colleen’s classroom are priceless and treasured by the student’s at ROCS. When asked if there was anything else she’d like the community to know, Colleen said:

“Just how much I appreciate working here. I’ve worked in a lot of settings and this is a really special one. From the parents, to the kids, to the other fellow educators it feels like a really nice place to call home. “

-Celeste Irving, ROCS parent