"My jazz 4 has been studying both improvisation, choreography, as well as the art of Dance Film, i.e.dances that can not be created or duplicated without the camera as an additional person in the film and the use of video editing. Students had a few weeks to take their improvisation to a higher level of learning and technique and apply this to the choreography of the project. They also added a choreographic tool they have not used before: the camera shots. We watched Dance Films and learned vocabulary for camera movement. After solidifying the choreography and choosing music and costumes, they had to create a storyboard, plan their shots, find locations. Then with the tablets, use the camera in all aspects of the shooting instead of just in a stationary mode, and then connect their shots with their editing to the music. We collaborated with the Library and IT department on a new resource for editing. Clips were imported and edited in a cloud-based video editing app called WeVideo for collaboration outside of the classroom/school and easy connection to our school Google Drives. Although they may have filmed dances before, this lesson took their film creation to a new level. Their final products have more of an artistic vision and portray a mood, instead of simply stationary beginning-to-ending filming/editing of a dance. The results are some very beautiful dance films that they plan on submitting to the CRHS Film Festival."
Karen Searles, dance teacher
