GuildHeader

Courses

The Guild’s part-time training courses are well-established and have a proven track record. The course tutors are accomplished artists and practitioners from a variety of backgrounds and many community dance teachers have now been trained in the UK and Ireland.

Email the Courses Officer, Ann Ward at:  awardglenkeen@bigfoot.com


Foundation Course

This is a 30 hour course suitable for Youth Groups, Adult Community Dance Groups, BTec Performing Arts and BTec Sports and Leisure students or similar groups.

The course is monitored and taught by tutors approved by the Laban Guild and will lead to a certificate awarded by the Laban Guild, a National Governing Body of Sport England.

The course aims

  • to offer an enjoyable and meaningful experience of dance to all participants.

  • to foster the ability to work creatively with others.

  • to give value to dance as a vehicle for physical expression and communication, susceptible to rigorous training.

  • to introduce participants to accepted ways of establishing dance motifs and building dances.

  • to introduce participants to, or reinforce their understanding of Laban based community dance, and to help students make informed career choices.

  • to introduce participants to Rudolf Laban's contribution to movement analysis and its applications.

Entry to the course
This course is open to any groups interested in following the course, as the technical standards are set by the tutor to suit the participants.

Course Structure
This is a thirty hour course with a flexible structure to suit the clients, for example,

  • 30 x 1 hour or 24 x 1 hour 15 minutes over a year

  • 12 x 2 hours 30 minutes over a term

  • 5 x 6 hours over a week

  • or any other variation as convenient

Although the course is designed to fit into 30 hours, it may be spread over a longer period at the discretion of the tutor particularly if working with a group with special needs.

Fees
It is expected that the tutors will be delivering this course as part of their normal work, otherwise tutors will negotiate their own fees with the course facilitator or group involved. There will be a £10.00 per candidate registration fee payable to the Laban Guild.

Course content
A practical understanding that Laban work is based on analysis of human movement in terms of body, space, effort and relationships: the WHAT WHERE, HOW and WHO of dance.

  • An understanding of the necessity for an effective warm up together with consideration of the needs of the individual.

  • Five body actions, four body shapes and three levels.

  • A variety of step and floor patterns in travelling .

  • The dimensional scale, with its natural affinities of rising/sinking, opening/closing, advancing/retreating

  • The value of "effort" in giving expression to movement

  • The use of relationships in dance making

  • The purpose and value of community dance.

  • Some basic information on the background to, and work of, Rudolf Laban and the Laban Guild.

PARTICIPATION IN A VARIETY OF GROUP DANCE EXPERIENCES IS A VITAL PART OF THE COURSE

Requirements of the course
Successful candidates are required to at tend a minimum of 90% of the course and will be assessed on their ability to

  • learn and perform a dance exercise.

  • create and perform a dance motif.

  • participate fully in a group dance session

They will also be expected to demonstrate the ability to

  • work as part of a team in co-operation with, leadership of, decision making and sensitivity to others

  • learn routine operations, obey instructions and fulfill tasks accurately.

  • adapt, develop and take initiative in tasks.

  • seek and take advice from others, together with the ability to observe and support others with constructive advice.

These achievements will all be itemised on the final certificate.

Students at Limavady College
following their one week intensive dance course

"Brilliant!"
"Hard work - but worth it."
"Great fun.."
"Really useful.."
"I never thought I could do that"
"If this is 'dance' - I want more!"
"It gave me so much confidence."
"I learned so much."
"I'll never forget this!"
"At my interview, I knew just what they meant and didn't feel self conscious or nervous."
"Perhaps one day, I could teach dance."

Head of Sports and Leisure Studies, Limavady College.

Les Mayers

The great majority of our students progress to higher education - many to train as teachers of physical education. Part of the University interview process requires them to perform a dance exercise or a dance motif. This physically and intellectually challenging dance course prepares students to excel in this aspect of the selection process.

Professional Development Course

30 and 50 hour module Professional Development Courses for those with an initial practical understanding of Laban’s Analysis of Movement.

Unit 1. Further Laban Studies and their application to dance making

Unit 2. Choreography and Laban Analysis

Further units are planned to cover Dance in Education, Dance for those with Special Needs and Further Developments in Community Dance

Regular Classes

Cambridge, Maddy Tongue
01223 302030
Wednesday mornings – over 55s - open class
Swindon, Kathy Geddes
01793 463210
Saturday mornings - three separate classes for 4-5 years, 6-8 years, 9-13 years
Bromley, Avril Hitman
0208 467 3331
Wednesday afternoons, Thursday mornings
Community classes for people with learning difficulties
Belfast, Brenda McKee
brendagm@aol.com
Monday 4:45 - 5.45pm Crescent Youth Dance, 5:45 - 6:45pm Adult Movement and Dance

Dance Leaders Course

Initiated in 1981, this is now a well established course, and applicants may be eligible for funding from the Regional Sports, Education and Arts bodies. Dance Agencies throughout the country have employed it and courses have run in many areas including Suffolk, Somerset, Nottingham, Essex, Wiltshire, Belfast, Dublin and Powys.

The pool of highly qualified and experienced tutors within the Guild ensures that each module of the course is taught by specialists in that area. CVs of tutors are available with further details of the course.

The course attracts participants from many different backgrounds and experiences including professional dance teaching, physiotherapy, social work, therapy, youth work, community work and the arts.

Aims

  • To offer course members a framework for leading creative dance sessions, which they can apply to their own area of professional expertise or personal development.

  • To develop in them a practical understanding of Laban's analysis of movement.

  • To encourage them to undertake further professional development.

Entry requirements
This is not a course for beginners. All applicants must demonstrate some experience of dance or movement and experience of teaching or community work.

Course structure
This 150 hour part time course extends over 15-18 months and includes:

  • 11 weekends of practical and theoretical study

  • Assignments to be completed at home.

  • A final assessment weekend for those who have completed the course

  • Attendance at a Laban based summer school (minimum four days full time study – extra cost).

Content

The course comprises three main modules:

  • Four weekends in which the basic principles of Laban Analysis are experienced through the medium of creative dance. The focus is on concepts of body awareness, the dynamics of movement, spatial awareness and relationships.

  • Three weekends on the preparation and delivery of creative dance sessions. These cover structuring a session, the use of different teaching styles and strategies and the essentials of anatomy and physiology needed to deliver a safe class.

  • Four weekends on developing ideas for dance and making group dances. These will include some advice on adapting the work for people with differing needs.

Available throughout the course will be:

  • Opportunities for discussion and individual tutorials.

  • Advice on Leadership, Marketing, Duty of Care and legal and ethical obligations.

Requirements of the course

Each course member is required to:

  • Attend each of the 11 weekends and participate fully. If full attendance is prevented by unforeseen circumstances, it is the responsibility of the course member to satisfy the moderator that the work has been covered by other means.

  • Keep a coursework file/journal containing notes on the practical and theoretical sessions of the weekends together with personal comments and evaluations.

  • Keep a diary of community dance work, other courses attended and performances seen between course weekends.

  • Complete various written and practical assignments involving reading, observation, collection of resources and the preparation and presentation of teaching sessions.

  • Attend a recommended Laban based summer school of at least four days duration. The cost of this is not included in course fees.

Practical work, course work files and assignments will be assessed by course tutors and a panel of assessors overseen by an external moderator.

Those members presenting themselves for assessment will have to show evidence of knowledge and skills gained and be able to demonstrate skill in preparing and leading a practical dance session based on Laban’s Analysis of Movement.

Successful candidates

  • Will be placed on the Guild Register of Leaders, be able to deliver other Guild courses and be eligible for full insurance cover.

  • Will have the opportunity for further professional development within the Laban Guild.

Contact us for further information on:

  • setting up a Dance Leaders Course in your area.

  • the next course.

  • a leader for a half-day/one-day/weekend workshop.

Graded Levels Courses

These courses have been developed in response to requests from Laban Guild teachers running classes for children who progress through them by age and achievement

Their aim is threefold:

  • to encourage a love of and participation in dance, which will last for life

  • to provide the teacher with a syllabus closely related to the requirements of the National Curriculum

  • to provide young dancers with certificates which recognise their acquirement of skills and developing confidence in their own creativity

It is important to remember that the Laban Guild encourages the use of Laban analysis in fostering the development of the individual, through helping each to find his or her own means of expression through dance. The development of skills and the satisfaction of their recognition will enhance increasing confidence, but these criteria should never be applied in such a way as to result in sterile conformity.

It is of course essential that the targets set are within the capabilities of the class, so that although the achievements are real and quantifiable, no undue element of competition or sense of failure is introduced to damage the confidence or hinder the enjoyment of any individual within the class. Continuous assessment and encouragement are preferable to set exams. An end of term performance may be a good way of allowing the children to demonstrate their increasing skills in a positive rather than competitive way.

We hope that with planning, sensitive teaching and encouragement, it will be possible to use these courses as a basis of teaching mixed ability groups and rewarding achievement. For a small fee, on completing the course, each child will receive an attractive certificate and information pack with encouragement to move on to the next level.

It is not necessary to move through each level in turn. Children can join the course at any level commensurate with their skill and experience. It is up to the teacher to provide the pace and context for the movement material suitable for the age range and ability of the class. Suggested age levels simply illustrate how the courses may spread over progressive classes.

The members of the Guild working to develop these courses would welcome comments by fellow teachers, whether wishing to take up these certificated courses or not.

The courses are:

Preparatory - recommended for children of pre-school age.

Beginners - suitable for 5 to 7 year olds

Intermediate - suitable for 8 to 11 year olds

Advanced - suitable for 12 to 15 year olds