ST. ROBERTS BELLARMINE CATHOLIC SCHOOL 

Group project: 80 students divided into 4 groups
Duration: One hour per week with each group.
Location: St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic School – Jefferson Park, Chicago, Illinois

 

Project description

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This course was held from August until December of 2019 at the St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic school in the Chicago neighborhood of Jefferson Park. I worked with two groups of ten- year-olds (fifth-graders), one group of eleven-year-olds (sixth-graders), and one group of twelve- year-olds (seventh-graders.) The four indigenous Peruvian dances the students learned were:
1. The Dance of the Anaconda (Mr. Fischer’s fifth-grade F class).
2. The Wasichakuy Dance, or Putting the Roof on an Andean House (Ms. Riemschneider’s class).

3. The Qaytu tiñi Dance, or Dyeing the Wool with Colors (Ms. Kunath’s sixth-grade class).
4. The Queswachaka Ruway Dance, or Construction of a Rope Bridge (Ms. Burzynski’s seventh- grade class.)

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All of the dance classes were dedicated to the inculcation of cultural and artistic values, and each group learned a dance having to do with a typical Peruvian activity. The classes were supervised by the Principal and the Vice-Principal who made sure that everything turned out well. The objective of the course was to offer a Fine Arts class in which students could develop their creativity while deepening their knowledge of world cultures. The participants analyzed each of the elements they were taught, as well as the elements they utilized in the dance, through a social and cultural lens.

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All participants came to comprehend the value of the content of Indigenous knowledge as cultural understanding, cultural values, ancient activities, arts, language, attires iconography, nature respect and the worldview, through rehearsals, oral transmission, discussions, cultural documentary, music and other educational materials. Equally important for the class was the development of abilities and critical thinking through numerous meaningful experiences, including a performance of the 4 Peruvian indigenous dances they learned in front of an assembly in the school’s gymnasium. The information gathered for this investigation came from interviews held with the students, teachers, administrators and students’ parents. Also, of use were photos, videos and surveys. In this group of students, I was able to observe a widespread inexperience in dance, listening skills, and group collaboration, along with a lack of social skills. This left me with the responsibility of establishing these fundamentals before moving towards the goals of my thesis investigation.

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The interviews were based on the responses of students newly exploring this form of learning. How can indigenous dance foster values, and how could I best bring this result about in my role as teacher? These interviews gave me very clear conclusions with regard to the outlined goals of my field work, which I will now begin to describe.

Location and setting

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St. Robert Bellarmine is a private Catholic school belonging to the Archdiocese of Chicago which offers its students an education in significant values and traditions to enrich them throughout their lives. It is a vibrant and sustainable educational community with a history now spanning more than 80 years, offering educational programs from preschool through eighth grade. Its hours of operation run from Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with instruction offered by a highly qualified and dedicated faculty whose academic standards rank well-above national averages year after year. The curriculum meets the needs of students on all levels, emphasizing such Catholic values as community service and social justice, which are the base of all the school does. Students participate in activities that help them learn from and contribute to the world around them. The school strives to live a commitment to education as it relates to service, following the Jesuit mission to “educate women and men that they may aid others.” This results in opportunities for students to expand their vision of the world and to develop a heightened awareness of others.

 

Story

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This workshop grew out of the afterschool program “Latin American Folk Dance” in which I taught dances of Indigenous Latin American cultures during 2018-19. Thanks to the success of this program with students, teachers, and parents, the director of the program offered me the chance to teach a fine-arts class during 2019-20. Here I proposed a project divided into three areas— Dance, Music, and Theater—which was approved and accepted by the school’s administration. At the same time, I proposed that I use this experience as the Field Work for my thesis; having observed my work with the After school Program, they affirmed the plan. In the beginning it was very difficult to work with some of the students—but never impossible. I discovered that some had trouble with shyness, fear, depression, learning disabilities, stress and teamwork. But as the days passed these children, on their own initiative, began to get with the program; when I asked them why they were dancing now, they answered “because it’s fun!” They were also influenced positively by the sight of their classmates dancing, doing activities and enjoying themselves. This is one of the results that can be expected from a course of Indigenous dance: problems or obstacles to learning like those mentioned above disappear in the midst of the games and activities at its core.

The same methodology applied at the workshop I led in the dance academy in Forest Park was applied here; the principal difference was that here each group had more than ten members. The results were tremendous. The Indigenous games were carried out with great joy and much creativity, in part because there were more students involved and therefore greater variety. The students learned the traditions behind the dances through stories accompanied by photographs, which focused their attention; they also benefited from videos produced by National Geographic and the Smithsonian Institution in learning the Queswachaka ruway or “Construction of the Bridge” dance. The activities involved in each dance were warmly taken in, as the students learned by playing, and their interest in repeating the activities through dance continually grew. These activities reinforced social cohesion and teamwork, as all students were required to participate in order for the activity to reach a satisfactory conclusion. For example, when they undertook the “Construction of the Roof of the House,” they had to begin by laying the foundations of the house; if even one student failed to frame this well, it all fell down. Similar requirements were also present in the “Construction of the Bridge,” “The Dyeing of the Wool with Colors” and the representation of “The Anaconda.” All participated, motivated by the games and the desire to help fellow students; when one needed help, all joined in to render it, and with a solution found, they could continue dancing.

 

This instilled the value of doing unto another as one would have done unto oneself. In such work, each group developed an understanding of indigenous values like “AYNI,” which means “Today for you, and tomorrow for me,” and “MITA,” which means “communal work for the benefit of all.” These values have existed from the very beginnings of the Incan civilization and are still honored today; my students understood and practiced these values until they had mastered them, meanwhile completing the activity of the dance. One example of this in action occurred in the No. 6 class, where the seventh graders, having finished the construction of the bridge, watched as one of their members passed over it to see if it was well- made. The joy of having done a solid job, and of seeing the bridge hold, led the students to repeat the accompanying dance a number of times, and to recite the words AYNI Y MITA at the dance’s end. Thus, the values of reciprocity and of teamwork were reinforced. Dances that required the understanding of Quechuan words posed a lexical challenge that the children greatly enjoyed. For example, the fifth-graders who danced the “Wasichakuy, or Roof the House with Straw,” learned of the “Qarawis as a symbol of worship and reverence for a new home that will give shelter and protection to the entire family.” Here is the song:

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Figure 2. Harawi or slow song to encourage the Wasichakuy dance or to put the roof of the house

 

 

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A very important moment for all of the classes came in the next-to-last session, where we studied the iconography of Andean and forest clothing. On that day I brought dance costumes for each member of every class; the objective was to have each student touch, smell, feel and know about the materials they were made of. It was very interesting to hear their questions, as they sought knowledge about the meaning and composition of the costumes. All the answers derived from the rich symbolism of this wardrobe, which includes flowers and plants; animals; an agricultural calendar divided into four parts, like seasons; the Andean cosmology, with drawings of stars; and deep color significations such as black for grief or mourning. Meanwhile they learned about the sources of the costumes’ material—the sheep and alpaca for their wool—and about their different uses, whether for work in the fields or a ritual celebration. This woke in the students a deep appreciation for the sources in nature and the universe of the clothing they were wearing— and taught them the profound importance of color and adornment in the indigenous world-view. In the same way, by learning that Nature is a sacred being, wholly honored by Indigenous communities, they found new respect for all that surrounds and nurtures them. When I asked which of them would like to put on a costume, all said they would; in accordance with progressive theory of John Dewey in which he argues “the school played a crucial role in creating an environment that was responsive to the child's interests and needs, and would allow the child to flourish. (Encyclopedy, n.d.) all tried on the costumes, following the instructions I gave on their proper fittings.

          To see all of my students arrayed from head to toe in the indigenous robes converted my classroom into a multicultural space; the students, meanwhile, remarked on how different they felt from their usual selves—like the men and women they had seen in the photos and videos. Next they carried out a full dress rehearsal in the picturesque costumes, at the end of which they were very emotional. At this point I told them they needed to take off the clothing—but they didn’t want to do so, as they felt so good in it. In the end they did, then folded the outfits and took special care to prevent them from being damaged. This showed a deep interest in and respect for the preservation of the native dress which came from having learned about its origins and meaning within indigenous culture, and how much work and care went into its making.

        The dance classes were held in my classroom—a 30 x 30 square feet space—that had been specially outfitted for a dance group. I also petitioned the administration for permission to use the gymnasium on some days, and was allowed to. In cordial coordination with the physical education teacher Ms. Corrine Maki, I went through a number of dances with various grades in the gymnasium. On one of these occasions, the plastic arts teacher passed by, and she later shared with me her impressions: “I recently started as a part time art teacher at my children’s school. I was walking through the gym and was completely blown away by a practice performance that was taking place. Junior high age students were all Indigenous dancing in sequence, with smiles on their faces. I had to stop and watch. The students filled up the gym with movement and creative dance. At one point in the dance, the students picked up props and built a bridge for another student to cross. As I watched, I wondered, how did Señor Pachas teach and motivate this age group to dance like this? And to do it with such joy and coordination? When the performance ended, I had to clap and ask Señor Pachas if he had plans to show the performance to others. This program was too impressive not to share. St. Robert Bellarmine School is extremely blessed to have such an amazing fine arts teacher and class. I am grateful my daughter and son will be exposed to such a wonderful program.” (Noreen Bucher, Plastic Arts Teacher). Ms. Bucher was the first teacher to give me feedback on the work I was doing with the students; her observations greatly pleased the kids, as well as filling me with humble pride (if that is possible!) It was especially meaningful coming from an expert in the Arts, since we, too, were attempting to learn and achieve in that field through our exploration of indigenous Peruvian dance.

          As I outlined in a previous text, the group of children I taught at the Peruvian Folk Dance Center had awaited their performance of what they had learned with great anticipation. The groups I taught at St. Robert Bellarmine, however, did not have any experience in the preparation of a performance, nor did the school’s teachers. For this reason, I had to prepare a guide with explanations how a program might be carried out by both the students and teachers. The presentation, in the end, was realized with great success, with parents, teachers and students from the school all in happy attendance. The gymnasium, where it took place, was packed with people! The groups of dancers appeared in their native costumes ready to dance; although it was their first time doing such a thing, and they were necessarily a little nervous and worried, I tried to allay their concerns by saying it was just one more rehearsal....instructing them to do it like they’d been practicing, having fun and dancing as one, and it would all turn out great. Each dance was presented with an explanation of its meaning, and the students demonstrated the richness of Indigenous culture with great joy and pride. The themes of The Anaconda, Putting the Roof on the House, The Dyeing of the Wool and The Construction of the Bridge were enacted in the appropriate costumes and the music and movements of indigenous dance. The entire enterprise astounded many in attendance, who said they felt like they had been transported to Peru; as true education seeks always to produce empathy and identification between humans across distances of time and place, I felt like we had achieved a resounding success. The students, too, manifested great happiness at what they had accomplished, both in the preparation of their performance and its actual presentation in front of so many people. Overall, the experience had reinforced their self-esteem, even as it taught them invaluable lessons about cultures and Nature. The power of emotions produced by this dance activity proves it is not mere entertainment, but rather one of the best ways to educate a person and teach her how to see. It also confirmed me in my belief, as a teacher, that indigenous art can be a very effective way to spread understanding between the world’s cultures today, and also that the methodologies for teaching indigenous dance to non- indigenous pupils can be decolonized and thus bring positive results.

After the presentation, I asked our Principal the following: “What is your opinion about the teaching of indigenous dances, or having ethnic dance programs in other schools? Will you recommend this program, and why?” She responded, “I would absolutely recommend the program to other schools because it would be a great enrichment addition to any arts curriculum. (And I love having Mr. Pachas teaching at my school!)” she graciously concluded. (Deanne Roy).

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At the same time, I conducted surveys with the students, teachers and parents. One of the questions for the students was “Would you like to dance Indigenous dances again?” A full 100% of them responded that they would, saying that the dancing was different, but also very interesting. Another question was “What didn’t you like about our course in indigenous Peruvian dance?” Almost all, 98%, responded that there wasn’t anything that they didn’t like; two children, however, said that they hadn’t liked the music that went with the dances. A third question was “What would you suggest as an improvement for the indigenous dance program?” In response, 30% mentioned that they would like to learn indigenous dances from other cultures, for example those from their parents’ cultures, while 70% had nothing by way of suggestions for improvement.

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I also conducted a survey of teachers through diagrams representing conversations that took place during my fieldwork. These diagrams were inspired from the work of Staikidis & Morris, (2017, p. vi), whose dialogue model, a format determined by circularity inherent in Indigenous processes, “illustrates the building process of ideas, through which each person expresses her or his related or possibly unrelated ideas.

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Figure 3. A dialogue model showing a reflective conversation between Mr. Pachas and Ms. Burzynski about Indigenous culture.

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