Lao traditional dance class

Siengkane Lao MN (SKLM) started with the vision of a young Lao professional group who had refugees and immigrants in USA. With the same mission, we wanted to not only connect with their roots and heritage, but to think bigger and go beyond preservation.

Throughout history, people have danced for social, cultural, and theatrical reasons. Connecticut standards endorse the cultivation of student dancing for all purposes by expanding their ability to express, embody, and present themselves in dance performance.

The purpose of the dance class is to provide a platform for adults, youth and young Lao Americans to connect to their roots through the arts by providing a safe environment where they can learn, practice and gain their experiences that they may not be familiar with. SKLM has had confidence in Lao traditional dance and expanded the Lao culture and traditional to various communities including Lao, Hmong, Vietnamese, Thai, Cambodia, and also American. One important goal of this project is to introduce new Lao-Americans and others of foreign origin who have experience in other forms of dance and who may not have had
opportunities to experience traditional Lao culture. The workshop and performance will increase attendance member's understanding of it.

The goal of dance education is to inform and enable students to appreciate and participate in various aspects of dancing: creating/choreographing, performing, and responding to dance. Students learn the craft of choreography, giving them an opportunity to become creative artists, as they practice using a variety of choreographic tools and devices. A wide range of dance styles and techniques are studied, from traditional dances to highly evolved classical or modern techniques. Learning how to understand and interpret dance performance can open the door to a lifetime involvement with dancing. When students are given opportunities to watch dance performances, live or on video, this helps them define what makes dance movement interesting, meaningful, or artistic to them.

Goals:
(1) To preserve and expand the Lao culture, traditions, customs, art and literature.
(2) To enhance the Lao community by seeking social and economic justice, promoting Lao culture and traditional values, educating on traditional practices, and developing the young generation to become emerging leaders.
(3) To promote and exchange knowledge of Lao culture and traditional with other ethnic groups and others of different national origins. In order to make this possible, we will have 3 professors who has years of experiences in Lao traditional dance style to teach our attendees. We additionally offer a free workshop open to the community.

The relevance of this project is also rooted in its uniqueness and in its presentation of art forms that are likely to be unknown to most Minnesotan attendances. SKLM is the only organization in the Lao community that provides performances and learning opportunities for Lao culture, traditional dance. SKLM's goal for this project is to engage young, adult, and elderly Lao-Americans from the Lao community who are unfamiliar with the art forms to participate together. They will have many opportunities to experience something new.

Dance provides numerous functions in a society. People experience dance in different ways and for many different reasons. Most people are aware of dance as a performing art on
stage, screen and media, but dancing can also be a social activity, a form of physical fitness, or a prime means of expressing cultural heritage and identity. Historically, dance was often
performed in rituals, worship, social celebrations, and as a means of entertainment and self expression. Today, dance is still a part of traditional events but also as an element of new
innovative performing experiences. Dance is the most ephemeral of all the arts although improvements in video technology have affected the way we presently record and observe dance. Uniquely, dance is also accessible to many people because one only needs a body to create art through movement. Although dancing is the most common way people interact with the art of dance, other dance experiences
include choreographing, viewing, and analyzing dance.

Nature and characteristics of the Lao dance class is aiming to encourage, creativity, imagination, appreciation of beauty, aesthetics, and value, which have a direct effect on the physical, mental, intellectual, emotional, and social aspects. Give students confidence in themselves to be able to work happily with others. Management of learning about performing arts Emphasis on group process, self-learning and courage to express yourself publicly.

The teachers we have selected are knowledgeable and have the ability to serve as a model for learners to observe and imitate various postures and must modify easy poses to difficult poses and make difficult poses easier to suit the age of the learners but still maintain the original form. Most of them use demonstration teaching methods for learners to observe and follow, which is an introduction to structured lessons and a process that gives freedom to learners. Teachers are the ones who give guidance and encouragement to students so that they have self-confidence, dare to express themselves, dare to think, dare to act, and dare to solve problems.

How to teach:
1 Demonstration teaching to stimulate students' interest
2 Practical teaching, is teaching by being student-centered and emphasizing the development of physical skills by using repeated practices until the students reach a specified level of skill. This practice may be done individually or in groups together, as appropriate. The teacher will explain and demonstrate the skills that need to be practiced. Show the students an example and then let the students practice. The teacher will supervise the training and give advice and help correct any shortcomings, and while practicing, various tools or equipment may be used to accompany the practice.

Principles of teaching dance so that students can achieve the set objectives.
1. Consider the abilities of each person.
2. Explain the demonstration.
3. Practice using gestures to express meaning and feelings. and personality to be related to each other.
4. Practice dancing to simple, short songs appropriate to the child's age.
5. Cultivate awareness, discipline, manners, kindness, and cooperation in groups, etc.

We are committed to implementing this project to spread arts and culture like this for the public benefit and to continue preserving Lao culture and traditions for the Lao people.