L ady Gaga’s voice reverberatedthrough the hotel’s multilevel atrium. It was the second day of

the Arkansas Association of Health,Physical Education, Recreation andDance’s convention, an annual gather-ing of instructors and college majorsfrom throughout the state. Freddie-LeeHeath’s “Get your ‘Glee’ On!” packeddance workshop was held in the atrium,in full view—and earshot—of otherguests. Susan Mayes, an instructor inthe Health Science, Kinesiology,Recreation & Dance department at theUniversity of Arkansas, looked up atthe floors above her and spotted twogirls dancing Heath’s choreography.“They had heard the music and cameout of their room,” Mayes says. “Therethey were, in their pajamas, learningcombos four floors above!”

Best known for his musical theaterand tap choreography, Heath has used

his tenure as the National DanceAssociation’s 2010 K–12 DanceEducator of the Year to encourage PEteachers to incorporate contemporarychoreography into their dance units. Hehopes that using dances modified frompopular movies and TV shows, such asStomp the Yard, Honey and “Glee,”will help PE instructors overcome theirfears of teaching dance and encouragethem to make dance engaging for theirstudents.

“In a perfect world, I would havedance teachers teaching dance units,”Heath says. But with budget cuts, manystates have rolled dance standards intoPE classes. While sports and dance bothrely on physical aptitude, strength anddiscipline, making the leap from teach-ing one to the other can be daunting forPE instructors. Those with little or nodance experience can be intimidated byteaching moves they themselves don’t

feel comfortable doing. Other teachers,such as Kayla Daniels, a PE instructor atJohn Tyson Elementary School inSpringdale, AK, have dance back-grounds but remain wary of teachingcomplicated choreography to reluctantstudents. “I was concerned about mystudents’ maturity level,” says Daniels,who attended both of Heath’s work-shops at the ArkAHPERD convention.

Heath, who teaches at an inner-citymagnet school in Raleigh, NC, is sensi-tive to their fears. He has worked as adancer, choreographer and educator forover 20 years, and many of his studentshave little or no dance background. “Ihave to bring them gently into thefold,” he says.

Heath has presented his workshopsat conferences across the country, andhis upbeat, lighthearted manner quicklysets participants at ease. He begins thehour-long sessions with warm-ups andisolations. Then he introduces 8-countphrases slowly, giving participants ataste of more complex choreography,but always returning to basic move-ments. “He has so many variations ofhow you can do one step,” saysDaniels. To execute a 180-degree turn,for instance, he has beginners take asingle step toward the back of theroom, while more advanced dancersmight make a three-step turn com-pleting one and a half revolutions.Heath checks in with participants fre-quently, asking them if they’re readyto move on and repeating the step ifthey’re not.

Rather than use unfamiliar danceterminology, Heath uses descriptivephrases and everyday terms—Beyoncébooty, robot hands—that participantscan relate to. He slowly brings in moretechnical choreography, including atti-tude turns and syncopation, but alwaysallows beginners to keep practicingbasic steps if they don’t feel comfortablemoving on. At the end of the workshop,he hands out sheets reviewing the music

www.dance-teacher.com • March 201164

Phot

o b

y N

atha

n A

cost

a, c

ourt

esy

of N

CA

AH

PERD

Freddie-Lee Heath wins over PE instructors with hispop culture–inspired choreography. BY SARA VERSLUIS

Freddie-Lee Heath(in orange) leads adance workshopfor PE instructors.

K–12

New Moves

100

96

75

50

25

15

5

DPMCQC

DTM1103_064r1This proof has been quality checked Please Initial One:by DPMC. DPMC will not acceptliability for any proof approved by client.

OK CHANGESAS IS NEEDED

064-65_K-12_DT1103.prep.qxd 1/21/11 1:59 PM Page 64

and steps in shorthand, often using the same language heuses in the workshop. One 8-count for Heath’s Honeyroutine, for example, reads: “Walk R/L/R/L; pop fist byhead on 5; turn over back shoulder 6, 7; look right 8(sucker punch).”

Throughout his workshops, Heath references ways toincorporate steps into a variety of classrooms. “He’s con-stantly talking about muscle groups and developmentallyappropriate techniques,” Mayes says. For younger dancers,for example, a simple hop might substitute for a more com-plicated footwork pattern. Heath also considers age-appro-priate music, telling elementary teachers that they can swapLady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” for a more familiar and lesscontroversial song such as “Thriller.” What’s important isthat dance is relevant to students’ lives, says Heath. He useschoreography and music inspired by “Glee” because it’spopular among middle schoolers. It’s a way to capture stu-dents’ attention while also “tying in levels, spacing and slow,sustained movement,” he says.

While Heath acknowledges that some participants mightforget the specifics of his choreography, he hopes the experi-ence will break down their inhibitions to teaching dance.The temptation, he says, is to rely on a DVD or a video gamelike Dance Dance Revolution. Between his cue words and

the actual steps, he hopes they’ll use even a small excerpt ofhis routines and build on it to make it their own. He wantsto foster creativity in teachers and thus their students. “Ialways preface choreography with ‘What I’m giving you isjust a skeleton,’” Heath says.

His workshops gave PE instructor Daniels the confidenceto try his approach with her elementary-aged students. Thisyear, she revamped her dance unit to focus less on traditionalsquare dances and more on contemporary moves and music.“I honestly underestimated my students in thinking therewould be no way they’d get it,” she says. “They do get it, aslong as you have variations that start very, very simple andlet them add as much as they want to a step.” DT

Sara Versluis is a freelance writer and former English teacherwho lives in Virginia.

March 2011 • www.dance-teacher.com 65

Phot

o b

y N

atha

n A

cost

a, c

ourt

esy

of N

CA

AH

PERD

“I honestly underestimated mystudents in thinking there wouldbe no way they’d get it. They doget it.”

—Kayla Daniels, PE instructor

HANGESEEDED DTM1103_065r1

This proof has been quality checked Please Initial One:by DPMC. DPMC will not acceptliability for any proof approved by client.

OK CHANGESAS IS NEEDED

100

96

75

50

25

15

5

DPMCQC

www.roscodancefloors.com

Stamford, CT: 800-ROSCO NY

Hollywood, CA: 800-ROSCO LA

Ontario, Canada: 888-ROSCO TO

Also in: London, Madrid,

São Paulo and Sydney

You Teach It.We Floor It.

The floor in your studio or on your tour matters.

It needs to be safe, affordable and appropriate

for your style and performance.That’s why it’s

best to consult the professionals at Rosco.

We’ve been providing samples, guidance and

quotes to dance studios and companies for

more than a generation now. Contact us by

phone or online.We’ll help you through the

process of selecting the right floor, making it

easier for you to handle one of the toughest

projects you have to do for your studio.

PHOTO BY: EDUARDO PATINO

AD res below spec064-65_K-12_DT1103.prep.qxd 1/21/11 12:39 PM Page 65