Contirbuted By: Tracy Kirkpatrick and Melissa Mills (Teacher Candidates)
Luv 2 Groove is an Ottawa based dance company that aims to engage students with the art of dance education and get them moving to the beat!
Students from kindergarten to grade twelve can take part in these educational dance classes. Luv 2 Groove offers different types of dance workshops including hip hop, breakdance, global groove (which is a blend of African and Bollywood) and creative dance.
An interesting fact about this company is that the founder, Julia Gutsik, not only has a bachelor’s degree in dance, she also has a bachelor and master’s degree in education! Having studied education, Julia was able to incorporate expectations from both the Ontario health and physical education curriculum as well the art curriculum into the dance workshops. This makes Luv 2 Groove a valuable resource for teachers to utilize.
Luv 2 Groove gets students involved in the dance workshops and gives them the opportunity to build their own movements, while also learning and exploring new dance moves. By promoting fun and participation, Luv 2 Groove encourages students to both explore and expand their physical and social capabilities.
The Comprehensive School Health (CSH) Cohort believes that the school environment influences the health and behavior of its students- with a healthy and safe school environment having a positive influence on students’ well-being and academic success. Finding ways to incorporate healthy living into schools through the curriculum and teaching will benefit students.
Comprehensive School Health includes the shared commitment and active participation of schools, families, and community members. Luv 2 Groove is a relevant community resource contributing to two of the Comprehensive School Health pillars:
- Partnerships and services where they can support student health and wellbeing; and
- Teaching and learning, where students gain appropriate knowledge and experiences, helping to build the skills to improve their health and wellbeing
This entrepreneurial enterprise has a clear mission statement that supports the Ontario Curriculum expectations in both the Arts, and Health and Physical Education, as well as supporting the foundations for a Healthy School:
- Curriculum, Teaching and Learning
- Home, School, and Community Partnerships
Luv 2 Groove is a community partnership opportunity offered locally as well as touring nationwide. This organization is a valuable resource that aims to help students gain self-confidence, develop discipline, increase their physical capabilities, and gain a deeper appreciation for the arts, through the creativity and fun movement of dance.
It is clear from their website that they are passionate about partnering with schools to get students up and moving.
The ultimate goal for teachers is finding ways to get all their students excited, engaged and involved in a lesson. From feedback we have read and watched, Luv 2 Groove gets “everyBODY” in the class moving, dancing and having fun.
Someday in the future, we hope to have the pleasure to invite Luv 2 Groove to our classroom to get our students moving and grooving! Although we did not have the pleasure of participating in a dance workshop by Luv 2 Groove, Tracy had the opportunity to talk with some of her extended day students who had taken part in a dance workshop held by Luv 2 Groove. The feedback from my students was unanimous- all the kids (boys and girls) loved the dance workshop and learned some cool new dance moves!
For more information on this amazing company, including rates and availability, check out their website http://luv2groove.com/
As their motto says “When in doubt, dance it out!”
Picture Source: www.luv2groove.com