Slippery Rock University has been approved as the first institution in the state to offer the Endorsement for Movement from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
SRU will now offer a 12-credit hour program, through the Department of Dance, that will lead to students obtaining the Creative Movement Endorsement credential. It will be overseen by overseen by New Castle native and department chair Ursula Payne.
The Creative Movement Endorsement will document knowledge in creative movement where formal certification does not exist. The purpose of the endorsement is to provide educators with supplementary credentials in creative movement that can inform their duties in dance and creative movement production. Educators with this credential will be able to incorporate their knowledge of dance history, dance techniques and styles in their teaching environments.
Payne, a professor of dance, said the department was approached by community leaders in Attack Theatre, a Pittsburgh dance company, about pursuing the credential. Founded in 1994 by Michele de la Reza and Peter Kope, Attack Theatre combines modern dance, original live music, multimedia and interdisciplinary art forms to present work in traditional and non-traditional spaces throughout the U.S. and around the world.
“The departments of Elementary Education, Physical and Health Education, Special Education and Secondary Education agreed to pursue this endorsement as it would benefit all involved departments in not only recruiting incoming students, but also current educators that wish to obtain this credential,” said Payne. “With the growing competition in the work place, having this credential will make education professionals more sought after.”
Students pursuing the credential will be required to complete four, three-credit classes and one field experience. This will assist in learning about art and culture, dance techniques and styles, dance composition and creative dance for children.
The field experience will help tie those components together by allowing candidates to further develop their potential in the theory and practice of sound dance teaching processes and attitudes. The experience, which will consist of a seven-day workshop at SRU, will involve dance, observation and peer teaching.
Payne said it иs important for elementary school children to have some type of “creative education” integrated in their curriculum. “Creative movement will help inspire creative thinking, develop emotional intelligence, as well as provide an outlet for physical and emotional expressions,” said Payne.
“Whatever space you’re in, you can create a movement laboratory,” she said. “You don’t need a dance studio. Educators can integrate this type of practice wherever they are teaching.”
The Creative Movement Endorsement Certificate at SRU will cater to different groups including undergraduate students from the College of Education; dual majors in education and dance; health and physical teacher education; and professional teachers who want to continue their education to add the endorsement to their credentials.
