"The Warm-up": Preparing for the Dance Trip of A Lifetime

Emma Kuechler
Dance and Public Relations
WMU Movement Exchange Annual Exchange to Panama, Spring 2019

One of the first things every dancer is taught is that in order to prepare for a successful performance, they must first engage in a strong and intricate warm-up. Although different than a typical dance performance, my upcoming study abroad trip also requires a warm-up in order to be successful. Going out of the country is stressful, and a lot of big decisions must be made to prepare, but by being thorough, I know that my “warm-up” will make my Exchange to Panama be one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

My Study Abroad trip will not be your typical cultural immersion semester. While in Panama, I will be traveling with Western Michigan University’s chapter of the national organization, Movement Exchange, to teach dance to students and orphans. We’ll work with children of all ages to build self-confidence, creativity, and self-expression, while also working on our own dance teaching skills. We will explore a variety of different areas of Panama, including the Urban downtown of Panama City and an Indigenous community to work with Emberá children. Of course, we will be given ample time to explore the area and try lots of different foods! Although I will only be there for a short period of time, I am so excited to soak up everything Panama has to offer me.

So what will this “warm-up” for my trip include? It may come as a surprise. Instead of buying books and packing pens and paper, I’ve been spending quite a bit of time preparing for my classes that I will be teaching. I was assigned groups of 4-8 years-old. To prepare for my trip, I have been putting together Spotify playlists of fun songs that will be exciting to kids, despite the language barriers.  Additionally, I have had to brainstorm a bunch of fun moves that will be easy for the kids to learn and fun for them to perform! Most importantly, I have had to put together lists of what I want the kids to gain from my class and how I can make sure they get that. For me, I have been trying to incorporate lessons of self-expressiveness into my classes. Although I will be teaching the kids steps, I want to make sure that they are given an opportunity to let their creative juices flow and show their friends the kind of dances they can make up! If I can leave these kids with anything, I want it to be the lesson that their true selves are their best selves, and as long as they make smart choices, no one should tell them otherwise.