Story and photos by Zara Mahmud ’29
In the bright and sunny dance studio, the fifth and sixth graders in the Crossing Borders class, taught by Middle School Teacher Mrs. Summer Beasley, were hard at work. They learned many traditional dances from different countries, including Corpus Christi Festival (Panama), Alunelul (Romania), Korobushka (Russia), Tai Chi Kungfu Fan dance (China), and classical Indian dance. They then enjoyed a traditional snack, which was followed by group work on their project.
“My hope for this class is that students will gain a new perspective about the world around them. I believe that learning about others’ values, experiences, and cultures can expand our understanding of the world and help us become more empathetic. It allows us to see things from perspectives we may not have considered before, which can foster greater connection and understanding across differences,” Mrs. Beasley stated.
“My hope for this class is that students will gain a new perspective about the world around them. I believe that learning about others’ values, experiences, and cultures can expand our understanding of the world and help us become more empathetic. It allows us to see things from perspectives we may not have considered before, which can foster greater connection and understanding across differences,” Mrs. Beasley stated.
Ms. Sudha Venkatachalam, a member of our MICDS Technology Department, was kind enough to teach the students a traditional Indian dance. Allie Masiel ’32 shared that “learning these dances from other cultures [is] fun.”
Chiaya Evans ’32 found, “working with my group for our presentation” the most enjoyable. On the first day of class, the students were split into groups to research a unique culture to present to the class. The students researched places including Poland, Hawaii, Moscow, and more! Some students presented their information through a Google slideshow, a traditional dance, a cultural game, and many other specific traditions.
Aamani Mallady ’32 expressed, “I think it’s important to learn about different cultures because…there’s a lot of different cultures around us and I think it would be cool to know about their cultures and we could give a lot more respect to those cultures.”
Noor Dhindsa ’31 believes, “It’s fun and it’s mindful that you know how other people live and what their life is like or what their celebrations are.”
Overall, the Dance Studio was lit with smiles this week of Winter Term as the students discovered many unique cultures and traditions in Crossing Borders.