Teaching Philosophy
My name is Sam Stone, or as I’m sometimes known in ‘Kid World’, Ms. Sam. I am an Oakland, California based dance performance artist, creator, community organizer and teacher – I find that all my roles inform and seep into one another.
As a teacher, I value play, choice-making, and expression. A dance class ought to wake parts of you up. Body awareness is a skill and must be practiced through improvisation, pattern recognition, and extension of self onto others. My teaching style is absolutely student-based. I make sure to create space in my lessons for observing my class and noting which concepts didn’t catch so I may respond. I practice critical pedagogy which means that I encourage students to question and to challenge both myself and the content I teach them. The biggest steps I’ve taken in dance have been learned through this lens and I think it’s important to share the benefit of autonomy with my students.
I think a dance class should be accessible to everyone. I think it should generate momentum and offer a physical experience. I think dancers benefit from tuning both into silence and into music! I think there should be multiple opportunities to exchange with your peers. I think the movement taught should be safe and prolong our dance lives, not stunt them! I think we should all be taking risks. I think a dance class should leave space for students to say yes or no. I think I want to go to dance class right now….
Inspiration and Past Training
The experiences that have most developed my teaching style include release technique, improvisation, ten years studying the Axis Syllabus, classes with Kathlene Hermesdorf and Sara Shelton Mann, and child dance education training with The Luna Dance Institute. In addition, I often find my rehearsal processes are quite similar to my dance classes, informed and guided by who is in the room.
Teaching Experience
As a visiting Artist-in-Residence, I have taught thousands of children in the Bay Area Public schools for the last ten years. In addition, I have directed several Summer Dance programs and produced dozens of children dance shows. I am a certified Axis Syllabus Teacher – teaching both in the US and internationally.