Ask the Experts: How Can I Integrate Academics into My Dance Classes?
December 20, 2017

Q: I’d like to integrate some academic subjects into my dance classes this school year. What online resources do you recommend I use to get started?


A: In my choreography class, I spend nearly as much time teaching my students how to craft dances as I do honing their ability to watch and talk about dance. Their peer-to-peer observation and discussion of each other’s work is vital to their development. I prefer that we all sit together and talk, but occasionally we just run out of time. When that happens, I like to have students review each other’s work online.

Recently I came across Peergrade, which allows students to submit video of their dances online, and then assign their classmates to use the program to review the work. The choreographer can discuss the comments received with their reviewer, and offer feedback on their critique.

It’s also possible to use this tool live in class. You can moderate the discussion and view what each student writes.

Peergrade has various pricing plans but can also be used for free. Other options for online peer review include CrowdGrader and TEAMMATES. Or you can set up a video as “private” on YouTube or Vimeo, and use the comments section for feedback.