March 21, 2016
Plug OUT & Play!


I've worked in choreography for over 30 years (working with everyone from kids to elite athletes).  For several years, I've talked about my belief in the theory of "physical dyslexia" - where the child may read and write correctly, but they're turned around when it comes to physical orientation and spatial awareness.  Through the years, when I was demonstrating a move for a group to go to the right, inevitably there would be one or two children going left.  Now, when I teach a group, up to a THIRD of the participants go in the wrong direction.  I think more kids are operating in a world with no sense of direction because they're manipulating characters on a phone or tablet instead of experiencing it themselves.  When they move their finger to the left, they move the character on the screen to the right.

These kids haven't played hopscotch or been on a seesaw.  They seem to have no idea how to mimic physical movement.  Just recently I worked with a group of high-achieving high school kids doing a show.  As I showed them moves, fully one third of them were struggling.  I took many of them one by one showing them how to turn counter-clockwise.  What is "clockwise" in a world with no clocks?  Our children these days are PLUGGED in when they're in a world that should be PLAYED in.  Thanks for telling parents to get their kids' noses out of electronic devices.

Kyle




Posted by Staff at 10:59 AM