Every savage can dance
The Danbury News-Times reports that New Fairfield High School students are learning about Pride and Prejudice in a novel way: ballroom dance lessons at their local Arthur Murray Dance Studio.
The students in the advanced placement English literature course at New Fairfield High School were in class, but Friday it took place in Danbury at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio on Main Street.
Teacher Patti Lee-Muratori thought a lesson in the formal etiquette of ballroom dancing would help the students understand society in the book they were reading, “Pride and Prejudice.”
The verdict?
The dance class worked.
“Dancing was the only time the men and women could be together physically in that time. Dancing today made me realize how distanced they were from each other,” said 17-year-old Birgit Leimer. “Today we all hug everyone. It’s not a big deal. But now I can see the relationships of the men and women from the 1800s.”
Mrs. Lee-Muratori summed up the why the novel can be difficult for students to “get”:
“They didn’t understand class distinctions or the gender roles since nowadays the girls call the shots,” Lee-Muratori said. “I wanted them to experience the boys leading and the women following without an argument.”
She also enforced a “no slouching” rule while she taught about the novel, had the students write and perform modernized scenes from the book, and spoke to the boys about the difficulties of initiating relationship with girls without the help of email and text messages.
Brava, Mrs. Lee-Muratori!
March 19th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
Great post title– too bad the writer didn’t think to work that quote into the article! It sounds like a very creative approach to teaching Austen. It’s too bad more teachers don’t make such an effort to help their students connect with the literature they are reading!
March 19th, 2006 at 5:23 pm
How wonderful! I wish I had that experience when I was in high school it would have made some of the literature much more alive.
March 19th, 2006 at 7:59 pm
*is jealous*
Why oh why didn’t my teachers think of that?! We did do quite a lot of dancing in my school but they never thought to tie it in with classical novels. (In grade school we had Irish dancing, in high school there was ballet and modern dance… BUT in high school we also sang 18th and 19th century art songs like Sento Nel Core, featured in the piano accompianment in P&P with Mr. Firth!).
*stamps foot in annoyance*
March 19th, 2006 at 8:00 pm
My mistake… I meant Nel Cor Piu Non Me Sento.
March 20th, 2006 at 4:05 am
Bravo! It is hard for those unfamiliar with the period to understand the intricacies of the 19th century. What a wonderful intiation to P&P.
March 20th, 2006 at 10:39 am
Being big into ballroom, I’m wildly jealous! And what a great way to teach the ettiquettes and rules of the period, too! What a fantastic teacher (and true Friend of Jane!).