Photograph by: Mary Fogarty
When my family and I first came to Canada in 1995, it was difficult. We traveled from Chile, Santiago in hopes of beginning a new life, with greater opportunities. However, we struggled to immerse ourselves in the Canadian culture not knowing how to speak English. However, together we made mistakes, learned and grew. My learning began at a young age, learning the customs of Canada, the language and all its complexity. It was not easy and there were rough times however, my parents believed, supported and encouraged me every day to continue learning.
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Years later I found myself face to face with another obstacle, high-school. ​During high-school I struggled in various subjects including: Math, Science, and English. I was unable to grasp information, concepts or critically think about ideas. These subjects did not attract my attention and there was a moment where I remember thinking “I’m never going to university”. I thought about how disappointed my parents would be, how leaving everything behind would have been for nothing. However, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. In grade 10, my dance teacher shed light on how dance could be more than “studio dance”. Within dance I found creative, unique and engaging ways to understand concepts and ideas that I couldn’t before. It was a revelation and inside I was screaming with joy.
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During my educational journey I have discovered that dance is more than an art form it is a process of presenting content in the context of learning strategies that connect with a cognitive process but more importantly being able to present content in multiple learning strategies in various subjects. Dance became a core and vital process that not only helped me understand knowledge and information but sparked a light in me showing me it can be taught and shared.
To be an educator feels like a duty that was set upon me purposely. Since my first memory I have been continuously learning, never ending. I want to share my knowledge, experiences and ways of understanding dance to others. Similarly, to myself, I know there are students out there who struggle to learn concepts from texts, teacher-centered learning and would benefit from integrated arts learning as I do.
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