Patuá's Educational Work

Patuá Dance has worked extensively in many schools in the UK and Ireland in the past 15 years, including nurseries, primary, secondary, special schools, colleges and universities. All workshops are practical and delivered in a fun atmosphere, encouraging participants from all abilities to take part. In order to understand the creative and cultural context, workshops also look at the history of Brazil, its dance, music and literature. Cross-curricular connections are easily made with physical education, music, arts, history, geography and also maths!

Patuá Dance has vast experience in running successful mixed abilities projects, pairing pupils from special schools with mainstream schools and working through different artforms, culminating in small and large scale performances.

Link to recent work at Ysgol Gymraeg Treganna (pictures and movies)

The workshops can also form part of the performing arts curriculum as many of the workshops culminate with a performance that includes both pupils and teachers. Patuá Dance facilitators are expert in working with large numbers and performances can include all pupils in the school or even, sometimes, two schools. Teachers are always encouraged to take part in the workshops and training sessions are available. Fernanda Amaral, Artistic Director of Patuá Dance, is a qualified teacher with a BEd from Cardiff University and experience of INSET training for teachers.

 

Projects can last for one day, several days or be extended over a period of weeks and integrate dance, music making and storytelling. The company works with a team of well qualified and established artists.

Workshops aims and objectives:

• Learn about Brazil and its culture
• Develop self awareness and confidence
• Encourage and develop listening skills
• Make connection with students' own cultural backgrounds
• Make cross curricular links with different subjects

Training session comments:
“Apprehensive at first but by the end I really enjoyed it. Good to have a session without children. Helped to not be worried to do it with the children. It was excellent, good teaching!”
“It helped to have a practice away from the children first! It was great fun, but also very informative. Excellent teacher!”

Teachers' comments:
“It was an insight into how a culture expresses itself through dance and music.”
“Starting with a massage exercise was an excellent idea!”
“The children are still practicing their Brazilian dancing in the playground!”

Teachers from a special school in an integrating project:
“Fernanda's ability to engage the children and maximise their skills shone through! All pupils enjoyed the sessions and I notice carried into the rest of the week: attention, and learning, social skills, use of eye contact, engaging with adults.”

Speech and Language Therapist:
“They learnt how to use their bodies in many different and fun ways, to create dances, to work tighter and make a dance sequence.”
“Because of the huge potential this dance has for facilitating social skills development it is a great way to integrate the pupils of both schools in a same project!”

Integrated abilities project including a primary school and a special primary school.

Pupils' comments:
“I have learnt that I can do Brazilian dance.”
“I learnt a lot of things from Fernanda, things I never done before.”
“I think they were excellent dancing made smile.”

Recommendations:
“I have no hesitation in recommending the Brazilian Dance workshop to any school as a means of enriching the Music, Dance and Art, as well as different aspects of the National Curriculum”
Mr B K Jones, Head, Pontygof Primary School

“I am pleased to recommend Patuá Dance and Fernanda Amaral. Schools have always been pleased with her work, particularly the way in which she is able to communicate with a wide range of abilities. Fernanda has a professional attitude to her work, being both reliable and committed to the project with whom she is working.”
Judith Beck, Out of Schools Hours Learning Co-ordinator, Cardiff County Council

“I have known Fernanda Amaral and Patuá dance for nine years and followed the successes of her community dance enterprise. I also saw the enjoyment of all participants in the workshops and hoe people of all ages and levels of abilities and confidence with their body grew as individuals through their participation.”
Paul Keeping, Marketing Manager, Leisure and Life Long Learning, Cardiff County Council

“The project was very successful and the pupils and schools were very impressed with Patuá Dance and Fernanda's commitment and professionalism.”
Michael Goode, Education Extra

“Patuás sessions were a success in our nursery recently and I will recommend it. As in the past, Fernanda's ideas proved stimulating and very valuable to both children and staff. Although our children are so young, only 3 & 4 years of age, they responded with great enthusiasm to Fernanda's suggestions, and were clearly inspired by the music and props. She gave the staff many ideas that they can use and develop in the future.”
Linda Chandler, on behalf of Cadoxton Nursery School

“Significant achievement was quite apparent for many pupils; gross and fine motor skills were challenged and improved, pupils' self-esteem raised greatly by their full participation and listening skills finely tuned. All of this done in a lively and fun enjoyable way. I would have no reservations in recommending Patuá Dance to other schools.”
Amanda Smith, Head, Riverbank Special School