European dances in the American Northwest: The Gregory Heights Middle School International Dance Ensemble

Multicultural Education, Winter 2001 by Gherasim, Gabriel

The Gregory Heights Middle School International Dance Ensemble is composed of students from the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades at Gregory Heights Middle School in the Portland, Oregon, Public Schools. The students meet both during regular classes and in weekly extended sessions to practice and dance a rich repertoire of international dances, including those from Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Israel, Russia, Poland, and Italy.

The ensemble began last year at the initiative ofboth the school's principal, Ron Hanlon, and the Ensemble's director, Rodica Bordeianu, who has been for many years the solo dancer with the internationally reknown Moldovan National Dance Ensemble "Joc." Besides having a vast experience as a professional premiere dancer and choreographer, Bordeianu is also an exceptional teacher.

The purpose of the Ensemble has been to open the interest of American and immigrant students to the art of international dance. The ensemble includes students from all racial backgrounds, resulting in an ethnic diversity which creates a perfect mosaic of the rich fabric of American society. The students come originally from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, as well as the United States; those born in the United States include Caucasians, Asian Americans, and African Americans.

Even though the Ensemble has not yet completed its first year of existence, its members have already put on a series of very popular performances at their pwn school, at the Portland Public Schools Fair, and at Portland State University. The Ensemble has received acclamations, applause, and praise from enthusiastic audiences at all of the performances. Observers have also been impressed by the group's high professionalism, cultural sensitivity, and authentic artistry in representing the dances and the cultures of origin represented in the dance repertoire.

Bordeianu inspires her students both with her own professional and artistic background as well as her hard work, which the students reflect in achieving artistic proficiency in a variety of international dances.

Many ofthe students from the ensemble are enrolled in the school's "gifted and talented"program, and all of the students find fascinating learning materials from the intercultural perspective ofthe dance class, as well as the opportunity to explore and preserve their own cultural roots. Both parents and teachers have been impressed by the students' hard work, long practice sessions, and the cumulative richness of exotic dances and music, which make this Ensemble the only one of its kind in the Northwest United States. The students are looking forward to future performances of their multicultural repertoire and are already a unique asset for the Portland Public Schools as well as the rest of Oregon and Northwest region.

The Gregory Heights Middle School International Dance Ensemble shows that when there exists competence and professionalism on the part of the teacher, the students get inspired and respond with hard work and other admirable qualities. For those looking for new directions in education, this ensemble shows that the only educational and intercultural barriers are those imposed artificially and that students learn from teachers' hard work as well as their own efforts, involvement, and cooperation.

For additional information on the Gregory Heights Middle School International Dance Ensemble, contact the Ensemble's director by telephone at 503/771-5900 or by e-mail at: .

- Gabriel Gherasim, a resident of Portland, Oregon, is the Northwest correspondent for the Meridianul Romanesc (the Romanian Meridian).