Origins
The DDC arrives at the intersection of ten years of dance and Buddhist practice. I became interested in Buddhism at the age of 17 while taking a world religion course in high school. Around the same time, my love for dance blossomed in the back of jam band concert halls. Over the years, these two interests became refined. My love for free-form dance was complemented with the containers of breakdancing, contact improvisation, and modern dance, while I pursued my interest in Buddhism through academic courses, meditation retreats, and travel through Nepal and India.
Since 2004, I have been teaching creative movement and breakdancing to all ages, primarily in Boston but also in Canada, Israel, Jamaica, and India. In the winter of 2006, I launched Dance Path, a monthly, spiritually oriented dance jam in Boston. The Dharma Dance Company continues the work of uniting awakening minds with moving bodies. While Dance Path events encourage people to find their paths in the dance, the DDC utilizes the specific path of Buddhism.
While I’m currently spearheading this project on my own, this fall I look forward to creating a dharma dance community through monthly jams and to collaborating with dancers towards creating a winter performance.
Bios on other company members soon to be posted...
Resume
HARRISON BLUM, M.Ed
Mission: I am a dancer-educator seeking to create inspired learning and moving experiences through teaching, facilitating, film making, and consulting. My areas of focus are Buddhism, embodied spirituality, kinesthetic learning, and breakdancing.
Religious Studies and Embodied Spirituality Teaching
Dancing with Dharma Teacher
Insight Meditation Society Barre, MA summer, 2008 Spirit Rock Meditation Center Woodacre, CA summer, 2008
Taught Buddhist concepts to children, teens, and families using hip-hop instruction, creative movement structures, and small group choreography at Teen and Family Retreats
Embodied Spirituality Teacher
Jewish Farm School with Hillel Reisterstown, MD June, 2008
Spoke with college and graduate students on embodied relationships with religion and spirituality and used hip-hop instruction, creative movement structures, and small group choreography to facilitate an embodied examination of human consciousness within the natural world
India Study Abroad Trip Director
Global LAB northern India 2007-2008
Guided American students ages 17-22 on semester trips focused on Indian culture and religions
The Embodied Path Seminar, Producer and Co-Teacher
Milton Academy Milton, MA August, 2007
Created and taught a three day seminar on the interconnection of religion, spirituality, and dance (adults)
Movement as Spiritual Practice Teacher
Harvard University Hillel Cambridge, MA May, 2007
Led a Shavuot workshop on embodied spirituality using standing and walking meditations, intentional interactions, small group choreography, and prayer
Spiritual Dance Jam, Creator and Facilitator
Spontaneous Celebrations Jamaica Plain, MA December 2006-June 2007
Created, facilitated, and Djed Dance Path Jams, monthly spiritually oriented dance containers focused on awareness and intention (adults)
Chapel Speaker
Cardigan Mountain School Canaan, NH February, 2007
Addressed the student body on mindfulness and personalizing the spiritual path
Guest spoke in 6-9 grade classes on my experience researching Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal and searching for spirituality within a college environment
Zen Buddhism Course Teaching Assistant
Hampshire College Amherst, MA Spring, 2003
Reviewed and edited students’ papers, created a critical writing skills guide, and helped facilitate classroom discussions on Zen readings and concepts
Kinesthetic Learning and Creative Movement Teaching
Workshop Leader- Executive Coaching
The Conference Board
Council on Executive Coaching New York, NY October, 2008
Used hip-hop instruction and improvisational dance scores to support executive coaches in exploring and expressing impediments and advantages to their professional interactions and efficacy
Workshop Leader- Urban Gardening
Rooted in Community Conference UPenn, PA July, 2007
Used hip-hop instruction and creative movement cues to guide high school students in expressing urban gardening and food sustainability issues through dance
Workshop Leader- African-American History
Milton Academy Milton, MA November, 2006
Guided senior African-American history classes in meditation, movement ice breakers, warm-up, and free dance towards creating group choreography expressing themes from their studies
Creative Movement and Dance Teacher
Beacon Hill Nursery School Boston, MA 2004-2007
Designed and taught nine weekly classes focusing on dance elements, imagery, and genres for ages 3-6
Breakdancing Teaching
My teaching focuses on the three main elements of top tock, footwork, and popping.
I have taught workshops at the following venues:
Dance New England Summer Camp Poland Springs, ME August, 2008
Domkhar Government School Ladakh, India September, 2007
Hagley Gap CommunityCenter Hagley Gap, Jamaica August 2007
Genesis Jewish Youth Program Waltham, MA July, 2007
Hebrew College Graduation Party Newton, MA June, 2007
Suffolk University Law School Dinner Boston, MA May, 2007
Boston Ballet Children’s Dance Festival Boston, MA May, 2007
University City High School Philadelphia, PA February, 2007
Temple Israel Youth Group Boston, MA February, 2007
NOAM Center Jerusalem, Israel December, 2006
GoodHome Co-op Jamaica Plain, MA November, 2006
Intrax ESL Camp San Francisco, CA Summer, 2006
Native Friendship Center Montreal, Canada April, 2006
Film Making
Cutting a Rug, Turning the Wheel: February, 2008 Beats and Buddhism in Northern India
Highlights the exchange of cultural and religious dance- from Buddhist festivals to my own breakdancing instruction
Pon De Gap: The Culture and Summer, 2007
Dance of Hagley Gap, Jamaica
Explores the context of dance within the culture of this small mountain town
In The Groove: Hip-Hop at Spring, 2006
the Beacon Hill Nursery School
Illustrates my process of teaching hip-hop and breakdancing to Boston 3-6 year olds
Performance Work
M.Ed. Thesis
Lesley University Cambridge, MA May, 2007
Choreographed, performed, and mixed music for 14 minute solo dance piece for my thesis performance which used breakdancing to express the four elements as seen through a Buddhist teaching
Africa Photo-Journal Project Fundraiser
Pheonix Landing Cambridge, MA April, 2006
Choreographed, performed, and mixed music for a solo dance piece which combined breakdancing and interpretive dance
Hip-Hop Hype Man
Ele.mental Zazen U.S. Northeast November 2004-June 2005
Supported Boston based underground hip-hop artist Ele.mental Zazen by provinding on stage vocals and dance
B.A.Thesis
Hampshire College Amherst, MA May, 2004
Rehearsed and performed in a Hampshire student’s thesis dance performance, including a solo piece
Classroom Teaching
Assistant Kindergarten Teacher
Beacon Hill Nursery School Boston, MA 2004-2007
Assisted head teacher in running classroom including teaching of reading, writing, and math skills
Assistant Teacher
Amherst Montessori School Amherst, MA 2003-2004
Assisted lead teacher in classroom preparation, activities, and management under Montessori philosophy
Education
Lesley University
M.Ed. Cambridge, MA 2004-2007
Concentrated on integrating dance and movement into education through Creative Arts in Learning Program
Designed religious studies curriculum with kinesthetic-learning component
Conducted independent research in San Francisco on creative movement programs for children
Hampshire College
B.A. Amherst, MA 2001-2003
Majored in Buddhism and Early Childhood Education
Designed preschool curriculum based on essential Buddhist views
University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 1998-2000
Focused on Religious Studies
Studied abroad in Nepal with a focus on life in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries
Milton Academy Milton, MA 1994-1998
Designed, proposed, and participated in world religion class during my senior year
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