Spotlight on Kate Barber
Birthday… 22nd December. Definitely the worst date for a birthday!
My favourite Big Steps Little Feet concert is… 2014 – The Scarecrow’s Wedding. I was in awe of what we created. It was the first time I was able to create the ultimate immersive experience for the children on stage. This was the result of my vision matched with an amazing Balmain family who took my ideas and created a stunning hand-crafted set and production design, matched beautifully with costumes from local fashion brand tutudumonde
When a child attends my class I hope they… discover new skills, develop creatively and are inspired - falling involve with dance and beautiful things whilst having fun and making friends.
The most rewarding thing about working with children is... their ideas, stories, creative contributions, energy, skill and free dancing! Also – seeing happy parents (put their phones aside and) connect and bond and often dancing with their children. I’ve learnt so much as a mum from witnessing these parents.
My greatest success so far is... the accumulation of lots of little successes - my business, my creativity and my happy children.
Every year, I always... set new year’s resolutions that are super easy to achieve.
My tertiary/teaching qualifications are… BA (Dance) UWS graduated 1995 and RAD Registered Teacher (Distinction). Certified in Brain Compatible Dance Education from the Creative Dance Center in Seattle.
Formal teaching experience…27 years
Everything changed when I realised...I became curious about how I could make dance for kids totally different to what was currently on offer - at the time I owned a business that modelled every other business that taught dance in a manner that did NOT meet the needs of children.
As a child I was...playing dress ups with my cat as the baby in the pram.
The best advice I ever received was... foster in self ‘a strong back, soft front and wild heart’
My favourite place in the world is...the west coast of the Isle of Harris (one of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland)
My favourite style of dance is… modern dance because it's boundless. (not faux contemporary or beautifully trained dancers showing the audience how amazing they are are) I love pedestrian dance.
At the moment, I’m reading... Circe by Madeline Miller, it’s great. A recommendation from dear friend and Big Steps Little Feet teacher, Elizabeth Ryan
Something I can’t do, but I wish I could is... sing - I'm completely tone deaf.Five minutes ago I was... contemplating the amount of housework that needs to be done whilst catching up on admin and planning the 2019 concert. Costume orders are stressful!
Five minutes from now I will be... cleaning the house, washing clothes, folding laundry and preparing for the school term ahead.
Five years from now I want to be... (oh my gosh I will be 50 – that’s crazy) I hope I’m living to my fullest, making beautiful dance experiences for children and inspiring other teachers to let go of their old patterns of teaching dance to young children in exchange for whole hearted, connected, imaginative, creative, genuine, honest, appropriate, relevant, flexible, organised and fun teaching methods.
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