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Transforming dance classes Sharon Allen shares techniques to support deaf learners. Sharon Allen FISTD, Dip, Cert. Ed Sharon teaches Tap, Modern, Jazz, and Musical Theatre to Minis, Juniors, and Intermediates at Katie Cox Dance Studio and serves as a Higher Level Teaching Assistant specialising in Speech and Language at Griffins Primary Deaf Base. Though hearing, she is inspired by her profoundly deaf mother and has achieved British Sign Language (BSL) Level One, currently studying for Level Two. Sharon trained at The Christine O’Brien School of Dancing, Italia Conti, and Arts Educational London, earning Diplomas in Musical Theatre and Professional Dance, an A-Level in Drama, and ABRSM Piano Grade 7. After 10 years as a professional performer and freelance teacher, she received ISTD FDI and CDE qualifications in Modern and Tap at Penny Meekings Teacher Training College. In 2008, she joined the Dance Faculty at Italia Conti Barbican and D&B Academy of Performing Arts, where she created the D&B ISTD Teacher Training Programme. She also obtained ISTD Licentiate in Tap and Fellowship in Modern. Inspired by Esther Brooks, she trained with Elklan in ‘Training to Support Children’s Language and Learning,’ leading to a role as Speech and Language Lead at a local primary school.
In 2022 I began teaching Skye at Katie Cox Dance Studio (KCDS). She was part of my tap, jazz and musical theatre classes. Co-incidentally I had also just started working at Griffins Primary Deaf Base. I felt confident to welcome her with some Sign Supported English (SSE) and British Sign Language (BSL) and build a secure method of communication. Skye’s ‘magic ears’ are supported by a radio aid, a device worn around the teacher’s neck to send the sound via Bluetooth directly into the hearing aids. I remember one lesson in particular, we were learning Part of Your World from Disney’s The Little Mermaid and the whole class chose to use BSL signs throughout the choreography. It was moving that a whole class chose to communicate in Skye’s style.
Above Skye with Sharon 10 Dance | Issue 503
When I asked Skye what she loves about KCDS, she replied: “I like it because, it’s like the movement and the music makes me feel calm.” Skye’s Mum, Adele, says: “There is a general misunderstanding of what deafness is. The greatest hurdle is not accessibility. It is ignorance. Deaf people can and do much the same things as any other person including activities that involve sound. “Not all deaf people are born deaf, some come to it later, some only mildly, some profound and variations in between. Some deaf people feel sound in the air moving, some feel it in the bass and their feet. Skye grew up in a musical home with constant exposure to a variety of music and instruments. She plays drums, piano and sings. Her deafness comes from her inner ear, which can affect her balance. Ballet in her early years helped with her balance and strengthened her body. “Tap classes can pose a challenge because of the cacophony of sound, which can conflict with the music or the teacher’s direction. A deaf child relies heavily on visual cues in these circumstances and may even need to remove their hearing aids because it is too loud and chaotic. Turn taking until the group can be in synch resolves potential pitfalls, offers one-to-one time and boosts confidence. “Tall dancers are often placed at the back but a deaf child needs to be at the front to access the
