31. 05. 2016
STEMfun16

What a fabulous weekend! We drove to Mount Gambier for the STEM fun day summit with the Dance Jungle Gym. Even though the day was extremely chilly the sun was out and plenty of people were out to play.
This time I took with me Lewis and Karno, two professional male dancers to assist with the gym. It was interesting to see a difference in the amount of people through but also the increase in boys participation. By having a male there to guide people through we saw a shift in how guys saw the Jungle Gym. Instead of saying no to doing it because they think dance is for girls, they gave it a try because two men were there to break that stereotype.
It was extremely exciting to see this shift and many of them came back to do it again, some even had a dance battle with the guys. Great to know for future ventures with DanceXtend.
We were again joined by our volunteers from Envy Dance Studio and also by dancers from MJ Dance Studio. This is making a huge difference to our overall numbers going through and the attention and engagement from the public. This more hands on approach gives people the sense of comfort and having locals to assist softens and bridges the conversation gap.
The day was definitely centered around fun for the family and this meant there were plenty of kids about. Unfortunately this meant adults were less likely to participate, mainly focusing on the entertainment for children.
This was a fantastic day and the best to date. With all the knowledge we have gained we are on the road to finding out the best way the Dance Jungle Gym operates.
Larissa McGowan