There’s usually a dance section included in PE instruction, mostly to break up hard physical activity snd allow kids to have fun. The type of dancing depends on the school and the state, we did salsa dancing in Florida.
I’m over 60, growing up in SoCal we had Square Dancing and the Maypole but also the Mexican Hat Dance, plus Tinikling, the Filipino one with two poles. Oh, and I think a bit of Hula.
(Later as a teacher I taught my 2nd graders some Russian dancing I had learned from my ballet teacher, because little kids are bouncy and kicky and we could do it inside when it rained.)
Should have told that to my PE teacher in grade school. I’ve never been good at dancing, and I got pulled aside multiple times in front of the class because I just couldn’t follow some of the dances we were supposed to do. These weren’t for competitions or anything, just as an activity.
That’s when I learned that not all bullies are children.
That might be why it was added to the curriculum at first, but that’s certainly not why it stayed, nor why we did it at my school. It’s a pretty fun activity too, so a good use of that PE time.
I had horrible eyesight and was shockingly inept at all sportball games, even compared to other hopeless nerds, so I found it slightly less awful than the stuff we usually did.
I never had dancing in PE in any grade. Can’t decide if that sucks or not. Maybe I’d have better coordination now. We did get roller skating week though.
We did square dancing, but I’m from Texas, so our families joined the hoedown. I was so proud of my bolo, fond memories.
And I don’t think it was part of the curriculum, I think they were just throwing a party for graduation or something. It’s been years, and this was when I was little, in elementary school.
I still have my presidential physical fitness award. I’m old, mine is signed by Nixon. It’s a very official looking certificate with a patch that I put under the glass in the frame. Back when I used to hang my work awards on my office wall, I used to have that one in with them. Most people didn’t ever notice, but every once in a while someone would be looking at them and I could always see the exact moment they realized what it was.
I remember doing the presidential fitness tests; but my school didn’t have any equipment for it… My school didn’t even fund a rich asshole?! We just did it for funsies?!
Marching in the elements, while carrying an instrument, while playing, god forbid you have a wind instrument. That’s gotta be more physically gruelling than a PE class catering to the lowest common denominator.
The presidential fitness test is something us kids had to do every year. It was basically doing a bunch of different exercises, and if you did good enough you got a certificate.
Things like sit ups, push ups, chin ups, vertical jump, running a mile, etc. Based on your height and weight there was an expected level you were supposed to achieve.
I believe it. I guess I was hanging out with the metal heads, stoners, and hacky sack kids during gym. That’s why I got a D. And not the gym teacher’s D… That was reserved for the underage girls that used to play with his leg hair. Right there in the bleachers of a New Hampshire school.
(Actual true story… Girls used to play with his leg hair… This was middle school or 9th grade. Larry A. …I’m looking at you.)
Knowing my town, I’m surprised that guy stayed athletic director and not a paraplegic. He must have paid someone off. 70k to be a shit-town gym director? Riiiiight…
I think it was worse than that. It was to test for and increase capability for military life, but the exercises themselves are not a good way to keep a general healthy body so it actually caused physical health to decline in the US.
I had to do it to impress Bill Clinton. Side note, he gave me the worst handshake I’ve ever had in my life, just competely limp, dead fish style. So I don’t give a shit if he was impressed with how many crunches I could do.
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