The Year 9 Odyssey program has the goal of providing an environment to allow boys to experience a safe transition from boyhood into adulthood as well as develop the character traits of good men. A major focus in the Odyssey Program is examining the concept of the ‘Man Box’, the set of beliefs within and across society, that stereotype masculinity and place pressure on men to act and behave a certain way. Research has found that if we can educate boys to recognise and understand the implications of the ‘Man Box’ we can go a long way in improving their physical and mental health, plus their ability to build healthy relationships with females.

To bring alive the theory lessons about the ‘Man Box’ we provided an authentic opportunity for boys to break out of it by undergoing an intensive six-week dance program. Each Year 9 Veritas class learnt a choreographed routine to perform in front of family and friends. By teaching boys dance it helps break down the stereotypical ‘Man Box’ ideology that only females’ dance. It also provides the added benefit of providing boys an opportunity to build the positive character strengths of good men.

• A public dance performance provides a safe environment that allows boys to learn to feel comfortable being in uncomfortable situations.
• Stepping on stage and dancing publicly needs boys to overcome their fear of embarrassment and feeling vulnerable, creating an authentic experience to demonstrate the character strength of courage and apply strategies to manage fear and anxiety.
• Students need to engage the character strengths of resilience, determination, and perseverance as they won’t learn the dance steps straight away.
• A choreographed routine involves teamwork, so boys learn how to work as a team and collaborate.

On Wednesday June 1^st the Year 9 boys completed their Dance Challenge performing in front of 700 people, you can view their performance by clicking HERE.

What did the boys say about the Dance Challenge?

“I felt at the beginning once I was told by Mr Weston that I was going to dance in front of a big audience I was a bit nervous because there would be a lot of people and was worried, I would mess up. On the night after the dance, I felt that all my stress was lifted, and I thought we all did very good. A positive I took away from participating in the dance challenge was teamwork and learning a new skill in dancing.”

Tyler O’Neil

“I honestly felt scared because I sort of have stage fright and I remembered my brother’s dance and it was terrible, so I was feeling quite anxious. When it was the day we had to perform I felt pretty hyped because me and a bunch of my friends were hanging out all day and because of this I wasn’t feeling scared anymore. It was actually pretty fun doing the dance with my friends, it was a very good experience for me and the boys and I would do it again if I could.”

Sayf Bukhari

“At first when I was told we are going to be dancing in front of all the friends and family of the students in year 9 and the Penrhos and Santa Maria boarders, I was very nervous straight away. I knew that dancing was not one of my strong points and it would be hard to get up on stage and dance in front 600 people. Leading into the night I wasn’t really scared but as it got closer and closer to going up on stage and dancing I was getting really nervous. When we had finished the dance, it felt good to get it out of the way and be able to watch the last performances. A positive I took away from the dance was getting together with all the boys in class and learning the dance. It took us a while to get used to it but after a week or so I realised that it would be fun to learn a dance with some of my close mates and perform in front of all the people at the night. Some things I would like to say about the dance for the boys that will be doing it in the following years is that at the start when you get told you’re going to dance in front of a large crowd unless you dance you probably will be scared but as the dance and experience goes on I promise whoever you are, you will have fun.”

Koby LeCras

“When I was told about the dance challenge and having to dance in front of 700 people, I was not very enthusiastic about it at all as I’m not the best with large crowds and things like public speaking. In the lead up to the performance I was nervous that I would stuff up part of the dance. After the dance I felt a huge relief, I could just relax and watch the rest of the performances. Overall, the dance was a good opportunity to get out of your comfort zone, bond a bit with your mates and to help get out of the ‘Man Box’.”

Nash Barnett

“Once I got told about the dancing I didn’t really know what to think about doing it. I was a little bit nervous about messing up the dance and embarrassing myself. On the night of the dance, I was excited because I had practiced the previous weeks and knew I was going to do it right. A positive thing I have taken away from the dance challenge is to not care what other people think and escape the “Man Box”. The dance was a good experience because we did it with mates and it was fun.”

Myles Borgward

Mark Weston
Director of Character Education & Leadership