Dance Dance Revolution gets Harding Elementary kids moving

Kevin Brockberg stood in the front of the gymnasium of Harding Elementary School in northwest Detroit and told his students to get ready.

"OK, I'm going to put the music on and I want you all to dance," said Brockberg, the school's physical education and fifth-grade math teacher. "Let's get moving."

As Brockberg turned on the music, students moved their feet up and down, to the left and right. They jumped to the beat all the while smiling and laughing.

Some giggled and grabbed the hands of the student standing next to them and others focused on getting the moves correct.

"This is my favorite thing to do in gym because I like to dance a lot," said 11-year-old Kathleana Anderson of Detroit, a fifth-grader at Harding. "I like to dance to the music and the beat. I just like to have fun."

About 20 fourth- and fifth-graders at Harding challenged members of the media on April 17 to a dance-off using the video game Dance Dance Revolution. Fox News' Deena Centofanti competed against Kathleana, who won the dance-off.

As the winner, Kathleana received a certificate and got to show off her skills to fellow students who watched the competition.

"I feel excited because I didn't know I would be the champion," Kathleana said. "I've got a dance pad at home and I like to practice with my cousin. My mom came and when I think of my mom I dance because she likes me to dance."

Dance Dance Revolution, also known as DDR, is a popular video game that incorporates music and dancing. The game is played on a dance pad with four arrow panels. The arrows point up and down as well as left and right.

To play, students had to move their feet to a set pattern, stepping in time to the rhythm or beat of the song. Their steps had to match the ones called for on the video screen.

Brockberg submitted a grant to Blue Cross Blue Shield earlier this school year requesting the DDR game system as well as in-line skates in an effort to expand the opportunities for students to get cardiovascular exercise.

In October, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan presented the school with a Building Healthy Communities Grant of $4,578.

On April 17, the Harding students demonstrated how the DDR game system works to representatives from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the media, parents and teachers.

"Learning rhythms is about 20% of what the children learn in gym class, so every other day we pull the game out and play," said Brockberg, who also purchased practice pads so all the children in the class have a chance to dance.

A big improvement

Prior to getting the funding for DDR and the in-line skates, Brockberg's gym classes had to walk around the gym or jump rope for cardiovascular exercise.

This is the second year Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has presented schools from around the state with Building Healthy Communities grants. This school year, 14 schools have received grants.

"The grants go to schools that make improvements to help students become more fit and learn better nutrition," said Lisa Rajt, project leader for the Public Policy and Social Mission department at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

An idea from the Mrs.

The idea for writing the grant application for DDR came from Brockberg's wife, who reminded him that a family member had the game and really liked it. The game, which is produced by Konami Digital Entertainment Inc., can be played on Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and on personal computers.

Since Brockberg introduced DDR in January, most of his classes have used the equipment. There are nearly 350 students enrolled at Harding.

"The kids are learning rhythm and how to choose a partner for dance, which makes this a social activity," he said. "They are learning to be polite with each other and that fitness is important."

In many cases, the students don't realize what a workout they are getting, Brockberg said. "A lot of times they start out just having fun and by the end they are sweating a bit," he said.

For some students, the chance to play DDR makes gym class exciting.

"I like the moves, how they go and how many I can make," said 11-year-old Bryce Wilt, a fifth-grader who lives in Detroit. "Each time we play, my moves get better."