Kashi Barrett: Movement, Confidence, and Creative Expression

Dance and movement teacher Kashi Barrett brings joy, creativity, and deep care to her work with Lower and Middle School students at Bullis. In this episode, she talks about how movement helps young people build confidence, express themselves, and work together as a team. The conversation explores her journey in the performing arts and education, the philosophy behind her classroom, and how discipline and freedom come together in the creative process. Along the way, Kashi reflects on the growth she sees in her students—and the iconic flash-mob dances that have become beloved moments of celebration in the Lower School community.

Bullis Voices is produced by the Bullis Office of Communications in Potomac, Maryland.

Questions or ideas for future episodes? Email communications@bullis.org.

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© Bullis School. All rights reserved.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Bolus Voices, the podcast where we take you behind the scenes of what actually happens in our classrooms and why it matters. I'm your host, Mark Riffey, Director of Communications at Bolus. And today, I'm joined by Kashi Berry, better known to students as Miss B, our lower and middle school dance and movement teacher, someone students genuinely can't wait to see every day. In her classroom, movement becomes more than choreography. It's a space for creativity, teamwork, discipline, and self-expression. Kids leave her studio more confident, more connected to one another, and more willing to take creative risks. Kashi grew up immersed in the arts, and has long seen creativity as a pathway to confidence and purpose. She often talks about how powerful it is to watch students discover their strength and joy through artistic expression, a process that can transform how young people see themselves. At Bolis, that philosophy comes to life every day. Her classes are joyful and productive. A place where students can release energy, try something new, and build something together. And in the lower school especially, her choreographed flash mob dances, sometimes featuring both students and faculty, have become legendary moments of community and celebration. The growth and confidence her students develop through movement is inspiring to watch. Kashi, welcome.

SPEAKER_01 1:20

Thank you. That was great. Yes, I love that.

SPEAKER_00 1:25

Um okay, so I want to jump right in and I want to ask you about your own path in the arts because I know you're a performer as well as being a teacher.

SPEAKER_01 1:35

Yes. Um currently uh my stage name is Kashi Tura, and I perform locally with a band, like the BGX band. So I do that, but I mean I also I grew up in the arts. I mean, I d was in performing arts troops at Howard University. When I was younger, my mom is an acting teacher and a jazz singer, so I grew up, you know, just in the theater, on the stage, around the stage. When I was 16, I started a performing troupe as an after-school program, and then it grew to like over a hundred and you know members, and we competed in parades competitively. I've written productions, youth productions, and so I've yeah, I've been around it uh every every angle, perform from you know, big large groups at the Kennedy Center to just personally performing at arena stage and stuff. So yeah, the arts is my thing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

So in addition to being a performer, this is something that I think we all notice at bolus, and it sounds like is uh a thread that runs through your personal work as well. You're also an organizer of people, and we see it here, people flock to you, and you can kind of lead them into creating something really special.

SPEAKER_01 2:54

Yes, I I I've definitely been choreographing large groups of kids and young adults and in plays and also, you know, in dances for as long as I can remember, and being able to coordinate that and see the vision and how to bring the pieces together. I think that that is something that I'm I'm pretty good at. Yeah. And and and I enjoy doing it. I love seeing like w envisioning the final product and then seeing it finally come together. That just makes me so happy.

SPEAKER_00 3:30

I always like watching you call your classes to attention.

SPEAKER_01 3:34

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_00 3:36

I think that's a really cool thing, and I think it just shows this unity among them and this buy-in.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

Absolutely, absolutely, and uh that was one that was something that I started incorporating when I was working with the parade unit, and it makes it so much easier to get everybody's attention. And they're very excited from the smallest ones. I mean, when I start incorporating that in kindergarten, oh, they just love it. You know, like attention, they just feel so strong, and they feel like we're all together, we're one big unit, and it carries forward all the way, you know, to the older ones. It makes it easier on me to be able to command large groups of people. And like you said, I mean, they feel totally invested, like you know, we're about to begin, it's all about us, and I'm I I do get that buy-in.

SPEAKER_00 4:22

I really love that it's clear you have that buy-in from early on in your working with them when you help them to develop that confidence and that excitement for what they can do creatively with you. Yeah. I also love that that extends through fifth and sixth grade as well.

SPEAKER_01 4:41

Yes. Um, I'm excited. I do like I said, I like to start it very early. So we set boundaries and we, you know, have a sort of routine, something that they know they know what to expect all the way from kindergarten all the way to you know to sixth grade. And again, that makes it easier on me. I'm able to be more creative when everyone understands the assignment. You know, we all know what we're here for, we all know what we're able to do, what we're not gonna kind of get away with, and now we can just play. And that setting that early, which is really what's cool about being here at Bullis and teaching kindergarten all the way through sixth, I get to watch the progression and it makes each class easier as they, you know, get up. So now I'm soon I'll have I think when I first started working with them in kindergarten, they're now like maybe third graders. So by the time they get to sixth grade, oh, it's gonna be on. You know what I mean? We'll be able to just one up each thing that we're learning because they're learning, you know, we it's like building blocks. So I'm just really looking forward to how much more we'll be able to get in there.

SPEAKER_00 5:52

So as you're ramping up the things that you're teaching them and the things that they're trying together, you're maintaining that joy, but you're also building in rigor, you're also building in the seriousness. How how do you have those two things exist in your classroom at the same time?

SPEAKER_01 6:11

Connection. I'll just say connection. Connection and trust. If I establish that in the very beginning, oh, I mean, there's really no limit to what it is that we're able to do and the buy-in that I get. I mean, they know that I see them, you know, they know that I'm gonna call them out, you know, I'm gonna have high expectations because I already know what they're capable of. You know, I have a strong belief in the ability of children. And when you hold them accountable, you know, to what it is that expectation is, they always reach. I mean, I've never I've never encountered a situation where they didn't step up to the expectation or meet the expectation, you know. Fun. It has to be fun. And I think I just genuinely bring my whole self into the classroom, like, you know, my good days, my bad days, I'm just human, you know, and I live that through the classroom, and they're able to see sometimes when I'm vulnerable or see when I'm, you know, not so happy, and how I navigate that and still bring joy to the classroom. And I think that they like to be able to see the whole person, you know, and they believe it, and that kind of establishes a sense of trust. Like I'm gonna be honest with who I am with them, and in turn they're honest with me, and I don't take that lightly at all.

SPEAKER_00 7:38

How does that trust help with their development from, you know, maybe a confidence standpoint, but also a technical standpoint?

SPEAKER_01 7:48

Um, their willingness to try. Willingness to try because a lot of times you aren't able to be successful if you are scared to make a mistake. And I make sure that the environment is inclusive and they know that I do not stand for, you know, bullying or teasing or laughing when someone else is doing something, or any of the things that may make a person more self-conscious about what it is they're doing, and then that impedes their ability to try. So I make sure that the space is safe. And we have that trust. They know that I'm I'm I'm gonna have a safe space, and if anything happens, I'm gonna be there and I'm gonna call it out. I'm not gonna let things like that uh slide. So they're more willing to try. They're more willing to give it a go. And once they try, and I mean, I'm full of pumping them up, you know, because those little small, small attempts, when they see that that's rewarded or that that is important, then they're more willing to try something a little bit more difficult or a little bit more, you know. And I have to read the child too, because you know, some kids want you to have your eyes always on them. And then you have some kids who want to try without you really looking, so I kind of look without them thinking that I'm looking, you know, so that I can see it and and or make it more casual. Some kids, you know, want to hear the yeah, and some kids want to hear the that was pretty cool, you know. So you just gotta know who you're working with, and I try to learn each kid, you know, from the jump.

SPEAKER_00 9:28

You work with a lot of students. Yeah. How do you do that? How do you get to know each kid?

SPEAKER_01 9:33

Well, I mean, all kids are so special and they're so different that there's just something about them that makes everyone memorable. They know that I know them. When we're just establishing the classroom, you know, we'll sit in circles and we'll talk about what we like, what we don't like, we'll tell jokes, and then, you know, I start seeing the personality of the kids come through. So I just see people as people, and I really love kids. I mean, I just love the joy that they bring to the table, and they see me too. You know, they see me and I see them. So it makes it a little bit easier to remember them.

SPEAKER_00 10:11

I've had the pleasure of visiting your class on a few occasions, and you were talking about how bullying is something that you just don't tolerate whatsoever, and you don't see that in your classroom. Instead, you see a lot of collaboration. Yes. We were just talking before we started recording about a day that I came in where your students were rehearsing for a performance that they just did a couple of nights ago. And they were collaborating together to come up with some interstitial uh sequences, I believe, for the the dance that they were doing to gossip. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, I mean, collaboration is clearly something that's important in your classroom.

SPEAKER_01 10:49

Yes. I mean, I I say teamwork makes a dream work all the time. I mean, they're probably tired of me saying it. Or I'll just say teamwork, and they say makes the dream work, you know? Because that, I mean, that's that's everything. I mean, that's everything just in everyday life. And I'm always talking to them about, you know, what we're learning right now like transcends where we are. You know, I mean, you're gonna get older, you're gonna go out into the world, like what it is that you learn here, they're life lessons. So being able to collaborate, you have to be able to do that. You're gonna be doing that throughout life. And another person's idea may be better than yours, or if you add that to yours, just imagine how great that that could be. And you never know where a good idea is gonna come from, but you definitely won't know it if you're not listening. You know, so we work on being able to listen and active listening and moving your ego out of the way, like, you know, it was my idea, but no, but look how great it is when the two of you come together, and being able to appreciate your own work and someone else's work is is really important. I also they're able to see that by watching other people work. So I'll have a group and then everyone else will sit and watch them work, and then we'll give critiques, you know, and we always start our critiques with, you know, what I really, really liked about it and what I think could possibly make it better in my eyes, in my opinion, you know, and it's all to add to the group so that our performance is better. And so I break down like what teamwork looks like in the different pieces that go into team building so that we can have a a great performance and everybody can appreciate each person individually.

SPEAKER_00 12:35

It sounds like these are skills that go far beyond the dance studio. But what can students who aren't planning to specialize in dance still gain from dance and movement class?

SPEAKER_01 12:49

I mean self-esteem is huge and just being able to stand in the room and be comfortable within your own skin. Not comparing yourself to everybody else or, you know, just knowing that what you have to offer is good enough. And movement helps, I mean, of course, with coordination. I tell some of the kids they say, well, well, you know, I don't want to, I don't know if I want to go to school and be a dancer. And I was like, oh, that that's fine. But I mean, I'm sure you're at one point you're gonna go to somebody's party. You're gonna have a party, you're gonna, you know, be at someone's wedding, you're gonna do, you know, anything. I want you, if you don't want to dance, I want it to be because you choose not to and not because you can't. You know what I mean? You can't maybe you can't like find the rhythm. No, we're gonna know how to find the beat. Now, if you choose not to do it, then that's you know, but it won't be because you can't, you know, those types of things. And that just builds more confidence. So I I think that, and I'm not trying to like produce the next Birchnikov or something like that. I would love to see people pursue dance because I think that it's a wonderful medium, but there's so much more to performing. I mean, you're gonna have to stand up and, you know, make an oral report one time, or you might have to stand up for what it is that you believe in, and how do you articulate yourself? How do you get the confidence to just even stand up in the room and give your own thought? You know what I mean? All that is incorporated in movement and and what it is that I do, like the dance stuff, that's just like the ice and uncake.

SPEAKER_00 14:31

I mentioned your iconic flash mob dances and the intro, and I was hoping you could just talk about those because I think that that, you know, is a place where confidence is on full display, and so is teamwork, and so is that sense of community.

SPEAKER_01 14:49

Well, when I talk to the kids about it, we talk about, I mean, that's the the power play. Like, you know, we we kind of call it a power play. We call it when we invite the audience into our world. We incorporate everybody. So we want to give the audience an immersion into what it is that we're doing so that everybody feels a part of it. So we talk about what is our goal in each of the performances, you know, like what kind of emotion do we want to evoke? What is the message gonna be? Because none of the things that we do are just trivial, you know, and it's always something. I mean, not because I believe that art is to, you know, create change and to um celebrate life and and and different things. So we talk about what we want the audience to feel, and we go out and get it, and we go out, and that's everyone's motive to make sure that everyone feels included, every audience member, and and and performing is not just about having someone sit down and watch you, it's about a heart-to-heart connection with the people who are giving their time to come in and see what it is that you've been working on, you know. So we want to make sure that we include them in the performance as well.

SPEAKER_00 16:11

So, what does that look like in you know, finding what you are trying to communicate to the audience? You know, you're working with performers from kindergarten all the way through sixth grade. What are the similarities and differences in the way that you work with those students all through that spectrum from kindergarten to sixth grade? Is it challenging to switch back and forth between like fifth and sixth grade and the younger grades?

SPEAKER_01 16:36

Not really. I think that once I have a clear idea of what it is that I'm trying to teach or what what's my goal, then modifying it for each grade is not that difficult. And I'm used to working with that large, you know, when I had a parade unit, like, you know, for years, it was like preschool all the way to their parents. So I would take one concept and then modify it, modify, modify it so that we all still have the same goal, but it just looks a lot of different ways, which is how I kind of see people anyway. You know what I mean? People always want joy, you know, we want happiness, we want to be heard, we want to be seen. So how can I articulate that on your level, wherever you are, like kindergarten all the way through sixth grade, so that you can understand the goal, buy into the goal, and see the importance of the goal. So I just have to be able to modify it. And having a big picture and breaking it down to the smallest point, I think is a a skill of mine that I've developed over the years. So it's not that difficult. And it's actually very exciting and seeing how I can bring a concept that I would want sixth graders to do, and how do I bring it down to a level where a kindergartner can understand it. I'm also teaching, while I'm doing that, the anatomy of movement. So you know your body, you know, different body parts, like you know your muscles and your bones, and how that affects your movement, and what do you need to do to strengthen that? Or, you know, so I teach that all the way from you know from sixth grade all the way to kindergarten. Now it looks a little different, and the way that they articulate what they've learned is a little bit different, but they get the concept because it's not really that, you know, how do we move? And it's just how do you break that down so that everyone can understand and see that. So to answer your question, no, it's not really that difficult, but you gotta be creative, you know, and really thoughtful um about how you're going to deliver it. I wouldn't say I dumb it down, because someone asked me the other day, and it's like, oh, do you dumb things down for it? And I was like, uh, and they wouldn't choose those words. I don't dump dumb it down, but I definitely make it bite-size, you know, because I mean they have smaller teeth.

SPEAKER_00 18:58

What are some of the things that you have been able to accomplish with your students that you're most proud of in your time here at Bullis?

SPEAKER_01 19:06

Oh my gosh, we do not have time for that. I have there has there have been so many, because I mean, because I see each child as an individual, there are a lot of them. So watching each seedling like sprout and then grow and then blossom. I've seen really, you know, kids who come in in kindergarten, their parents come in with, oh, she's stage fright, or I don't think you're gonna be able to get this one on stage. I think the proudest thing is being able to see how the parents feel when they see their child do something that they never could imagine that that would happen, and the joy that they have, uh, you know, that they feel. The most joyous part about this whole thing is seeing the process up to being on stage when they after that performance, the moment they come out of that performance, that's that's the thing that I love seeing. I mean, they feel so accomplished, they feel like, oh, I can do anything now. You know, they come in the next day in class, like, what are we gonna learn next? I can't wait till the spring show. Or, you know, and just the anticipation and the the excitement about learning something new. I mean, you know, I want them to carry that on in everything. I mean, that's that's what evolution in life is about. You know what I mean? Just learning something new and never getting tired of learning and never forgetting that you can learn and you can accomplish and overcome. So I think the joy that I see when they've understood the assignment and accomplished it and the the the the feeling that the whole family gets to have, I think that that's like the biggest thing.

SPEAKER_00 20:48

Do you all do any kind of reflection together after performances?

SPEAKER_01 20:53

Oh yes, every time. Every time. We have and we watch the videos, we do critiques, like you know, personal critiques, especially like in sixth grade we do more journaling, but kindergarten through fifth we just talk about it, but we talk about what we thought could have been better, what we really, really liked about it, who stood out in your mind, and why is that? Like, why did you like that? And you know, we stay away from words like good and bad. No, you gotta come with more than that. You know, we gotta know, well, why does that make you happy? You know what I mean? What is it? Is it the smile? What are the small parts about that that you enjoyed the most? Because then we can take those things and incorporate it into what it is that we're doing because we know what the audience wants to see, because we know what we want to see, and we know why we like it. So, yeah, we go through and we review every performance good, bad, ugly. And it's hard for some people to watch themselves. I mean, it's hard for me to watch my I perform all the time, and it's still hard for me to watch it, but that's me, you know. And so you have to be able to look at it and say, okay, oh, that's what wow, I thought I was doing something else. That's what I look like. Oh, okay. So maybe I'm gonna change that up a little bit. You know, you're able to critique yourself, self-reflect, see what it is that you want to keep, how it is that you want to change, and that's the joy of performing. So, yep, definitely we review the film.

SPEAKER_00 22:23

Can we talk about you as a performer a little bit more? I think, you know, one of the things that's so fantastic about our visual and performing arts program is that we have a lot of teachers who are working professionally in the fields that they teach. Can you just tell us about your career as a performer and uh what you think that brings to you as a teacher as well?

SPEAKER_01 22:46

Like I've been performing I think since I was three. I mean, you know, I started being around performers very, very early, and my mom was a teacher, so I was learning acting skills then. I was like the little kid in the play. You know, if they needed a baby, I was the baby. You know what I mean? Those types of things. I traveled a lot uh because my mom's a jazz singer, so I was able to learn a lot about people. I sat back and watched different people and how they performed, and I started incorporating that into my personality and in my performance. I've been in movies, I've been on soundtracks, I've been signed to record labels, I've, you know, I mean, I feel like I've lived so many different lives. I've performed at, you know, arena stage. I was a part of the Living Stage Educational Outreach Program, so I went into schools and did living theater and gorilla theater. I've studied with Susan Batson. I went to the new school for acting in New York, and you know, I have done a lot of different things that are all creative aspects. Currently, I'm in a band, I perform with a band, I'm Kashi Tura and the BGX band, and I have music on all streaming platforms. So juggling, teaching, and performing, it's I mean, it's a little difficult because I'm also a mother, you know, so it's a lot I wear a lot of different hats, but they all kind of go together, you know, or at least I make them go together. So what I learn on stage, I bring that into the classroom. You know, when I learn in the classroom, I take that off onto the stage as well. So it's all just how can I be my most authentic self in every environment, incorporating all of the things that I've learned.

SPEAKER_00 24:49

You mentioned uh that you're a mother, and I'm I'm curious, how do you balance being both a bolus parent and a bolus teacher at the same time?

SPEAKER_01 24:58

I think it's the most incredible thing that could have ever happened. I mean, I get to watch the process of my son learning. You know, and I mean I get I get to be a part of it. I get to see the teacher in the hallway, you know, they get to give me the nod, like, yeah, today was a great day. I'm like, yes. Or we're not feeling so good today. I'm like, oh, I know. Like, wow, yeah, he wasn't feeling that good this morning, so now I see how it, you know, I get to just be hands-on in there because a lot of times you spend, I mean, I have two other sons, and I didn't get to be in the classroom, I mean, be in the area where they were, and we spend our kids spend a lot of time at school and having experiences that we don't get to see. And I mean, this is the first time I get to actually teach him, you know, because he is in fifth grade and he takes a movement class. So I get to watch how he learns. I get to learn him on another level, just like I'm learning all the other kids, like I learned him socially. You know, I get to see them engaging with the friends. So it's been it's been great. And whenever there's a problem with the nurse, I could just go there. You know what I mean? I don't have to call me and drive up. So it's it's it's definitely um a plus and then such a blessing to be able to be in the same school and have the opportunity to teach him and watch him grow firsthand. I love it. Honored.

SPEAKER_00 26:28

I've been asking everybody at the end of the podcast records what is one thing that you hope never changes about bolus? It doesn't have to be the only thing you hope never changes, but what's something about bolus that you hope remains the same forever and ever?

SPEAKER_01 26:47

I think it's the the joy that I see from every teacher. That was one of the things that really sold me on bullis, especially for bringing deciding to bring my son here. When I would see the kids being so happy to come here every morning, at first I was like, uh, this can't, this has to be just the beginning of school, this can't last throughout the whole year. And how well and why is that? Maybe it's just the kid, but then once I got into the school, I started seeing the joy that the teachers have when they greet the students, when they talk to the students throughout the day, and it's consistent and it's genuine, and you know, I'm all about being genuine and authenticity. And once I started seeing, like, wow, these teachers really care. And so I really hope that Bullis always chooses the caring teachers who are dedicated to the students, and that's what I've seen so far, and I hope that that lasts forever.

SPEAKER_00 27:57

That's great. So, what's the next thing that you all are rehearsing for?

SPEAKER_01 28:02

Ooh. We are getting ready for our spring dance show that middle school performs with upper school, and lower school is preparing for the lower school spring arts, performing arts night. And then we have graduation for our fifth graders, our promotion growing up. So we have a girl, we have Grandparents' Day. That's coming, that's gonna be another performance. So, yeah, we have a lot of stuff to be gearing up for, and I am super excited because we get to do new stuff every year. Like I'm not really one to bring stuff back up because that bores me too. You know, so we're just on to some exciting choreographed pieces. So, yeah, yeah, that's what we're looking forward to.

SPEAKER_00 28:52

Well, I had the pleasure of seeing some of your students perform the other night at Accepted Families Night, and they were fantastic, and and I'm looking forward to the performances that you just mentioned. Yay! Thank you so much for coming on the show and giving us some insight into what you're doing in your classroom and why students are so excited about it.

SPEAKER_01 29:14

Oh, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 29:17

That's our show for this week. Thank you so much for listening and be sure to check back in next week for our next episode.