ABSTRACT
Instead of selling my body, I dance. (15-year-old girl from Queens, NY, in
All Stars Talent Show Network )
I am far from a big crier but every time I see young people singing, rapping or dancing on stage I get teary eyed. I cannot, and feel no need to, name the emotion but can only say that it is like no other. Their energy, concentration, boldness and letting the audience see how much they care about what they are doing moves me deeply. Showing that you care is not easy for anyone in the current culture, and it is especially hard for adolescents. Environments in which they can take this risk are, in my opinion, very special. To the extent that they exist, they tend to be created outside of school rather than in it ± schools are too cognitively overdetermined to allow the activity of caring to ¯ourish. For me, bringing Vygotsky to bear on children's lives outside of school means, in large part, providing opportunities for performances that are the unity of intellect and affect, performances of caring, interest, curiosity and passion.
