Animal Inspiration

I love the children's book illustrator Joelle Jolivet. Jolivet's oversized, beautifully illustrated books Zoo-ology and Panorama (with author Fani Marceau) are great springboards for dance classes with an animal theme. In Zoo-ology, the animals are classified in categories such as "underground," "at night," and "in the trees." Panorama shows animals in a variety of environments.

You can use these books with students ages 5-10 to explore shape, tableaux, level, tempo, and much more.