Poetry Series: Water Sings Blue

For many of us, we are heading into winter and a time of cold, dark, and snow. But, I still want to suggest this beautiful book to remind us of warmth, summer, and the ocean. 

I have eagerly awaited a copy of this book in our local library system, and I finally checked it out today. To my delight, Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems, might be one of my new favorite children's poetry books to use in dance classes. The poetry is by Kate Coombs, with illustrations by Meilo So. Both text and paintings are full of magic, whimsy, and imagery to inspire movement with students ages 5-10. I suggest using this within an ocean unit with students in grades 2 and 3, as well as in creative dance classes in after school settings with students in K-3. 

From start to finish, the poems take you on a journey along the shore and in the water. Topics include: sand, tide pools, waves, jellyfish, squid, and coral. The poems lend themselves to a variety of projects for both small groups (solos and duets) and whole group vignettes. You could easily use all or most poems in the book to create a beautiful performance with your class. 

Here is an example of one of the beautiful poems to inspire choreographing and dancing:

Coral

We are busy.

We are growing.

We don't care where

you are going.

We are cousins.

We're a throng.

We are wide

and we are strong.

We are reaching, 

stretching high.

Pretty soon

we'll own the sky.

We are golden.

We are pretty.

We are coral.

We are city.