Alphabet Series: The Letter G

When you and your students explore the letter G, some of these books can be springboards and inspiration for improvisations and dance projects. 

G is for Green

Explore the color green and green creatures like a hummingbird. Use Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger as a springboard for a dance about animals and environments that are green. (See previous blog post). Also check out one of my favorite picture books to study the concept of pathway, Little Green by Keith Baker, with a dancing green hummingbird (previous blog post). 

G is for Grass

Denise Fleming's book In the Tall, Tall Grass inspires us to move like a variety of creatures (caterpillars, ants, snakes, and hummingbirds).

G is for Gingerbread

The letter G is the perfect time to read a variety of versions of The Gingerbread Man. These tales naturally get us running, skipping, and dancing. For years I have loved using Richard Egielski's version, The Gingerbread Boy. I also love the variation with a female character, The Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Campbell Ernst.

G is for Go

Like In the Tall, Tall Grass,  Off We Go! is a super easy and accessible book for movement inspiration. The various animals in the book tiptoe, hop, dig, and slither. Laurel Molk's illustrations evoke a calm and joyful energy. 

Dance teachers can use the text as inspiration for an improvisational activity, or teachers can easily create a dance based on the text.

Young dancers always love animal inspiration. Students will love exploring the movement of spiders, ducks, snakes, and mice.

G is for Giant (Carrot)

Carrots and dance? Yes, indeed. Jan Peck wrote an amazing variation on the folktale The Giant Turnip. Sweet little Isabelle'sdancing is what makes a giant carrot grow. This book is simply wonderful to read to students, to hear about dancing in a magical way. I also have a dance related to this story. Many years ago I made a giant carrot with fabric, about 5 feet high. My students' dancing makes this carrot "grow" as they circle around me and take turns dancing. Check out The Giant Carrot by Jan Peck and illustrator Barry Root.