Dancing Words Blog

Category: Alphabet

  • Alphabet Series: The Letter I

    I is for Island

    6a015431f12312970c017ee7a9fddc970d-800wi
    I am always on the lookout for books about islands. Exploring the concept and imagery of islands, within a dance class, is a great way to talk about self-space and general space. It also goes hand in hand with the concepts of stationary/axial movement and traveling/locomotor movement. 

    An Island Grows, by Lola M. Schaefer with illustrations by Cathie Felstead, is a picture book telling the story of how volcanic islands form. The book begins "beneath the sea," and ends with an island inhabited by people. 

    You might not make a dance about the story, per se, but the book can be a nice introduction to a lesson for students in K-2 classes.

    Pull out your hula hoops to give each student in class an "island" to explore – dancing on the island, off the island, and around the island.

    I – "I am a Dancer"

    Unknown-8

    While studying "I," share the book I am a Dancer. This picture book is a great introductory book for PreK-1 students about dance.

    I is for Isadora

    Unknown-7
    Rachel Isadora wrote a book about one of the icons and founders of modern dance, Isadora Duncan. Check out this biographical picture book.  

    ———————-

     

  • Alphabet Series: The Letter H

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

    ——————

    H is for Head (to Toe)

    Unknown-2

    Eric Carle's From Head to Toe is one of my favorite books to explore in parent/child, preschool, and kindergarten classes. The words literally lead a warm up for you….moving our heads, shoulders, hips, and toes. Purchase a used copy of this book here. 

    H is for Hopping

    Unknown-6
    Hopping is one of the building blocks of dance – moving on one foot. I am always on the lookout for books that involve the basic locomotor steps of: walking, running, hopping, jumping, skipping, galloping, and leaping.

    Check out Ellen Stoll Walsh's Hop Jump as a springboard for exploring the concepts of hopping, jumping, and "dancing."

    H is for Hummingbirds

    Unknown-3
    As mentioned in several prior posts, Keith Baker's Little Green is a whimsical picture book for dancing like a fast moving hummingbird as well as moving through different pathways in space (zig zag lines, curly cue lines, etc). 

    H is for Haring (Artist Keith Haring)

    Unknown-4
    Keith Haring's classic drawings inspire kids to move and make shapes. Find a used copy of the board book Ten. Students can view the images and try out the positions (shapes) in their own bodies, or as a group. 

    Unknown-5
    ————-

    P.S. Exploring "hands" and "high/low" are also good subjects with the letter H, but I don't have specific book recommendations today. 

    ————————————————–

  • Alphabet Series: The Letter F

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

    F is for Feet

    DownloadedFile-2
    Exploring the letter F is the perfect time to study our feet  and the many actions they do. Check out the following books:

    Use the text to inspire a list of actions of feet – fast, slow, high, low, etc. Make a warm up or improv activity with these various actions.

    F is for Flowers

    DownloadedFile-1
    I love the alphabet book A Garden of Ordinary Miracles. This alphabet book of various flowers is fun inspiration for making different shapes in our body, or in a group. 

    F is for Flamingos

    DownloadedFile-3
    As I have written about on the blog previously, Flora and the Flamingo is pure inspiration and joy for dance classes. It is a great book to explore the concepts of following a leader and mirroring. 

    F is for Fast

    DownloadedFile
    Opposite words are great to explore in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade dance classes (fast/slow, high/low, up/down, etc). Explore the book Fast and Slow: An Animal Opposites Book by Lisa Bullard. This book can easily turn into a group dance. 

     

    F is for Flamenco

    DownloadedFile-4
    George Ancona's book Olé Flamenco is a detailed book with classic Ancona photos as well as text about the dance style of flamenco and its costumes, music, and use of the hands.

  • Alphabet Series: The Letter E

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

    E is for Earth

    DownloadedFile-2
    My Mama Earth  and Earthdance are two books I have highlighted over the past year in the Magic and Whimsy Series. Both books use poetic text to look at many aspects of our world. Both can lead to group dances evoking a feel of awe and wonder about the natural world. 

    DownloadedFile-3

    E is for Emotions

    DownloadedFile-7
    Two of my favorite books on emotions are great for dance classes.

    On Monday When It Rained, by Cherryl Kachenmeister and photographer Tom Berthiaume, inspires students to explore facial expressions and show how our face changes when we are worried, excited, and confused.

    My Many Colored Days, by Dr. Seuss and illustrators Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, creates a beautiful dance about colors and our associated emotions (happy, sad, mad, busy). 


    DownloadedFile-1

    ———————–

  • Alphabet Series: The Letter D

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

    D is for Dancing!!

    DownloadedFile-4
    Exploring the letter D is the perfect time to gather up all of the wonderful picture books about the art form of dance. Check these out from your local library and find great deals on used books on amazon.com. 

    • Dance - Bill T. Jones and Susan Kuklin
    • Dance! – Elisha Cooper
    • Let's Dance - George Ancona
    • I am a Dancer - Pat Lowery Collins and illustrator Mark Graham
    • Dance with Me – Charles R. Smith Jr. and Noah Z. Jones
    • Dictionary of Dance – Liz Murphy
    • Alphabet of Dance – Barbie Heit Schwaeber and illustrator Damian Ward (Smithsonian Institution) 
    • Mabel Dancing – Amy Hest and illustrator Christine Davenier
    • Dancin' in the Kitchen – Wendy Gelsenliter

    D is for Down

    DownloadedFile-5
    I am always on the lookout for books about prepositions. Up, Down, and Around (Katherine Ayres and illustrator Nadine Bernard Westcott) is a great exploration of prepositions as well as plants. 

    D is for Digging

    DownloadedFile-6
    I recently wrote a blog post for the Book to Boogie Blog about Emma Garcia's book Tip Tip Dig Dig. This playful picture book explores the actions of construction vehicles. Find out more here. 

    D is for Day

    DownloadedFile
    One of my favorite alphabet books is Ida Pearle's A Child's Day: An Alphabet of Play. The actions in the book include: catch, jump, open, and view. Use the book as an opening warm up with your students, exploring our everyday movements. Then, how can you string several of these together, add music, and make a dance? 

    ———————————-

  • Alphabet Series: The Letter C

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

    C is for Clouds

    DownloadedFile
    There are three great books about clouds. Little Cloud by Eric Carle can easily turn into a dance exploration, with students shifting shapes and levels; pair this with Sora and the Cloud by Felicia Hoshino. Cloud Dance by Thomas Locker is a picture book for K-5 students about the varieties of cloud formations.

    C is for Color

    DownloadedFile-1
    My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, with illustrations by Steven Johnson and Lou Fancher, is a fun exploration of colors and the emotions associated with each one. This book is a great example of a picture book that so easily "lends itself to movement."

    C is for Circle

    DownloadedFile-3
    There are numerous poetry books about shapes. Check out When a Line Bends….A Shape Begins (by Rhonda Gowler Greene and illustrator James Kaczman) and also Shape Me a Rhyme (by Jane Yolen and photographer Jason Stemple). Use the poems specifically about circles to make a new warm up activity with your students.

    C is for Carrot

    DownloadedFile-2
    Carrots and dance? Yes, indeed. Jan Peck wrote an amazing variation on the folktale The Giant Turnip. Sweet little Isabelle's dancing 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. 

    —————————————-

  • Alphabet Series: The Letter B

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

    Let's Bounce!

    If you work with preschoolers, bouncing is such a fun action to explore. How can you bounce in place….traveling in the room……with a friend? There are three books to read on bouncing:

    1. Bounce by Doreen Cronin and Scott Menchin

    2. Bouncing Time by Patricia Hubbell and Melissa Sweet

    3. Emily Loves to Bounce by Stephen Michael King

    Bones

    You might talk about the bones of the body, improvise using bone vocabulary, or make a dance or warm up to the spiritual "Dem Bones." Check out….

    Bones: Skeletons and How They Work by Steve Jenkins

    Dem Bones by Bob Barner

    Butterflies

    As for exploring butterflies or the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly, the newer book A Butterfly is Patient, by Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrator Sylvia Long, is a beautiful picture book with movement-evoking larger text on each spread and elegant illustrations.

    Bridges

    Another great B word to try out in the body is building bridges. Whether you explore in partners or small groups, use the book Bridges Are to Cross by Philemon Sturges and artist Giles Laroche. (Find used copies for sale on amazon.com or visit your library.)

    Blue

    To explore the color blue, you can pull out all of your books about colors. Four examples include: My Many Colored Days, Colour, Living Color, and The Rainbow Book. What are our associations with blue? How can we translate these ideas into movement? Ideally, see if you can pull out 3-5 books on color. Look at the blue pages, and then explore movement ideas related to these pages. You can even string the 3-5 ideas together.

    Ballet Books

    Last, as you explore the letter B, there are many books at the local library on ballet. One of my personal favorites is Rachel Isadora's alphabet book On Your Toes: A Ballet ABC. Other great ballet books are Bea at Ballet (also by Rachel Isadora) and Beautiful Ballerina, by Marilyn Nelson with photographs by Susan Kuklin. 

    ——————————– 

  • Alphabet Series: The Letter A

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

    A is for AROUND

    DownloadedFile
    I am always looking for books and stories with prepositions. Check out this picture book about plants and gardens - Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres and illustrator Nadine Bernard Westcott. It will inspire a fun warm up and get students thinking about relationships in space.

    A is for ANIMALS

    DownloadedFile-1
    You can do an entire dance class with animal inspiration – shapes, actions, traveling patterns, levels, tempo, and much more. Books to investigate include:

    A is for AUTUMN LEAVES

    DownloadedFile-2
    Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins is a beautiful picture book with vibrant photos of leaves. You and your students can explore the shapes of the leaves in a warm up exercise. Add some of the classic "autumn music" as well – the jazz standard "Autumn Leaves" or the Autumn section from Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

    A is for ARTISTS ALVIN AILEY AND ALICIA ALONSO

    DownloadedFile-3
    You can also share biographies about modern dancer Alvin Ailey and prima ballerina Alicia Alonso:

  • Alphabet Series: Alphabet Book Bin (Updated January 2020)

    Fca46e4cf3d511e28cc022000ae80ec6_7

    I love book bins within preschool and kindergarten classes. They offer many options around a particular subject. Today I want to share the idea of having an alphabet book bin within your classroom or studio – whether you are a preschool teacher, dance teacher at a studio, kindergarten teacher, or dance teaching artist in an elementary school.

    Listed below is a great selection of alphabet books that can lead to a fun closing or opening activity in a dance class. Let me explain how this might work. Let's say you teach dance at a preschool. Let's say that the students are exploring the letter M this week. You can gather the students around you and the book bin. Select 3-4 books from the bin. Look at the M pages within these books. You and the students might begin class by making shapes in your bodies inspired by the images, or by exploring the action words in the books for the letter M. 

    If you look at the M page in 4-6 different books, use Post-It notes to mark the pages. After practicing a movement or shape for each page, as a group make an order for the ideas to build a simple phrase. Write the order and key words on chart paper or a dry erase board for easy reference.

    Images-1
    From A Garden of Ordinary Miracles

    You can repeat this same activity each week or every few weeks. 

     

    Here is my list for a book bin, with a variety of books about animals, flowers, food, actions, and dance specific vocabulary:

    2. A Dictionary of Dance by Harriet Ziefert and illustrator Liz Murphy

    3. On Your Toes: A Ballet ABC by Rachel Isadora

    4. Alphabet Movers by Teresa Benzwie

    5. ABC Yoga by Christiane Engel

    6. Alphabreaths: The ABCs of Mindful Breathing by Christopher Willard and Daniel Rechtschaffen, with illustrator Holly Clifton-Brown

    8. ABCers by Carole Lexa Schaefer and illustrator Pierr Morgan

    9. Roar Like a Dandelion by Ruth Krauss and illustrator Sergio Ruzzier

    10. From A to Z with Energy! by Connie Bergstein Dow and illustrator Gareth Llewhellin

    11. Alphamals A-Z by Graham Carter

    12. Animal Action ABC by Karen Pandell and photographers Art Wolfe and Nancy Sheehan

    13. Into the A, B, Sea by Deborah Lee Rose and Steve Jenkins

    14. Creature ABC by Andrew Zuckerman

    15. African Animal Alphabet (National Geographic Little Kids) by Beverly and Dereck Joubert

    16. The New Alphabet of Animals by Christopher Wormell

    17. 8: An Animal Alphabet by Elisha Cooper

    18. Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert

    20. An ABC of Flowers by Jutta Hilpuesch

    21. ABC Dream by Kim Krans

    22. A B See by Elizabeth Doyle

    23. ABC Love by Christiane Engel

    24. Today I Feel: An Alphabet of Feelings by Madalena Moniz

    If you search for these books on amazon.com, many can be purchased used for very reasonable prices. Your school librarian might also allow you to keep a set of books in your room for a few weeks at a time.

      Images-2

  • Alphabet Series: Launch

    DownloadedFile
    About 10 years ago, I wrote a book about teaching the alphabet through dance. I am going to edit the lessons one more time and publish it in 2014. Stay tuned!

    In the meantime, I will share here on the blog some of the books that are referenced within my book. I hope that you will find these books to be inspiring springboards for activities as well as extensions to lessons.

    I believe that teaching the alphabet through many different modes – movement, writing, reading, drawing, etc. – is invaluable to reach all kinds of learners and to teach one of the most fundamental concepts to young children.