Dancing Words Blog

Category: Parent/Child Dance Classes

  • Round by Joyce Sidman

    Today we are excited to have SF Bay Area teaching artist Juliana Monin writing for Dancing Words.

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    My daughter received Round as a gift, and it’s filled with great images and ideas for dance. Written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Taeeun Yoo, Round is lyrical and dreamy, delighting in some of the ways we enjoy round things. It could be an excellent way to introduce a study of shape for preschool through 3rd grade.

    Some inspirational images include: curving around round juicy oranges, round seeds quiet and still, swelling mushrooms, concentric rings of a tree stump, round ripples from rain drops onto water, and bubbles bursting.

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    One favorite page depicting dung beetles says, "I love to watch round things move. They are so good at it! Rolling, spinning, bouncing. I always wonder where they’re headed.” Students can practice rolling on pathways with varying speeds, being “rolled” by someone, or rolling singular body parts.

    Another nice idea comes from two pages showing how water smooths out the edges of rocks over time. Students can practice several ways of transforming from angular shapes to curved ones.

    Other pages about friends linking together to make round circles, or hugging a loved one, lend to partnering explorations about round – loose and round, low and round…How big a round shape can you make? How small? How are you connecting?

    Round is sweet and serene, helping to remind us of the magic in our simple, natural, round world. I’ve been having fun dancing out some of these pages and think you will too.

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  • Dancing Off the Page: Leap, Frog, Leap by Douglas Florian

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    Leap, Frog, Leap! is the third book in a board book series by Douglas Florian and illustrator Barbara Bakos. The words are simple, playful, and instantly lead to an improvisational exercise in parent/child and preschool dance classes.

    Leap, frog, leap!

    Creep, caterpillar, creep!

    Race, rabbit, race!

    Chase, cheetah, chase!

    Students will have the opportunity to explore 16 different actions – which will inspire level changes, varying qualities, and locomotor/stationary movement.

    For music, try out the instrumental/electronic piece "Circling" by Four Tet.

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    Related posts:

    Dancing Off the Page: Bears are Big by Douglas Florian

    Dancing Off the Page: Flamingos Fly by Douglas Florian

    Blog Series: Parent/Child Classes

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  • Dancing Off the Page: Bears Are Big by Douglas Florian

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    The other day I shared about Florian's book Flamingos Fly. Today I write about another book in the series, Bears Are Big. I am always on the lookout for books exploring opposites.

    Bears Are Big is a great new option to use with parent/child and preschool dance classes. Illustrator Barbara Bakos shares playful images of a variety of creatures. Use the ideas to create a warm up for your classes.

    Bears are big.

    Bees are small.

    Shrews are short.

    Giraffes are tall.

    I would like to offer two options with this particular text. 

    Option 1 – use the text from the beginning until the 12th page….ending with the idea, "Tree frogs stick." I think you can create a playful warm up that can be repeated for several weeks in a row.

    Option 2 – using the entire text – you will need some fabric. I have been exploring how to use the final set of words in the book, "Ravens are black. Doves are white." My solution is this: use the whole book, and then when you get to the last two pages about the birds, have your class come over to you and get black and white fabric. This can transition into an improvisational activity exploring the fabric and the bird inspiration of flying, flapping, soaring, opening, and closing. My top suggestion would be to head to the local fabric store to buy cheap tulle fabric in both black and white. 

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  • Dancing Off the Page: Flamingos Fly by Douglas Florian

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    Douglas Florian and Barbara Bakos have created four delightful board books to use in parent/child, preschool, and kindergarten classes. Use the ideas for improvisational activities or group dances. Today let's explore Flamingos Fly.

    "Flamingos fly. Sailfish swim. Monkeys swing in a jungle gym." Twelve ideas/actions are in this book:

    • Fly
    • Swim
    • Swing
    • Dive
    • Soar
    • Creep
    • Dig
    • Lunge
    • Plunge
    • Jump
    • Leap
    • Sleep

    Simple, clear, poetic, and varied. The students will explore a variety of traveling and stationary movements and level changes. Encourage the group to consider the timing and tempo for each kind of movement as well. For music, try out the instrumental piece "Biei (Ethereal Flow)" by Kodo.

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  • Dance Classes with Children Ages 1-5 Years Old

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    As we prepare for the new school year, I asked 20 friends and colleagues to share the favorite moves these days with their children ages 1-5  years old. Which moves do they love to do on their own? How about with an adult? I hope that these examples can offer a word bank and starting off point as you prepare for the new school year. I left the ideas here in the parents' own words, as they beautifully capture the movement concepts.

    Please feel free to add more words here in the comments section below; please tell me the age of your child, and I will add it to the chart.

    Download Favorite Dance Moves with 1-5 Year Olds – Sheet1

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    Related posts from the blog Life as a Modern Dancer:

    Becoming a Teaching Artist: 8 Ideas and Resources for Parent/Child Dance Classes

    Teaching Parent/Child Dance Classes: 5 Questions for April Taylor of "Dance with Me" (SF Bay Area)

    Teaching Parent/Child Dance Classes: 5 Questions for Terry Goetz of the Creative Dance Center in Seattle

    Exploring Parent/Child Dance Classes: 5 Questions for Joni Wilson of Tanner Dance

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  • So Many Feet (On the Book to Boogie Blog)

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    Twice a year, I have the fun opportunity to write for the Book to Boogie Blog. This month I write about So Many Feet, which is a great new addition to our book collections about feet and body parts. Use this book with parent/child classes, preschool classes, and kindergarten classes.

    Read the full post here.

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  • Jonathan and His Mommy

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    Several times a year, I have the wonderful opportunity to write for another blog, Book to Boogie. This month, I wrote about the picture book Jonathan and His Mommy. If you are looking for a book about parent/child relationships, pathways, and locomotor steps, check it out. Read more here. 

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  • Up & Down, Big & Small: Opposites Can Dance

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    Several times a year, I share ideas on the "Book to Boogie" Blog. Here's my latest post, exploring several books with word pairs and opposites. Try out these books in a parent/child class or preschool age creative dance class.

    http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=17884

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  • Article about Dance, Books, and Storytime Sessions With Young Children

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    From Blog Director Jill Randall:

    I am happy to share my recent article about adding movement to storytime sessions with young children and families. Read it here:

    http://ideas.demco.com/blog/adding-movement-to-storytime/

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  • Book to Boogie Blog Today: Alphabet Movers

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    I recently wrote about the book Alphabet Movers for the Book to Boogie Blog project, a component of the Library as Incubator website. 

    This is a great book to explore during storytime or within a dance class (parent/child or creative movement). 

    Read more here.

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