Category: Uncategorized

I just moved the Dancing Words Blog over from Typepad to Word Press.

The theme of "islands" has been a favorite over the years, especially to explore personal space, stationary movement, and working within hula hoops. And now, with teaching via Zoom in our separate spaces….we might want to explore "islands" through this new angle.

My Island is a dreamy book by Stéphanie Demasse-Pottier and illustrator Seng Soun Ratanavanh. I suggest using it with preschoolers, kindergarteners, and 1st graders.

I live on an island that has no name,

an island where the flowers are always blooming,

an island where there are thousands of birds, and other animals, including snails.

Play with movement potential page by page. The students will sometimes be the narrator, and sometimes the plants and animals on the island. Build a group dance and share it with families, even via Zoom. Play with moving in and out of the frame/screen.

As for music, may I suggest "Akabanah" by Kodo?

Related posts:

An Island Grows

Alphabet Series: The Letter I

Image: a card from the Dancer Wellness Deck. Concept by Jill Randall, artwork by Claire Calalo Berry. Write to Jill at randalldanceprojects@gmail.com to find out more.

Hello wonderful blog community and fans of books! Happy fall. After 8 months away from writing for the blog, I am excited to launch back in. I aim for 3-4 new posts a month plus a highlight of one of the themes/categories on the site. Hundreds of books have been featured during the past 9 years.

Please write to me with any requests and also if you need book suggestions for your classes or homeschooling!

Warmly,

Jill Randall

Blog Director, Dancing Words

randalldanceprojects@gmail.com

———————————————

Over the years, I have highlighted five great picture books for inspiration during the month of October. Inspiration comes from monsters, pumpkins patches, and spooky, sneaky moves.

Read more here and find books early at your library or used on amazon.com.

—————–

I wrote this post a few months ago, but wanted to share it again as we celebrate Misty Copeland's new role as Principal Dancer in the American Ballet Theatre.

I have been eagerly awaiting the publication of this book! The book brings together two powerhouses – the professional ballerina Misty Copeland and children's book author and illustrator Christopher Myers.

Copeland created a poetic text to highlight the story of an older dancer encouraging a younger one. The book affirms the power of believing in somebody and her potential. It is a timeless message, and we always need more books on this topic. In the world of children's books on dance, we still need so many more books that portray children from a variety of backgrounds, showing that dance and the arts can be in everyone's lives and in their future. Children want to see themselves in a book and relate to the characters.

Myers's signature artwork – I believe a combination of collage and painting – just adds another layer to the power and beauty of this picture book. It is a must for your library collection.

Check out Firebird today!

——————-

Books about dance, and books that can inspire dance explorations, are very special finds. Over the past 3 years, I have highlighted and categorized many books that can be used year after year, with timeless ideas.

As you plan for the upcoming school year, check out the categories on the right side of this blog page. For example, click on "seasons" or "pathway."

Best wishes as you prep and plan for the 2014-2015 school year!

——————-

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. 

Today I visited the Luna Dance Institute's new space and its dance resource library. If you live in the Bay Area, I encourage you to find out about Luna, its programs, and its library.

Luna is one of the leaders in dance education in the United States. They run workshops for dance teaching artists, classroom teachers, early childhood caregivers, and more. They facilitate important discussions about who gets to dance, what we are teaching, and why dance is important in education and in children's lives.

Their library includes books on dance, dance education, educational theory, child development, and more. 

http://lunadanceinstitute.org/

Hello and Happy New Year! If you are a dancer, please check out my new blog about the many ways dancers, choreographers, dance companies, teaching artists, and arts administrators use technology.

http://www.dancingwords.typepad.com/dancers_using_technology

Invitation to Ballet: A Celebration of Dance and Degas, by Carolyn Vaughn and Rachel Isadora, is a great new addition to your ballet bookshelf. This book will be enjoyed by elementary age students as well as useful for children's ballet teachers.

Invitation to Ballet includes both Degas artwork as well as Rachel Isadora's playful images of young dancers. Like many introductory ballet books, the format of the book includes two-page spreads on various topics, such as: The Five Positions, At the Barre, Making the Leap, Toe Shoes and Tutus, and Famous Ballets. The layout of the book is clear and beautiful with a nice balance of text, images, and text boxes called "A Good Point."

Enthusiastic young students will enjoy reading the book on their own. I also encourage children's ballet teachers to consider reading the book over the course of a semester with your class – reading a two-page spread (ie one topic) each week as a nice introduction and calming activity for the class. 

Purchase the book through Powell's Books or through the Metropolitan Museum of Art Online Store.