Dancing Words Blog

Category: Winter

  • New Poems for Wintery Days

    Imgres-2

    I am always searching for books about the seasons. Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold is a great new addition with poems by Joyce Sidman and gorgeous illustrations by Rick Allen.

    The poems are suitable for students in grades 1-4. Sidman writes about the animals of winter, with unique poems about moose, tundra swans, and bees that can inspire dances in your classes. And, the poem "Snowflake Wakes" is a new favorite of mine – filled with moving words such as drifting down, settling, whirling, and "a pinwheel gathering glitter."

    Images

    ———————-

  • Flora and the Penguin

    Imgres-1

    Fun, play, skating, gliding, and conversation. This is the beautiful "dance" of Flora with a penguin in Molly Idle's latest wordless picture book, Flora and the Penguin. If you loved Flora and the Flamingo, check out this new book! 

    The artwork literally dances off the page. The book is a great springboard for preschool, kindergarten, and first grade classes as you explore partner work, working together, mirroring, and shaping. 

    You can use the book for inspiration, the images for actual movement ideas, or the storyline to create a group dance. The book is also a fun addition to your "winter" book collection.

    As for music, the classical skating piece "Les Patineurs" is a great option!

    Imgres-2

    ————————–

  • Snowflakes and Symmetry

    DownloadedFile-1

    One of my favorite books in my classes this fall (6th-8th grade) is the small photography book Snowflakes, featuring the incredible "micro-photography" of Kenneth Libbrecht. You can purchase new and used copies on amazon.com. 

    There are numerous uses for this book. The book is full of pictures and quotes, not a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Even in this digital age, my students always love having a book in hand and beautiful color images as inspiration. 

    DownloadedFile
    1. With my 6th grade students, we have an entire "water dance project" in conjunction with the 6th grade science curriculum. One component of the project includes states of water. This book is a great addition to my collection, to use as springboards.

    2. With all of my classes, the book is a great example of symmetry. I am always on the lookout for visual images to use when exploring symmetry and asymmetry in classes.

    3. In my 7th/8th grade dance elective course, we are creating an entire performance around the theme of Winter. We are using these images and embodying them as we make a stop motion film this trimester.

    This book can easily be used in elementary dance classes as well. 

    Images

  • Magic and Whimsy Series: Grandmother Winter

    DownloadedFile-1
    Are you a K-5 dance teaching artist looking for inspiration as you wrap up the semester, and maybe make a dance to celebrate winter? I encourage you to check out Grandmother Winter by Phyllis Root, with artwork by Beth Krommes.

    DownloadedFile-2

    Grandmother Winter is a magical character that is interacting with the animals, creating snow, and more. "When the days burn down toward the longest night Grandmother shakes her feather quilt. Flake by flake the snow begins to fall." You, the teacher, could be the narrator of the story, with your whole class dancing the story. Students will move like feather, animals, and snow. I love the idea of the students shifting shapes, qualities, and ways of moving. 

    I think the book can be a fresh take on the theme of "winter" in your classes. 

    As for music, one album I am loving right now is with the beautiful sound of kora and cello, Chamber Music by Ballake Sissoko and Vincent Segal (available on iTunes).