Showing posts with label movement and literacy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movement and literacy. Show all posts

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Creating a Dance is as Simple as 1, 2, 3, 4

Creating movement can be daunting - especially if you don't know where to start.  So start at the beginning!!

  1. Create a beginning shape:
    • Choose a level (high, middle or low)
    • Choose to make straight lines, angles or curves with your body
  2. Choose a way to move from here to there:
    • walk, run, jump, skip, hop, glide, gallop, roll, turn
  3. Choose a pathway:
    • You can hop in a straight line across the room, in a circle, or make zigzags across the floor
  4. Create an end shape:
    • It can be the same as the opening shape or a different one.

It's that simple.  If you are comfortable with these 4 steps, here are other elements you can think about:
  1. Tempo: slow, medium or fast.  (Play different music and see how your body reponds differently to the melody, tempo and energy of the songs.)
  2. Add a feeling state: sleepy, alert, confused, happy, dreamy, etc
  3. Add a story:  Take words out of a story or poem and let that be your inspiration.
Here is one of my favorites by Shel Silverstein from the book Where the Sidewalk Ends:

Dancing Pants

And  now for the Dancing Pants
Doing their fabulous dance.
From the seat to the pleat
They will bounce to the beat,
With no legs inside them
And no feet beneath.
They'll whirl, and twirl, and jiggle and prance,
So just start the music,
And give them a chance-
Let's have a big hand for the wonderful, marvelous,
Super sensational, utterly fabulous,
Talented Dancing Pants!


Most importantly have fun exploring movement.  There is no right and wrong.  Creating a dance is like taking a paintbrush to canvas except your body is the brush and the space around you is the canvas.  The best part is you can take the canvas anywhere and you change the colors anytime you want!!

Have fun creating movement with the children in your life!

Sincerely,
Stacey

For more information on the elements of movement check on our website: http://www.leapinglegs.com/danceExclusive.html






Sunday, April 4, 2010

SPRING, SPRONG, SPROING!

Here in the northeast we have been having beautiful spring weather. With "spring" in mind, action words are so much fun to explore with your kids/class. One of my favorite books to read in the spring is "Bugs, Bugs, Bugs" by Bob Barner. There are lots of action words to pick out and fun spring pictures.

"Butterflies that flutter in the sky,
spotted ladybugs that go creeping by..." 
Can you just visualize the children in action?

You can make an action word list with your class by picking action words out of books you are reading or come in with a premade list. You can even have an action list that you add to every week. Then take the words and get moving! Try taking the children's favorite action words, put them in a sequence and have them perfom their "action dance". Integrating vocabulary into the body helps with comprehension, literacy and story telling. It is also silly and fun!

Here are some of my favorites:

Bend
Bounce
Burst
Creep
Drip
Droop
Explode
Float
Flop
Grow

Hang
Melt
Pop
Rise
Shake
Spring
Twist
Wilt

For an extensive list visit: http://www.leapinglegs.com/download/LL_ActionWords.pdf

Have fun bending, melting and twisting with the children in your life!

Sincerely,

Stacey