Guided Mediation Is Not Just About Finding Your Happy Place

Have you ever led your class/children through a guided meditation?  The benefits of even a quick few minutes of guided meditation or relaxation is super beneficial for them and you.

Guided Relaxation Exercise

Give these directions: Lie down on the floor and close your eyes.  Put your hands on your belly and rest them there.  Now slowly breath in and out through your nose.  As you breath feel your hands resting on your belly.  Don't answer my question out loud but only to yourself - can you feel if your hands are rising and sinking on your belly with each breath?  Notice how your shirt feels under your hands.  Is it soft, rough, thin, thick?  Breath in and out at your own pace  Now feel your body sinking into the floor.  With each breath that you take feel if you can sink further into the floor.  Feel as if your body is getting heavier and heavier.    Imagine yourself lying on your favorite blanket.  It is soft, warm and cozy.  What color is this blanket?  Does it have a pattern on it like stripes or hearts?  Is it big and squishy or light and thin?  Feel as if your blanket is giving you a warm hug.  Now notice your hands again on your belly.  Can you feel your belly moving up and down?  Take another deep breath in and out.  Take your attention back to the room.  Do you hear any noises from the hallway or outside?  Start to prepare for our relaxation time to be over.  Slowly move your legs in and out.  Reach your arms over your head and do a big stretch.  Make a big yawn sound.  Slowly open your eyes and when you are ready come to standing.

Here are just a few of the many benefits of this exercise: 

Focus
Visualization is a powerful tool to focus the mind on one specific idea.  If you are seeing the color of your imaginary blanket then you are not thinking about what you are having for dinner.  Closing your eyes helps further take away any distractions.  At first it might be hard for some children to close their eyes.  If this is the case, you might want them to lie on their stomachs so they can not move their head around.

Connecting to Breath
By focusing on calm breathing, inhaling and exhaling, children can feel how their lungs expand and contract, how their bellies move up and down and how the air is drawn in and pushed out through their noses. They can feel how their breathing effects their bodies.  It gives them a sense of body awareness.

Relaxation
When the body and mind have a chance to reconnect it can be very peaceful.  The children are not being asked to do anything except be, breath and focus on your voice.  It is a time to take a break from all the stimulation of the outside world.  This is also a great tool to use to transition from a very active activity to a quiet activity because you are giving the children a chance to change focus and pace.

You might find that guiding the meditation is very peaceful and relaxing for you to.  I always do!  Let me know if you try this out and how your students/kids respond!

Have fun reconnecting with the children in your life!

Sincerely,
Stacey

Jingle Bells

This winter song is great to sing with little ones.  The chorus is easy to sing and repeat!

Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way
Bells on bob tails ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to laugh and sing
A sleighing song tonight

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh.

Have the class come up with a gesture or movement they can repeat every time they sing "jingle." Let them free dance to the song and listen for the "jingle" word. Can they do the gesture in high, middle and low level? Can they travel with the gesture? Can they do the gesture looking at a friend?  (Maybe the gesture is opening and closing their hands, or raising and lowering their shoulders, or shaking their leg.)  Whatever it is explore all the ways your class can jingle!!

For a more advanced challenge try it to Jingle Bell Rock!

Have fun jingling with the children in your life!!

Sincerely,
Stacey

Festival of Dancing Lights

Thanksgiving is gone and the winter holidays are right around the corner - literally.  Chanukah starts this Wednesday night and lasts for 8 days.  Here are a few Chanukah movement activities you might like to try  with your students and children to bring the festival of lights to life!

A fun exploration of Chanukah
The story of Mama mouse and her little children discovering the tastes and sightsof Chanukah in the book Hanukkah Mice by Ronne Randall  is an easy introduction to different ways families celebrate this holiday.  I love reading this book to my classes.  After we read the book we explore some of the themes through movement.


Melting Candles Slowly Burning Bright
The mice are looking for the Chanukah lights and at the end of the book they find all the candles burning bright. Pick one child to be the first Chanukah candle.  Ask the child to stand nice and tall as you "light" her.  Ask your student to dance bright and glow in her spot and then slowly melt down to the floor.  Next, this child should pick a student to be the second Chanukah candle.  "Light" them both and watch as they dance and glow in their spot and slowly melt to the ground.  Repeat this until all eight candles are burning bright.   (This is a great activity to focus on moving slowly because melting candles take their time!)

Information about the candles:
There are 8 candles along with the Shamas, or helper candle.  This candle is usually placed in the middle of the menorah and lights all the other candles ( which would be the teacher in this activity).  The 8 candles represent the 8 nights of Chanukah.  On the first night you light one candle with the Shamas, on the second night 2, etc.  Each night you light the newest candle first.  The candles are put in the menorah from right to left.

Whirling Dreidels Quickly Spin 
What is the opposite of a melting candle?  A dancing dreidel spinning fast as can be!  If you don't have a dreidel you can pick one up in most pharmacies or grocery stores for very little.  It is a spinning top.  And you spin it to win chocolate coins.  I don't teach the game to the students even though it is a lot of fun.  What we focus on is the action of the dreidel.  It spins uncontrollably and then stops.  Completely the opposite of the candles in the menorah.  It is very hard to spin and then stop.  It takes great muscle control and concentration.

Spin the dreidel for the children.  Ask them what they see.  Have a child demonstrate .  Focus the classes attention on the start and stop of the activity.  At first have them start and stop to the sound of a tambourine or your voice.  Ask them how it feels to spin like a dreidel.  How is it different then moving like a melting candle?

Candles and Dreidels Dancing together
Put on some music. (Klezmier music for this is fun!)  Have the children dance around anyway they like.  Then yell out candle or dreidel and see if they can put the slow melty feeling in their bodies or the fast spinning energy of the dreidel.  Remember, they can choose to put the energy into their entire body or maybe just one body part.  Can one body part be a candle while the other is dreidel?  Which do they like to do better ( slowly melting or spinning fast) and why?  You might learn a lot about your students/children by what the choose and why!

Have fun exploring some fun ideas about Chanukah with the children in your life!

Sincerely,
Stacey

The Great White Way

I love getting together with my family for Thanksgiving.  The turkey, the stuffing, and the dancing!  Yes, I know that dancing might not seem as traditional as cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie but it is!  As a child, I used to wake up early and put on the Thanksgiving day parade and watch the first hour without moving from my seat (usually 3 feet from the little TV in the kitchen so my mom and I could watch it together.)  The first hour would feature all the new Broadway shows and rain or shine the performers would be singing and dancing their hearts out. And don't forget the Rockettes!  It was fantastic!

I now watch the parade with my daughter and my mom. It is a dance experience we can share together.

So, if you are by a TV at 9:00am Thanksgiving Day, turn it on and share with a child the magic of Broadway!  (Of course, children of all ages are welcome!)  And encourage your students' parents to check it out as well!

Have fun planning your own special Thanksgiving dance traditions with the children in your life!
Sincerely,
Stacey

Dancing in Tight Spaces

When I was student teaching in the Bronx, I had almost 30 children in a small classroom.  I remember standing on a chair in front of the class to teach dance and I had the children copy my movements.  I did not know what else to do.  I did not want anyone getting hurt by moving in a such a crowded room and since I am a little over 5 feet, I wanted everyone to see me as well. 

I know that crowded classrooms/studios/spaces can be quite a challenge.  Here are some ideas to help manage space issues.

Dancing in tight spaces:

1. Go outside.  Make your own boundaries with cones so the dance space is clear.  You can make the space as big or as small as you want!
2. Dance in groups.  Switch off doing the activity.  One group watches and one group moves.  Make sure the group that is watching has an assignment.  (Watch for 3 traveling steps, look for level changes, etc. so the kids are still active participants.)
3. Create one big circle.  Have the kids sit in a circle and call various children to come in and out of the circle. 
4. Line the children in rows of 4 or 5 and have the children practice their gross motor skills traveling through the space a few at a time.  Have the kids "tag" the next group to go.
5. Practice, practice, practice moving together.  First walk through the space.  Move close to each other without touching.  Move as far away from each other without touching.  Try it in different levels and ways of locomoting.  The more you practice the easier it will get.
6. Use painter's tape to make lines, curves and angles on the floor.  Have the children dance on the shapes.  Have the groups shift from one shape to the next.
7. Create a dance where the kids don't leave their spots.  This can be a great exploration of the space directly around them.  Then have some kids dance through the space while others continue to dance in their spots.  Take turns.
8. Make a chair dance.  How many ways can you move while seated in a chair? Can you use your legs, elbows, heads, knees, feet, backs, arms, etc.? 
9. Use all of the above to vary the use of space in the room.

As a new teacher, I was so nervous about the kids getting wild and bumping into each other but we never practiced how to move safely together.  You will be amazed how the kids will become very aware of their boundaries.  Exploring your space and movement possibilities will lead to new dance experiences for you and your students/kids.  Moms - I know it is really hard to move around in a tight living room as well.  These ideas are for you too!

Have fun exploring tight spaces with the children in your life!

Sincerely,
Stacey

Chicken Soup is a Tasty Dance Lesson!

I love chicken soup.  It just tastes good.  It is soothing, comforting and always makes me feel better when I am under the weather.  It is simple to make.  Start with water. Add a bunch of different vegetables, some chicken, a handful of parsley and a pinch or a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  My sister adds garlic and leeks.  Some people add noodles.  I prefer matzo balls.  My daughter likes the broth and the matzo balls.  I love eating the parsnips and onions.  Everyone eats what they like.  The point is a little bit of this and a little bit of that added together makes for a great soup.  And can make for a great dance lesson too!

Chicken Soup Dance
Tell your class that they are going to make chicken soup but you forgot the recipe.  Have them stand in a circle (which will be the pot.) Go around the circle and one at a time ask each student to name some food to throw into the pot.  (The sillier the better - you might wind up with a chicken, pizza, peanut butter, rhinoceros soup -yum!)  When a student throws, tosses, drops, sprinkles, etc the ingredient in have her be specific about the movement.  Then have the class stir the soup with different body parts.  At some point you might need to turn up the heat and have the soup boil or turn down the heat and have the soup simmer!  Have the class use their imaginations.  When the soup is ready make sure each child gets a bowl full.  Drink it up and let the " dance" soup takes hold!

This activity is great for class participation, body part recognition and isolation and well as creativity and expression.  Also great for adding in lots and lots of action words!! 

For added fun make "recipe" cards for the kids to take home so they can make their own dance soup with their families.

Dance Soup

Recipe:

1.  pour 3 cups of water with your elbows
2.  slice 2 bunches of carrots with arms
3. throw in 4 handfuls of noodles with your knees
4. Stir with your hips
5. Toss with your toes
6. Boil with your body
7. And simmer with your shoulders

Slurp, sip, gulp.  Get ready to dance!

Have fun cooking up some dance fun with the kids in your life!

Sincerely,
Stacey

PS.  Check out  Stone Soup by Marcia Brown

Halloween Treat

Happy Halloween to all those trick and treaters!  As a lovely treat I would like to share with you a fun music video created by my friends Steve Blunt (children's singer/ songwriter) and Deb Mendonca Cote (aveproductions.com).

Check out "Pumpkins Beware":
http://www.aveproductions.com/PumpkinsFLASH/pumpkins.html

Use Halloween as motivation to create your own dance video.  All you need is a favorite Halloween song, a video camera and space to dance.  Explore some action words from a favorite pumpkin song or book.

Excerpt from the song "Pumpkins Beware" by Steve Blunt:
Pumpkins beware it's Halloween
Cling to the vines and don't be seen
if a human comes for you
your happy pumpkin days are through!

Excerpt of the book Five Pesky Pumpkins by Marcia Vaughan

One worried pumpkin
All alone tonight.
Out jump the others..."BOO!"
And give her such a fright!

Remember when creating any kind of dance always have a:

• Beginning (opening shape, entrance, etc.)
• Middle (maybe a specific way to travel around the space or the children's favorite movements)
• End (ending shape, exit, etc.)

That's it.  Kids love to watch themselves on camera and it gives them a different perspective on how they move.  Believe me, once they start creating it will be hard to get them to stop. 

Have fun creating dances with the children in your life!
Sincerely,
Stacey

Performance Magic!

When my daughter was little she loved to put on dance shows for me.  We had a brick fireplace that was her stage.  She would run out of the room (or backstage) for costume changes and she would even pretend to come out at the end of the show and do a "meet and greet" with the audience (me and my husband.)

Her understanding of dance as a performance came from us taking her to see dance shows.  I am not talking about Broadway but whatever local dance company or school was performing, sometimes in the park or in a theatre or high school auditorium.  When my husband and I would take her, I would explain that we were paying money to buy tickets.  The tickets were to prove we paid so we could go in and out of the theatre.  The programs that we got told us who was performing, who worked on the show and gave us information about the performance.  I would take her up to the stage, if it was accessible, and have her touch it.  I would point out musicians in the pit, if we were fortunate to go to show with live musicians.  And if there were ushers, she would learn how they make sure everyone is in the right seat.

Any opportunity to meet the performers was always pure gold.  I would point out the costumes, hair and makeup.  I would let her know they are people like me and her.  They practiced often, possibly auditioned and put time, energy and love into their performance.  I loved her look of pure awe, mouth open, eyes wide whispering her questions to me.

Her shows at home were filled with all of these elements.  She would make us "pay"  for tickets at her make-shift box office.  She would show us to our seats and even "sell" us concessions at intermission.  My favorite part of her shows were her ""meet and greet" after.  The way she held out her hand to shake ours.  Her declaring that she was one of the performers and asking if I had any questions.

She is 7 now and she is still in awe when we go to shows.  It is a very special time we share waiting for the lights to go down, the music to begin and the curtain to open.  We hold hands, and giggle.  This live performance can't be rewound, paused or recorded to watch later.  We are experiencing a moment together that we will share in our memories forever.

I encourage everyone to take a child to see a live show.  So much can be learned about dance and the art of creating.  And it is pure magic!

Have fun seeing a live show with a child in your life!

Sincerely,
Stacey

Falling Down, Sideways, and All Around

Here in  the northeast the leaves on the trees are vibrant, colorful and awesome!!  And when the wind blows I get to witness a dance of colors cascading down to the ground.  See if you can bring the outside in with this autumn inspired activity (or do the activity outside and join the leaves!)

Falling
The week prior to the activity ask the children to observe the leaves on the trees and how they fall to the ground. Ask them to wear autumn inspired colors for the activity (orange, red, yellow, brown, etc.)  

Have the children share there week's observations with you.   How many different ways did the leaves fall to the ground? Write down all of their descriptive words.


 How many different ways can they fall to the ground? 


The children at first will probably fling themselves onto the floor.  After they have explored this way of falling ask them to show you the opposite way of falling. 

• Can you fall slowly?
• Can you fall leading with your elbow?
• Can your fall take you all the way around the room?
• Can you fall softly?
• Can you fall with a partner?
• Can the entire class fall together?
• Can you fall in a scattered pattern through the class or in a big cluster?

After they have explored all the various ways they can fall, have them describe their experiences to you.  Now see if the class can create a poem with the words.  Read the poem out loud and have them dance to the poem.

This activity works on observation skills, sharing ideas, collaboration and creativity.

Have fun falling with the children in your life!

Sincerely,
Stacey

Back on the Road Again

I am glad to say hello again!  Thank you for all the well wishes!  I am on the road to a full recovery after my recent neck surgery.  Wow - it is amazing what the neck does and how it affects the rest of the body!!


Did you know that an adult human head ways about 10 pounds?


No wonder our necks and backs get sore!  That's a lot of weight to carry on our thin necks! 


Now think about children writing at their desks all day.  No wonder you see so many of them with their heads down or slouched.  Did you ever say to a child "sit up straight?"  I know I have.  But I never thought about how tired their backs and necks might be.

Some exercises to strengthen those back and neck muscles:

1. Wall Push-ups - similar to regular push-ups but do it standing leaning against a wall.  Most young kids don't have the strength for regular push-ups, and  it is important not to practice poor technique or form.
2. Plank- Have your students hold their bodies in "push-up" position on the floor and hold it for ten seconds.  Make sure their ears stay over their shoulders and their heads don't drop down.   Their backs should be nice and straight.
3. Rows- Sing  the "row, row, row your boat" song while sitting on the floor or in chairs.  Row your arms in circles with a nice straight back.  Go forward, go backward, do alternating arms.

These three easy activities will strengthen the students/children's arms, backs and chests and will enable them to sit without their heavy heads toppling to their desks.  And make sure they get a break because muscles can't work when they are tired.  A runner can't run 24/7 and children and adults can't sit all day.  Muscles work better when they are rested.  This doesn't mean lie down and snooze but get up and work different muscles.


Try a new way of sitting:

1. Wall Squats - have the children lean against the wall and slowly slide down until their legs are at 90 degree angles.  See how long they can hold themselves in this position.  What a leg workout!  Those legs need some activation so they don't get to sleepy sitting!
2. Back to Back Standing - Have two children sit back to back on the floor.  Ask them to press their backs together and stand.  They really have to engage those leg and stomach muscles.

Teachers, parents and dance educators - try these exercises and see if it brings new life to your students/ children's ability to sit and stand with their heads held high.


Have fun strengthening the muscles that support your neck with the children in your life!


Sincerely,
Stacey

A personal note...and WATER BALLOONS

Hello Fabulous Leaping Legs Readers,
I hope your summer has been filled with adventure, relaxation, observations and explorations.  I, unfortuntaley, have been struggling with two bulging discs in my neck which will require surgery this month.  I am expected to have a full recovery, with no movement restrictions. 

As typing is painful, I will be taking a small hiatus from the blog and will be back to sharing with you hopefully sometime in September.

I will leave this posting with a fun summer activity: water balloons! Great to cool off in the summer - and to work on eye hand coordination as well as the dynamics of weight and effort. 

1. Stand facing a partner.  Toss the water balloon back and forth to each other.  Each successful catch earns the team one step backwards to make the distance longer!  Feel the weight when you catch the balloon.  Feel it pull your hands/shoulder down.
2. Do this activity again with a balloon filled with air.  Can the balloon make a direct path to the partner? How does it feel when you catch the balloon?

Movement is about experiences and observations! After the activity see if your body can soar through the air like a water balloon/air filled balloon.  Does it move fast or slow, straight or curved, does it float, sail, or drop?

Have fun getting wet and experiencing movement with the children in your life!

Sincerely,
Stacey

You Don't Need Cake to Celebrate

How do you celebrate your students/children's birthdays?  Do you have a favorite birthday song, game or food?  Do you have a birthday basket to pick out a present or book?  Do you have a family/friend party?

Many schools encourage celebrating without food due to food allergies and concerns about healthy eating.  When my daughter was in preschool she wore a birthday crown that she made at school and a special birthday pin.  In elementary school she gets to pick a book out of the birthday basket and her name is announced over the loud speaker.

Movement Activity- Birthday Wishes
When I celebrate a student's birthday, the class makes a giant cake (a big  seated circle around the birthday child.) The reason I have the children sit is so the class can focus on the special birthday girl/boy.  I "light" each candle, and the children extend their arms overhead and flicker their fingers. We sing "Happy Birthday"  while the birthday child dances to his/her song.  Then with a movement that represents the wind, the birthday child "blows" each candle out.  Each  candle" is blown out and melts to the ground.

Of course, this activity does not only have to take place in school.  Try it at your next birthday celebration and add some movement to the "Happy Birthday" song.  I love to move when I sing, especially when I am trying to hit those stubborn high notes!

Have fun celebrating with movement with the kids in your life!

Sincerely,
Stacey

The Itsy Bitsy Spider Practices Her Fine Motor Skills!

The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout,
down came the rain and washed the spider out,
out came the sun and dried up all the rain,
and the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.

I am sure most of you have heard this rhyme before.  Most of you probably know the hand gestures that go with the rhyme.  Fingers together, thumb on pointer finger, pointer finger on thumb climbing like a spider.  What is so great about this little dance is that the focus is on fine motor skills.

People usually think of dance as big full body movements.  Fingers can dance too, and it is very important for finger strength and coordination to do so.  The skills involved in little fingers dancing like an itsy bitsy spider are the same in holding a pencil, drawing a straight line and cutting with scissors.

So on a very hot day when jumping around is the last thing you want to do with the little ones in your life, try creating a finger dance.  Not only is it fun but essential for fine motor development.

Some fun finger games:

1. Where is thumbkin?
2. Little Bunny Foo Foo
3. Patty Cake
4. Open Shut Them

Create your own.  Put music on and see how your fingers can dance, first one finger at a time then one hand at a time, then both hands together!

Have fun dancing with the hands of the little ones in your life!

Sincerely,
Stacey

Firework Dance Explosion

Fireworks can be a great inspiration for movement.  Most of us will be able to see and, if not see, hear fireworks this weekend.   For some children this is exciting and for others this can be quite scary.  By exposing kids to a kinesthetic firework activity, it can enhance the experience for some and make fireworks more accessible to others.

Ask kids to show you in their bodies these words:

• Boom
• Pop,pop,pop
• Bang
• Sizzle
• Crackle
• Twinkle
• Flash
• Sparkle
• Quiet, calm, still

Now see if you can pick a few and put it in sequence:

• Boom, crackle, flash, twinkle, twinkle, Bang
• Pop,pop,pop, sizzle, sizzle, Bang
• Flash, Sparkle, Twinkle, Boom
• Twinkle, crackle, Sizzle, quiet, calm, still

Fireworks sail high into the air, explode reaching out far into the space and then fall to the ground.  Can you create a dance sailing, exploding and then falling?  Can you create a dance reaching high, reaching far and wide and reaching toward the ground?

How can you show color through dance?
Can you dance with multiple scarves?  Does each color represent a different step or movement?

Can you show the difference in your body between the two opposites of fireworks loud  and quiet stillness?  Can you be really still and then explode into movement? 

We learn through experiences.  So by children processing fireworks through their bodies and creating their own fireworks show through dance, can help them process the fireworks when they see, hear and smell it on the 4th of July.

Have fun creating firework dances with the children in your life.  What you create might be far more beautiful then what appears in the night sky!

Sincerely,
Stacey

Water as a Dance Tool

There are some dance concepts that are easier to grasp in summer because you can use sprinklers and pools easily.  Water is a great tool.  I wrote about water in a past post but there is so much more to explore!

Levels
High, middle and low level can truly be explored when jumping into a pool.  High level when you jump, your body soaring above the water.  Middle, when you are standing in water, head above, body below.  And low level when you dunk and are submerged.

Energy
Tap the water gently. Punch it with great force.  You can clearly see effort and feel it. 
Push the water, pull the water.  You can feel your muscles engage and work hard.  Sometimes it is hard for kids to feel their muscles engage without resistance.  Here is a great opportunity to play with strength.

What if you don't have a pool?  
No problem!  Try this activity with a garden hose:

1. Put your finger over the spout (or use a spray attachment.)  Have the water spray out gently. 
2. Have the kids run and jump OVER the water. 
3. Next, spray the water high over head.  Have the kids run, skip, turn, roll etc. UNDER the water.
4. Finally, put the spray in middle level and have the kids run THROUGH the water
5. Talk about the difference between OVER, UNDER and THROUGH and see which they liked the best.
6. If you are brave have them hold the hose for you and give it a try!!

Explore water this summer with the kids in your life.  Let it cool you down and let it be a teaching tool to delve into the elements of movement.

Have fun getting wet with the children in your life!

Sincerely,
Stacey 

Dance Your Tush Off

I have been watching a show called Dance Your Tush Off on the Oxygen network.  Ok, it isn't exactly called that. Substitute the word tush for donkey, and, well, you get the idea.  For those of you who have not seen this show let me give you a quick synopsis:

Overweight contestants work with professional dancers to develop routines which they perform at the end of the week in front of a panel of judges.  Their dance scores are added to the amount of weight lost for the week to come up with a final score.  The one with the lowest score each week goes home.  The last one standing at the end of the competition wins. 

What I liked about the show:

• People are getting into shape, working hard and dancing their hearts out.  The dancers have personality, some technique and are learning ballroom and other various styles.
• As they get more fit, their bodies take form, the mastery of their bodies improves and they develop a sense of body ownership.
• The development of body ownership is beautiful, the connection the dancers develop to themselves and their partners is inspiring.

What we can all learn from the show:

• Dance is not for the elite, the ballet trained or the perfectly fit. It is for everyone.
• Dance is exercise.  Dance is strength, stretch and endurance.
• Everyone can do it.  The more you dance the better you get, the more confident you get and the more you can let go of your inhibitions.
• Dance lets you connect with others.  Hold hands with someone, dance and look into their eyes.  You will see what I mean.

Need a little exercise?  Need a little pick me up?  Need a confidence booster?  Put on your favorite music and dance!  Can't go outside and want the kids to get some exercise - dance.  Want to cheer up a cranky child -dance.  Want to let off stress at the end of a hard day - dance.

And do what they say on the show.  Dance your you know what off!

Have fun dancing your tush off with the children in your life!

Sincerely,
Stacey

Dance Spontaneously

Have you ever danced in front of your little ones?  I am not talking about demonstrating a step or the dance they are learning; I am talking about you just breaking into dance spontaneously.   There is something very powerful about teaching the art of self- expression and in order to teach you too must do!

When could you break into spontaneous movement?

1. Waiting for the CD player to play (my CD player is always very tempermental)
2. Walking a class in or out of the classroom or studio
3. While kids are putting on shoes, clothes, etc
4. Anytime, whenever, any moment will do

What will they learn from watching you break into dance?

1. Dance is for everyone
2. Movement is not limited to a certain time, day, or place
3. You can express your feelings through dance
4. It gives them permission to do the same

At the end of every class I teach we finish in a circle.  I have each child go into the middle of the circle, one at a time, and share his or her favorite way of moving.  When I teach in the schools I also have the classroom teacher go into the middle of the circle.  The kids love watching their teacher dance.  They clap and giggle.  The kids also make sure that I don't forget to go into the middle as well.  When you ask kids to share, make sure that you don't forget to share as well.  It builds a sense of community, trust and creates a shared experience.

I dance in the kitchen when I cook dinner.  My daughter laughs and will sometimes join in without me asking her to do so.  Just the act of dancing in front of her creates a bonding moment.  A moment where neither of us is asking anything of each other.  We are just sharing an experience together.

So, have fun dancing in front of the little ones in your life! 

Sincerely,
Stacey

This Little Piggy Went to Market

Do you ever dance with your little ones without shoes and socks?  Let the soles of your feet the prickly grass or feel the plush carpet or smooth hard wood floor? 

And what about those wonderful toes?  As anyone who has ever stubbed a toe knows, toes help you balance, they enable you to spring off the floor when you jump, help you to transfer weight from one foot to the other when you walk as well as raise you up on tip-toe.

When kids dance in shoes they miss the tactile sensations their feet can provide them as well as the opportunity to articulate their feet (especially those wonderful toes!)

So the next time you dance with your little ones, pull off those shoes and socks wiggle those toes and make up a feet dance.  Scrunch those toes, spread them wide, clap them together, walk on your heels, balance on tip toes, and explore those feet and piggies!

Have fun dancing barefoot with the children in your life!

Sincerely,
Stacey

Water dance: Float, Sink and Bubble!

Floating is an amazing sensation.  It is one that we can visualize and observe but to truly experience it you got to jump in; to water that is.  I love to move and dance in water because I can feel my body so differently and can move with an added sense of buoyancy.  I experience breath differently to because I am more conscious of how I breathe underwater.  I slow my breath down and deliberately  breath through my nose or mouth.

Water can be a great tool to explore new and unusual ways of moving.  It can assist you in performing movements that would be quite difficult or impossilbe to do on land.  It also helps in developing body awareness and spatial awareness.

Explore:

• twist, twirling, rolling
• floating, sinking
• kicking, splashing, bubbles
• pushing and pulling
• diving, jumping, bobbing

One of the most important teaching tools in water is patience, trust and safety.  It sometimes can take children a very long time to be comfortable in water.  Let them explore at their own pace.  Learning and discovery is not on any artificial timeline.  As children develop confidence, they build self esteem and a sense of awareness of what their bodies can do.

After swim time is over, see if the children can take the movements they explored in the water and translate them to land.  How can they float, sink, bob, dive and splash?  How can they jump, twirl and roll?  Does it feel different?  How?

Have fun dancing to the pool, in the pool , on and  land and with the children in your life!

Sincerely,
Stacey

The Nature of Movement

Watch an animal move.  Really watch.  Most of the time it is different then your percecption of how you think it moves.  Kind of like when you learned that a dog says 'bark" and a bird says "tweet."  I don't hear "bark" or "ruff" when I really listen to a dog. It's a sound I can't put into the english language.  Sometimes a dog bark sounds like pans crashing to the ground or a bag of potato chips being ripped open.  And sometimes a bird "tweet" sounds more like a squeeky chair.

My point is when you really listen, really watch, you learn something different then what you expect.

Watch a bird with children and say what you see. 

• How does the bird move?  How does it walk?  Does it put one foot in front of the other or does it jump around with both feet?  When it moves it's head does it move it slowly and scan or does the bird tilt it sideways very quick?  When it flies does it jump into the air and flap it's wings?  Does it take a running start?  When it flies does it flap constantly or does it soar tilting slightly?

Ask the children to do these movements.  Remember they are not acting like a birds but taking the movements they observed and putting them into their bodies!  Observation is a very important skill .

I took my daughter to see the movie Ocean.  Throughout the entire movie I kept thinking, "I didn't know dolphins moved like that", or "I didn't know fish could swim under a shark."  It was like a water dance and I was in awe.  It made me think about really watching my surroundings and seeing the true nature of movement and not my perception of movement.

Take the time to observe the animals around you with the children in your life and discover the movement essence of the world.  Then make a nature dance that is not like anything you might imagine because the true nature of movement can sometimes be even more spectacular!

Sincerely,
Stacey