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When we dance, our bodies have a conversation with the music. Just like any other conversation, listening is required, as is responding in a timely manner. Moving with the tempo is possible only if we are able to hear it in the first place. When working with children, therefore, the first thing to teach them is how to find the beat. Taking a few moments to slow things down and encourage deep listening helps. Once they find the beat, you can move on to moving the body in response.

Have the children lay on their backs with their eyes closed to begin. Make it an adventure by having scarves or mats for children to lie on to take a magic ride into the world of listening. It is much easier to listen when your eyes are closed, since seeing often overwhelms the other senses. Ask the children to listen closely and find the beat of the music and consider how the music makes them feel. Is it happy music, sad music, energetic music? There are many possibilities.

Next have then stand in place and clap along with the beat. Clapping is an easier way to follow along with the music. Once they have clapped for a few moments, have them try to clap and march. Elect one child as leader, and then have them take turns marching together.

Lastly, play the song another time and let them dance free form. Encourage them to use as many parts as possible while they move. Remind them that they are having a conversation with their entire bodies, with all the parts moving together. A dance often includes movements of the head, shoulders, arms, hips, legs and feet. If you have any percussion instruments, such as maracas or wood blocks, pass them out and let some children provide a background beat.

Learning to focus and listen to the musical tempo will definitely improve dancing skill, and will serve in other ways in the classroom, too. Sometimes slowing down and making it a priority is all it takes to see vast improvements in listening skills. Try it!

Warming up is such an important, yet overlooked part of dance and movement; the logical beginning of any dance or movement class.

Warming up our muscles means that we are taking care of the body, easing gradually into movement. Just like waking up in the morning, we don’t spring out of bed like we’ve been shot out of a cannon. We stretch and move slowly before we hit the ground running. Warming up helps prevent injuries, preparing the body for bigger movements.

Begin warming up gently, choosing either a top-down or bottom-up approach. If you choose the top-down approach, begin with the head, neck and shoulders, working your way down. The bottom-up approach works in reverse, beginning with the feet. Either way, there are a few key areas to keep in mind as you warm up:

Head and neck. Try tilting the head side-to-side, and rolling the head in circles. Follow by rolling the shoulders in circles, forward and in reverse.

Arms. Circle the arms, and “fly” them up and down.

Side body. Stretch gently from side to side.

Hips. Shake them, roll them, and get them going.

Knees and thighs. Ballet dancers do plies, gently bending and straightening the legs.

Calves and feet. Rise up and down on the balls of the feet to bring warmth to the calves. Point and flex the feet.

Spine. Curl down in a cat-like motion, beginning with bringing the chin to the chest, then letting the head go heavy. The body will curve down towards the floor. Roll back up in reverse, with the head coming back up last.

Warming up is just as important as waking up, and starting slowly will keep your body happy. It’s the natural choice for beginning any exercise, and the perfect way to get moving.

The human brain is a funny thing in its tendency to quickly reach boredom, Spend too long doing the same thing, or do the same thing too many times, too often, and suddenly there you are. Perhaps the subconscious desire for change serves an important purpose in driving us to continually try new things or different approaches in order to keep our lives dynamic and fresh.

This especially true than when working with children. Young brains haven’t had time to develop much in the way of patience, so focusing and repetition, while necessary, are also difficult. Sometimes they’ll get bored very quickly. Here are a few ideas to help liven things up:

Add something surprising. If you want to get their attention, try something strange, exciting, or gross. Try wheelbarrow races, jumping contests, or high-speed butt-shaking.

A little humor goes a long way. Laughter is powerful medicine, and it rules supreme with children. Have them do a silly walking contest, or better yet, the “underpants dance”, which can be their personal interpretation. The movements won’t matter at all, but the title is sure to get them going.

Use a new technique. If you always begin standing, then start the dance on the floor instead. If you usually teach particular choreography, then play music and let them dance freeform. For an added plus, make it into a game of “freeze dance”, where children freeze in position whenever you randomly turn off the music.

Try a change of scenery. A change of environment can break up routine quickly. Try moving outside in the grass, or in a different room, or with the lights off (Pass out flashlights ahead of time if you have them).

Change your music often. Even teachers need inspiration, and new music always spices things up.

“Bored” is a five-letter word. But with a few simple techniques, you can eliminate it from their vocabulary permanently. We all need fresh ideas, challenges and stimulation. It only requires a few minutes of planning ahead. The results are worth it!

Out on the west coast, signs of spring are beginning to emerge: rolling hillsides are covered with brilliant emerald grasses, and flowering cherry and plum trees are beginning to bud. We have rounded the corner of the darkest time of year, and the new blooms are so welcome that people are walking with a spring in their step and a song in their hearts; this is what joy looks like when it is expressed in the body.

We have sayings about this feeling, such as “jump for joy.” Joy does make us feel lighter, like floating. It is such a natural part of being human, such a wonderful part that we all enjoy. Why not celebrate that feeling with movement?

Begin with playing music that inspires the feeling of joy, such as Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Next, try exploring the basic components of joyful movement. Imagining that your heart is full, try moving across the floor, walking or running, feeling as light and free as possible. To stay light on your feet requires stepping more gently, and slightly on tiptoe. Skipping is another joyful movement, as is any sort of jump. As you skip, encourage students to use their full range of movement, incorporating the arms and upper body. How many different ways can you skip? High, low, fast, slow, turning… there are lots of options. The same holds true with jumping, although there are even more variables to play with. For instance, try jumping with your legs together, split apart, straight, bent, or any other combination.

Once you have explored all of the components of joyful movement, have your students put the pieces together into their personal version of the dance. After letting everyone dance simultaneously, try one last variation by having the students form a large circle and have each student take a turn in the center. Those in the circle can continue dancing in place if they wish, taking care to give the person in the center and the other members of the circle enough room to move.

Spring may not be in the air quite yet, but we can rest assured it is right around the corner. In the meantime, we can carry the associated feelings of hope and joy in our hearts and keep our eyes open for the first signs of new life.

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For more articles and other resources about dance and movement for kids, visit www.griercooper.com and www.becomearealballerina.com.

It was a bright and sunny day this morning, even though this was exactly the opposite of the weather forecast. Blue skies and sunshine bring on good feelings, and the urge to get outside… and move. Watching the movement of the clouds overhead gives us something to think about when we move. Clouds don’t look or move just one way; they can be light, wispy and slow-moving, or dark, dense and swift. These are qualities to explore with your dance.

For instance, we’ll begin with the light, wispy ones. What do light and wispy movements look like, and what can we do to create lightness in a dance? We can rise on the balls of our feet in a releve, or jump, leap and skip. What are some other ways to be light and wispy?

Next, try the contrast, the dark, dense, swift ones. Quick, heavy movements include sweeping across the floor, taking large strides with bent knees, or one could roll along the ground. What are some other ways to put this feeling into play?

Nature is both our support system, and our backdrop. We interact with it all the time, either consciously or unconsciously. Clouds are both a constant source of wonder and entertainment. It’s a pleasure to imagine we are a cloud; even if just for a few minutes.

Every one of us has a rhythm that we carry inside, our heartbeat. Our innate sense of rhythm started before we were even born, with the rhythm of our mother’s heartbeat. Finding our heartbeat and using it as a basis for movement can be enlightening and amusing, and for many children, it might be the first time they have heard it. Explain how the heart works, contracting over and over to circulate blood throughout the body to keep our cells (and ourselves) alive.

It isn’t always so easy to hear our heartbeat, but it is easy to feel it. Begin by having the children sit quietly with their eyes closed, have them take two fingers and place them on pulse points on the inside of the wrists and the side of the neck. Once they have located their pulse, have them use this rhythm to begin moving, just an easy walk around the room. Each child will move at a different pace, since no two heartbeats are exactly the same.
From there, it’s time for a little experimentation. Play some music that has a faster tempo, and have them check their pulse again after the song has ended. What happened? How is has their heartbeat changed? Vary the tempo of the music and check again to see what happens with the heartbeat.

The human body is full of surprises, and finding one’s own pulse is awe-inspiring for young children. They will never forget the power of getting in touch with their pulse and inner rhythm for the first time.

This week we have something fun for everyone. It’s a blog chain, and you’re invited to visit all the links in this chain of fun and informative blogs from other children’s writers. Of course, you don’t HAVE to visit every link in the chain, but each link will have something special so you won’t want to miss a thing!

Here are the links in the chain, along with a short description of what you’ll find at each site:

Suzanne Lieurance
Children’s Author, Freelance Writer, the Working Writer’s Coach
http://www.suzannelieurance.com

Suzanne Lieurance is the author of over a dozen published books for children. Find out what she’s up to every day by visiting her author site. You’ll find information about all her books, upcoming writer’s conferences and other events where you’ll find Suzanne, as well as tips for both aspiring and established children’s book authors. Suzanne hosts Book Bites for Kids, a talk show about children’s books, every weekday afternoon on blogtalkradio. Find out who her guests will be each day by reading her blog. Sign up for her mailing list at the site and receive a FREE ebook.

Grier Cooper
Children’s writer, photographer, Dancer
www.griercooper.com

At griercooper.com, you’ll find reviews, tips, and articles about dance and movement for children.

Terri Forehand
Children’s Writer, Nurse, Freelance Writer
terri-forehand.blogspot.com

Terri is a freelance writer drawing on her experience as a pediatric critical care nurse and former elementary school nurse and high school teacher. She writes health and nursing educational material but her passion is in creating fiction and nonfiction for children. She is currently working on a series of easy readers focusing on teaching first aid to elementary students.

Nancy I. Sanders
Bestselling and Award-winning children’s author of over 80 books
www.nancyisanders.wordpress.com

Nancy I. Sanders loves to write for children, and she loves to help other children’s writers on their path to success. Much of the material she posts on her blog is based on her ground-breaking book, Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Children’s Books, Get Them Published, and Build a Successful Writing Career, Award-winning Finalist of the National Best Books 2009 Awards. Nancy writes a column for children’s writers for the Writer’s online magazine, the Institute of Children’s Literature e-News, and the Christian Communicator. She is on faculty at the National Writing for Children Center.

Mayra Calvani
Children’s Author, Reviewer
www.mayrassecretbookcase.blogspot.com

Mayra’s Secret Bookcase features book reviews, author and publishing professional interviews, and articles on writing.

Karen  Cioffi
Author, Freelance Writer, Reviewer
karenandrobyn.blogspot.com

Stop by this site where you’ll find frequently updated writing and marketing tips and resources, and reviews. Sign up for the free monthly newsletter and get a FREE ebook.

3 Comments on Travel Along This Week’s Blog Chain!, last added: 2/4/2010