Dancing Words Blog

Not That Tutu!

Not That Tutu!, by Michelle Sinclair Colman and illustrator Hiroe Nakata, is a great new book for little ones ages 1-5. It is actually in board book format.

The story has a common theme many little ones can relate to - wearing a tutu everywhere you go until it gets ragged and you must find something new and special to wear all of the time. The text and characters are playful as they say "not again" to Taylor, the main character, as she continues to wear her beloved tutu here and there. 

I suggest this book for reading at home as well as at a dance studio.

 

A Butterfly is Patient

If you are unfamiliar with the various books by Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long, I encourage you to check them out at your local library! Today I want to highlight A Butterfly is Patient.

This book is filled with Long's gorgeous artwork about butterflies. The text includes both large print sentences on each spread and then several sentences of more detailed text. Use the large print to inspire your dance:

A butterfly is patient.

A butterfly is creative.

A butterfly is helpful.

A butterfly is protective.

This book will be a great springboard for students in preschool-2nd grade. 

Dancing Towards Mother's Day

*This is a reposting of a blog post from 2011. 

As we head towards Sunday, May 12th, there are two great books to share about a child and mother dancing:

My Mama Had a Dancing Heart by Libba Moore Gray

Jonathan and His Mommy by Irene Smalls-Hector

 
 
My Mama Had a Dancing Heart is a sweet tale through the seasons of a girl dancing with her mother. The book is ideal to read in a preschool, kindergarten, or first grade classroom.

Jonathan and His Mommy is a picture book with a young boy dancing with his mother. They explore different ways of moving around town - big steps, zig zag walks, and more. After reading this book, you can easily translate this story into a dance. It is ideal for preschool and kindergarten age students.

   

The Secret Lives of Princesses

I just checked out this book again from the library, The Secret Lives of Princesses by Philippe Lechermeier, with gorgeous illustrations by Rebecca Dautremer. 

This is not your stereotypical "princess book." The book plays on words and "profiles" a handful of princesses through text and art - Princess Hot-Head, Princess Flip and Flop, and Princesses Ices. 

In an all girls' dance class of students in grades 3-5, you can create some whimsical, magical, and funny solo vignettes. This book will surely inspire students ready to tackle a solo project. Use the illustrations as inspiration for costuming choices as well. 

 

The Art of M.C. Escher

Yesterday I borrowed from the library a thick book with great color images of the art of M.C. Escher. The book is M.C. Escher: His Life and Complete Graphic Work by F.H. Bool et al. 

My middle school students still love using books and images as springboards for warm ups and projects. 

Escher's work is a great way to explore symmetry, connected shapes, patterns, and variation.

On amazon.com, you can find reasonably priced used copies of this book.

Think Big

Today's post is about a book with a simple but important mesage for young ones - thinking about and making art. The book explores multiple art forms, not just dance. The text is simple and in phrases...."Brainstorm...Blank Page....Scene set...Onstage...."

Think Big by Liz Garton Scanlon and Vanessa Brantley Newton is a great addition to preschool and kindergarten bookshelves. It pairs nice with the book To Be an Artist for students in first grade and up. 

Let's make the language of artmaking an integral part of preK and kindergarten classrooms!

 

Sora and the Cloud

I was happy to stumble upon this book as well today at the library! Sora and the Cloud by Felicia Hoshino is a beautiful book in English and Japanese. 

Sora is a little boy who dreams of being up in the clouds. The book is playful and imaginative in text and watercolor artwork. The story will easily lend itself to movement exploration of clouds, high and low levels, delicate movement, and more. 

Sora and the Cloud will be a fun exploration with students in preschool and kindergarten. 

Magic and Whimsy Series: The Falling Flowers

I stumbled upon this book at my school's library today, and the story inspired me! It is a book from 2005 entitled The Falling Flowers, by Jennifer B. Reed and Dick Cole.

In modern day Japan, a young girl and her grandmother are "heading somewhere." The grandmother doesn't give away where they are headed. They journey through the city, passing familar places. 

In the end, they end up in front of a grove of blooming cherry trees - a magical place of pink and falling pedals. The story says that in Japan the trees only look like this for about one week each year.

For the sophisticated dance teacher, you could create a dance of magic and whimsy with students in 2nd-5th grades. For the first part of the story, the text inspires me to create a "map dance" of the city and explore different pathways.

For the second part of the story, when the girl and her grandmother find the blossoming cherry trees, I see the students embodying the idea of "pink" and elegant, delicate trees and blossoms. You could get each student artificial cherry tree branches at a craft store, or give students long pieces of pink fabric. 

The story, and your dance, can capture a beautiful and special moment in time.

Exclamation Mark!

The librarian at my school shared this playful new book with me this week, Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld. She knows the kinds of books I like, that "lend themselves to movement."

The characters in the story are punctuation - periods, exclamation marks, and question marks.

It will be fun to embody and explore how each punctuation is different in quality, purpose, and size. Try this book out in 3rd-5th grade classes. Play with being the narrator for your class, or recording the text. For students ready to explore qualities of movement and size of movement, check out Exclamation Mark. 

To & Fro, Fast & Slow

I just pulled this book off the shelf again today. I am a fan of artist/author Durga Bernhard. Her 2001 book To & Fro Fast & Slow can be a great springboard for a wide variety of dance explorations with students in preschool-third grade.

A dance teacher might simply read the book and riff off of the text and pairings of words, such as: south and north, back and forth, over and under.

The story is actually a unique one, capturing a child who lives two lives - split between time with her father and time with her mother. That component of the story will resonate with many students. How do we explore different ideas, activities, and environments in our lives? 

I love using the word pairings in "opposites books" as springboards for movement, whether it is for improvisational activities, partner activities, or creating a dance with contrasting ideas.

The book can easily be purchased used on amazon.com. Check it out!