When you and your students explore the letter A, some of these books can be springboards and inspiration for improvisations and dance projects.
A is for AROUND
I am always looking for books and stories with prepositions. Check out this picture book about plants and gardens - Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres and illustrator Nadine Bernard Westcott. It will inspire a fun warm up and get students thinking about relationships in space.
A is for ANIMALS
You can do an entire dance class with animal inspiration - shapes, actions, traveling patterns, levels, tempo, and much more. Books to investigate include:
- Animal Action ABC by Karen Pandell and Photographers Art Wolfe and Nancy Sheehan
- African Animal Alphabet by Beverly and Dereck Joubert
- African Animals ABC by Stella Blackstone and Philippa-Alys Browne
- The New Alphabet of Animals by Christopher Wormell
- Creature ABC by Andrew Zuckerman
- Zoo-ology by Joelle Jolivet
A is for AUTUMN LEAVES
Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins is a beautiful picture book with vibrant photos of leaves. You and your students can explore the shapes of the leaves in a warm up exercise. Add some of the classic "autumn music" as well - the jazz standard "Autumn Leaves" or the Autumn section from Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
A is for ARTISTS ALVIN AILEY AND ALICIA ALONSO
You can also share biographies about modern dancer Alvin Ailey and prima ballerina Alicia Alonso:
- Alvin Ailey by Andrea Pinkney and Brian Pinkney
- Alicia Alonso: Prima Ballerina by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand and illustrator Raúl Colón