Yellow Time by Lauren Stringer is a picture book with numerous possibilities within a dance class for preschool, kindergarten, and first grade classes. Check out this book if you are interested in exploring: colors, the season of fall, props, or turning a story into a group dance.
Colors
Yellow! The book is about a tree turning a beautiful yellow. My research has yet to find a book just on the color yellow, so this is a great opportunity to explore this primary color.
To see other books about colors and rainbows, click here.
The Season of Fall
"Fall/autumn" is always a rich theme for dance classes - to explore change and transformation, the actions of falling and floating, and props to represent leaves and various colors.
To see other books about the seasons, click here.
Props
The story of Yellow Time inspires me to give each student some yellow fabric (or scarves) to create some dancing leaves. Students LOVE props and the simple joy of something in their hand to toss, sway, circle, and zigzag. Head to your local fabric store to purchase a few yards of fabric. You can purchase tulle for everyone, or select a variety of fabrics in varying shades of yellow.
A Story into a Dance
Lauren Stringer's story easily leads to a full dance with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The students can be the crows in the trees. They can fly in and then be still (as dance students practice shapes and stillness). The crows can "hide" yellow pieces of fabric behind their backs, and then the leaves begin to dance. Use a music selection from Vivaldi's Four Seasons......
Crows love yellow time.
They fill still-leafy trees with their voices announcing it's coming to everyone.
Just before yellow time, the air smells different. Like wet mud and dry grass with a sprinkle of sugar.
Yellow time comes before white time. Every time.
Everyone is ready. The trees can't hold on forever.
The sky billows gray with clouds, and then it begins.....Whoosh! Whoosh! WHOOSH!
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Lauren Stringer has also illustrated other books mentioned on this blog:
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