A Calming Exercise For Children
Every now and then, sitting still and being quiet can get old. After all, human beings were not meant to be sedentary creatures, which means that being still at a desk for hours at a time is actually counterintuitive. With kids most especially, when it’s time for a break, it’s time for a break, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Happily, it often only takes a few minutes to move, stretch, reground and refocus. Here’s how:
Each of us is rooted to the ground by our feet. Deepening our roots can begin with a simple visualization: stand still, with the feet planted firmly on the floor, directly under the shoulders, hip width apart. Have the group close their eyes, and imagine that roots are growing from the bottoms of the feet, through the floor, through the ground, and through the earth, where they wrap around Earth’s molten core. Then, begin to feel the points of contact where the feet touch the floor, and imagine all four corners of the feet are stapled to the ground.
Once roots have been firmly visualized and established, the focus can be placed elsewhere. Breathing deeply can both be powerful yet calming to explore. Have the group breathe together, inhaling deeply, then exhaling deeply, for several cycles of breath. Next, guide them through simple movements that are coordinated with each inhale and exhale. For instance, on an inhale, both arms reach up to the sky, and on the exhale, fold the body forward and touch the floor, (or knees, ankles, or toes). Inhale and twist the body to the right, exhale and twist the body to the left, and so on. Think of it like “Simon Says” with a twist. If the group is really overly energetic, have them finish with “shaking it all out” moving and shaking the whole body, while imagining that they are releasing the extra energy out through their roots and down into the ground.
To finish, root the feet back into the floor firmly, close the eyes, and take three more deep breaths, humming during each exhale.
Tap-Dance Fever
January 29, 2010 by admin
Filed under must-haves
Title: Tap-Dance Fever
Author: Pat Brisson, Illustrator: Nancy Cote
Ages: 4-8
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press, 2005
ISBN: 978-1590782903
Annabelle Applegate has a one-track, tap-dancing mind, with feet that just won’t stop. Her exuberant tapping starts to cause problems at home, at school, and all around town. The townsfolk decide to put a stop to her dancing, but everything they try fails. However, Annabelle saves the day when her tap dancing mesmerizes a group of rattlesnakes, and the whole group becomes town celebrities, drawing audiences from all over. Tap-Dance Fever is a loveable, comic tale about the strength of desire and the power of dance.
Why We Dance
January 29, 2010 by admin
Filed under Dance Profiles
For as long as we have been upright creatures, human beings have been dancing. Dance is a form of expression that supersedes verbal language; it is possible to convey far more meaning in a sweeping gesture than a simple phrase. But why do we dance? What compels us?
Celebration. Every culture across the globe celebrates for many different reasons. Social events, such as birth and marriage are two of the most common causes for festivity. There are also dances to praise the merits of each season. In Africa, for instance, there are dances of praise for fertility, of both crops and offspring. Other dances may be more specific to a particular area, or tribe, such as dances to celebrate a recent victory. One could argue that dance rituals of death fall in this category. While dancers grieve over the loss of a loved one, they simultaneously celebrate the life of that person.
Communion. Most humans believe in a Higher Power, and with this belief comes the desire to communicate and receive blessings from that entity. Sacred dances have been practiced for centuries, and are still quite common in places such as India, Asia, Indonesia, Africa and the Middle East. Dancing for communion is intricately linked with prayer, as well.
Connection. Humans are social creatures, and dance has long been a way for people to find connection and community. The array of group dances over time is staggering, from the simple maypole dance of spring, to waltzing, contra dancing, square dancing, and the ubiquitous conga line. Never has the old adage “no man is an island” ever been more correct than on the dance floor.
In the end, the simplest reason of all may be that it feels good to move our bodies to music. It is one of the most natural forms of expression, and a common language we all share. Young children are the most accurate barometers of how innate dance is for humans. If they hear a beat, they move their feet. Or hips, or anything else they can think of. Dance is not only our heritage, but also our birthright.
A Dictionary of Dance
January 27, 2010 by admin
Filed under must-haves
Title: A Dictionary of Dance
Author: Liz Murray
Ages: 9-12
Publisher: Blue Apple Books, 2007
ISBN: 978-1593546137
Learning to dance means learning an entire new language, and this book covers the dance ABC’s, from arabesque to zones. Colorful, expressive line drawings add a dynamic, playful quality that makes learning fun.
The Human Alphabet with Pilobolus
January 26, 2010 by admin
Filed under must-haves
Title: The Human Alphabet
Author: Pilobolus, John Kane, photographer
Ages:4 -8
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 2005
ISBN: 978-1596430662
As a dance company, Pilobolus is cutting-edge and thrilling to behold. Part dance, part acrobatics, the performances often showcase groups of dancers working together to create sculptures and shapes with their bodies. The Human Alphabet is a celebration of this unique technique and will inspire any young dance enthusiast to learn their A,B,Cs with style. />
Dance as Expression
When we dance, we use our bodies to express feelings and ideas. Movement is a powerful alternative to speech, and can often say much more in a shorter amount of time. Helping children learn how to use their bodies as an expressive tool can give them an entirely new emotional outlet to deal with feelings, which at times are intense or overwhelming. It is important and healing to have positive ways to deal with feelings and to move that energy out of the body, instead of squelching or repressing it.
Naming a feeling is the first step. Help the children get in touch with what they are feeling by standing still in one place, closing their eyes and focusing on their bodies. Ask the following questions to help them get in touch with their emotions. Do they feel heavy or light, hot or cold, hard, or soft? What is their face saying right now? Are they smiling or frowning?
There will probably be a range of answers, and of course, the ubiquitous, “I don’t know”. Use whatever clear answer comes first and work from there. As an example, suppose the answer is “Mad. My friend said something that I didn’t like.”
As a teacher, any feeling that arises is something to work with. Put on music and let them create a dance about how they are feeling. The response can be, “Great. That sounds like a very clear feeling. You are mad. How can you show that with your body? Can you show that feeling with movements instead of words? What does your body want to do when it is mad?”
We all need healthy ways to deal with intense emotions, and dance is a potent alternative to hitting a pillow or yelling from the peak of the nearest hillside. Humans are emotional creatures, which is both our greatest blessing and our largest challenge. Having the proper tools to ride those powerful currents can help make the ride a whole lot more fun.
Trance Dance To Beat Winter Blues
This past summer there was a stretch of time when the sun did not make an appearance for thirteen out of sixteen days. It felt like the sun might never return. Things began to get a bit squirrely when cabin fever began to set in. Something had to be done. The Facebook entry for the day read, ”I am all about frantic trance dance in the living room in order to combat cabin fever”. Several friends gave it the thumbs up, and the ensuing daily trance dance in the living room truly became a key element in the preservation of sanity. Plus, it felt good. Real good. It was a successful experiment, because, let’s face it, we humans have hundreds of joints in our bodies for a reason: namely, to move. Even more importantly, the old adage “move it or lose it” applies directly to us moving our bodies, often, and every day. When we don’t, we feel it. Maybe not right away, but over time heaviness, fatigue, lethargy, and inertia build until they simply can no longer be ignored.
At this moment we find ourselves in the dead of winter. While a great many creatures are busy sleeping it off, for the rest of us there is an overwhelming feeling of wanting to either stay in bed for as long as possible, or just get the heck out of dodge to someplace far, far away where the sun is shining. Since neither is possible right this second it’s obviously time for the Daily Dose of Dance.
Thus is born The Living Room Challenge, a no-holds-barred, simple-to-do exercise, where there are no excuses and no rules…except one: for thirty minutes, each and every day, crank the music (whatever makes you want to move your butt), and move your butt. Be forewarned, it’s contagious. Kids, dogs, and husbands might just jump into the game, too.
How about you? Are you up for the Challenge?
