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The workshops will be built around the book selected by students. An example: "Giraffes Can"t Dance" by Giles Andreae and illustrated by Guy Parker"“Reese (1999). It is a book generally recommend... Read more

The workshops will be built around the book selected by students. An example: "Giraffes Can"t Dance" by Giles Andreae and illustrated by Guy Parker"“Reese (1999). It is a book generally recommended for children ages 4 to 8, but has been successfully used with older children because the illustrations and the layout of the text are all about movement. The book is a simple story that serves as an excellent framework to: teach the children about dance forms in historical and cultural context; building vocabulary; to use the vocabulary of emotions and feelings to identify real life situations; and to research the animal characters and present findings in order to be guided in the creation and performance of basic choreography. They will be introduced to the music and fundamental movement patterns suggested in the book and share what they know of other dance forms. The second session will build choreography that tells the basic story, with the children assuming roles of the characters, applying movements that illustrate their roles in the story. And they will be directed to "put it all together". We apply the principles of CLOSE reading to the interpretation of text and use that approach and standards of dance pedagogy to teach across skill and grade levels.

Open space, auditorium, or gym floor. Please select narrative from the list below:Giraffes Can"t Dance by Giles AndreasWhere the Wild Things Are by Maurice SendakTh... Read more

Open space, auditorium, or gym floor.

Please select narrative from the list below:

Giraffes Can"t Dance by Giles Andreas
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Islandborn by Junot Diaz
The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson

The program can work with more than one class at a time. The number of artists will be determined by class size. The school must have adequate space available for dance. While the primary goal is f... Read more

The program can work with more than one class at a time. The number of artists will be determined by class size. The school must have adequate space available for dance. While the primary goal is for the participants to learn the basics of movement and to enjoy dancing, the program also represents a unique opportunity to expose children to diverse cultures, their music, movement and dance technique.