Logo

Here's a logo I am trying out...

What do you think? 

So You Think You Can Dance!

So last night I went to the So You Think You Can Dance tour in Long Island. What a show! I saw so much dance for $60 and I had really great seats! I was highly anticipating the show, but I had no idea what to expect.  They showed clips from the show, and how could you forget some of the bad auditions from Season 5!  The only part of the show that felt a bit awkward was in between each dance, the dancers introduced the dancers and choreographers and set the plot.  I wish they either wouldn't of done that or had a host to do that.  It just seemed so scripted and I think in such an amazing dancing show, the in between parts should be more casual.  (just my opinion) 

I know SOME people think this show is not about dance as an art form.  But I think that these dancers are exposing people to dance that wouldn't normally watch or enjoy dance.  I like that they have choreographers that are well known and create "art" for the tv screen.  On the other hand, there is nothing like seeing dance live. Dances that didn't move me on the screen, moved me last night, even though the arena made it feel more like a concert than a performance. 

Now if only they can get dance companies/groups to appear on the show instead of popular singers.  (the same goes for Dancing with the Stars) I think this would enhance the show even more!

What are your thoughts on the show? 

In the meantime movecreateeducate....

Books for the movement room...

I have used many books in my classes of all different ages but I have a few favorites that I pull out of my tool box every year!   Here are some of my favorites.  

The Squiggle is a great book to encourage the students to use their imaginations. I pass out either scarves or ribbon and we become fireworks, a scaly dragon, and a ripple in a pond.  

Like a Windy Day takes us on an adventure- tumble and twirl, glide and soar! Great pictures and fun!

Gallop is a fantastic book.  When you turn the page the animals move to demonstrate how they move.  Each page asks a question... can you swim like a turtle? 

Do you have any favorite books that you like to use in your classrooms? I would love to hear!

In the meantime movecreateeducate...

Update...

I found out today that the little girl that has been crying in my monday creative movement class withdrew from the class today... I'm so disappointed because I was looking forward to solving the puzzle and in time watching her enjoy the class. 

Just as I was asking about calling the mom to speak with her to see if she could see that the little girl got their early next week, she withdrew. 

Bummer...

Let's Discuss...Crying

In hopes to get a few more comments on my blog, I am introducing a new post called "Let's Discuss." Each week I will ask a question in hopes of getting some opinions and ideas to share with each other. 

Today's Discussion: Crying

I have this one little girl in my class at Mark Morris that will cry through the entire class. The first class she didn't even come in.  She waited outside of the door with her babysitter and watched through the window.  The second class, I had the chance to speak with her before class and gave her the line-up of the activities we would be doing that day.  She seemed very happy to hear we would be traveling under the sea and dancing with multi-colored fabric. She eagerly came in and did SOME of the class- but cried through maybe half or a little less than half. I encouraged her to push through it and made sure she could see her babysitter in the window. She still cried but I thought it would be beneficial for her to see the entire class so she could experience what it was like.  

I thought for sure this week she would be alright and participate in a little more of the class. No luck, she came in and didn't have her dance clothes and was just sobbing.  I had already started class, but the babysitter wanted to talk to me and see if it was alright with me if she sat in the corner in the back of the room. 1) I would never let one of the children's caregivers stay in the room because then I would have to let them all in (and we all know that would be a disaster) 2) It is against Mark Morris policy for the parents to watch until the parents day at the end of the semester. I told the little girl that her babysitter would stay outside and she could see her the whole time. The babysitter then took her out of the room (since I had a whole class of students that I had to attend to... we are talking 20 4 year olds). I could hear the littler girl crying for 45 minutes. 

Discussion: I don't know why (well maybe I do) but I feel that it should be my job to introduce the children to a positive and fun first experience to movement. Since I am the only teacher in the room, (+pianist, which she is no help) I feel torn on how to incorporate the "crier" into the class. I know if I had the time and just talked to her about the class and made her feel a bit more comfortable maybe she would be more willing to participate. But if she won't even step in the room without crying and without her babysitter, I am not sure what to do. 

Do any of you have any ideas on how I could incorporate this girl into the class without sucking up the entire time and letting the other students suffer? I want to hear about any of your experiences with students crying, or being afraid of the dance class.  Please share your ideas and thoughts... I need some help by next monday! I look forward to reading your suggestions, I will try them out next week and report back. 

In the meantime movecreateeducate...

Teaching Tap

These are my tap classes from yesterday.  They are beginners to tap, yesterday was their first class.  Ages 7-9 they are doing great! I am try to challenge them to keep all of the diverse learners happy! I have 4 boys and 7 girls in this class.  
I am teaching them a combination that they can bring back every week. I will add on to it every week as well.  I hope to have this combination for the parents day in December! 

More teaching in action to come...

In the meantime movecreateeducate...

Setting the Stage for the Bug Brigade

These are the pictures from the Ballet Among the Blooms Event at the New York Botanical Gardens.  Free for kids ages 2-12! Enjoy!

These are the Stumps- I had the kids sit on them, and stretch on them! We also used them as a maze!

The Bug Brigade: I had the kids give me all the bugs they could think of.  We then moved like all the bugs.  Ladybug was a popular one, other popular ones were butterflies, cockroach, ants, bees (buzzzz), and water bugs (ewww).  

This was the caterpillar that was on the side of the stump area.  I gave them all Toole (toole is what tutus are made out of) to hold and they became butterflies as they go under the caterpillar and come out the other side.  They took a curtsey or bow and of course everyone clapped!

I worked with a musician, he had a saxophone! If you are looking for someone, I will connect you, he was awesome!

I hope to get pictures of me teaching and the kids being the bugs... stay tuned for those! 

In the meantime movecreateeducate...