Archive for September, 2009

I was recently in Seattle, Washington where I was fondly reminded of myself as a little girl. My friend’s energetic 4 year old daughter, Symphony is quite a little dancer! She twirled out of her room and was in front of the mirror showing me all of her dance moves. She pointed her feet, she jumped up and down, but clearly her favorite was twirling around. She twirled so much at one point I was surprised she didn’t get dizzy! When I asked her mom where she takes dance classes, I was amazed to hear that she was not enrolled in a dance program yet. Symphony’s love for dance is inspired by a couple of sources, although her favorite is the cartoon, Angelina Ballerina, which is based on a book series by, Helen Craig and Katherine Holabird. The book series features an enthusiastic mouse, Angelina, and her tenacious pursuits of becoming a prima ballerina.

As a dancer, and a dance teacher it has been my experience that books about dance can be a positive way to spark a child’s interest in dance, and/or to encourage their desire to learn how to dance. Here are 3 books that I think are a perfect example of this:

•  Allen, Debbie. (September 2000). Dancing in the Wings. New York City: Penguin Group (USA.)
• Cooper, Elisha. (2001). Dance.New York City: Greenwillow (HarperCollins.)
• Benzwie, Teresa. (September 2002.) Alpabet Movers. Silver Spring: National Dance Education Organization.

I first learned of Dancing in the Wings when a friend of mine bought it for me as a gift. I LOVE this book, and immediately related to the main character, “Sassy” who is tall, like me. Sassy faces some challenges as a result of being the tallest dancer in her dance class.  She is taller than the boys, and therefore is not chosen for partner work. She is taller than all the girls, and does not quite blend in with them. With the support of family, Sassy learns to find confidence in herself and unapologetically auditions for a once in a lifetime opportunity, and gets her chance to “shine” onstage. I have read this book to my kindergarten students, as well as my students in middle school and found that both age groups are moved by this story. I think two of the main reasons are- it encourages children to go for their dreams irregardless of any obstacles, and this story also promotes self-acceptance, which can be difficult for many dancers to have. The fact is- sometimes after spending a lot of time in front of the mirror in dance class, and being surrounded by competitive behavior, dancers (especially young dancers) can become quite harsh and judgmental towards themselves.

Dance, by Elisha Cooper exhibits the reality into the disciplined life of a dancer, and the hard work required that enables a dancer to appear to effortlessly move with grace. Cooper begins with the dancers warming up their bodies for their rehearsal.  He then goes through the process of working with a choreographer, (the person who makes up the dance) and a musician. The dancers work together as a team to bring the choreographers’ vision of the dance to life. The book ends with the dancers on stage about to perform after all their work. I recommend this book for any young person who needs a dose of reality with regards to the dedication and focus that dance professionals possess.  

The final dance book that I think is inspiring for kids is, Alphabet Movers by Teresa Benzwie. This book works particularly well with pre-school aged, and kindergarten children, since children at this age are generally learning the alphabets. This book is very interactive. It takes children from “A” through “Z”, and they are able to make the shapes of each letter with their bodies. Being able to physically go through this process is crucial for children who are tactile learners. In addition to this, Benzwie also uses  action words for each letter, which gives children yet another opportunity to learn through movement. What I particularly like about this book is the fact that, you don’t necessarily have to be a “dancer” in order to enjoy it. Whether a child’s goal is to dance in the spotlight like Sassy from Dancing in the Wings, or to eat, sleep, and drink dance like the dancers in Cooper’s, Dance; I think it is important that Alphabet Movers allows children to celebrate movement just for the sake of movement. Whatever the goal, I’m confident these 3 books will be a source of inspiration. Happy reading young dancers!