… a place where the best dancing is the everyday stuff… on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays & a few days in between…
Entries Tagged as 'dancing'
A musical — with dance, of course
July 2nd, 2011 · 1 Comment · dance arts integration into academic subjects
My students were thrilled to do a musical! Speaking lines! Acting! Being characters — & fairy tale characters at that! Singing! Dancing! We were using the musical Character Matters, by Ron Fink & John Heath at the Bad Wolf Press. It’s a great resource: script, teacher’s guide, CD with songs & intrumental accompaniment. A fun [...]
Tags:choreography·dancing·intermediate·music·performance·primary·rehearsal·thinking skills
Children with autism: dancing together
January 18th, 2011 · 6 Comments · Autism, Uncategorized
They arrive every day, my students with autism, barefoot & ready. I don’t always have a great idea of how I’m helping them, but it’s no longer so daunting as it was at first! We’ve come a long way. Each of my 2 classes is a little older this year & more experienced with school. [...]
Whispers barely heard in the current cacophony on education
November 14th, 2010 · 4 Comments · Uncategorized
Yipes. I’ve had too much on my plate of late to blog. But this is still a place to capture & share thoughts for later.. Play is a central condition for learning. There are & have always been teachers who know that play is central to learning. When I have time, perhaps I’ll elaborate on [...]
Tags:African American·dancing·intermediate·lesson plans·management·primary·why dance matters
Summer reading — Margret Deitz: A Dancer’s Legacy
July 27th, 2010 · 6 Comments · Uncategorized
In 1972, Margret Dietz died, and my path veered. I wasn’t the only one pulled into new directions by her magnetism. This year, 38 years after her death, three of my fellow pathfinders from that time have published a book about Margret’s remarkable life and gifts — and influence. By gathering interviews, photographs, documents, & [...]
4 dancers: a blog for …you guessed it… dancers!
June 14th, 2010 · 1 Comment · Uncategorized
And today I’m honored to be the featured interviewee! Check out my interview for more questions than you ever thought to have about me! And while you’re there, take a look around. 4 dancers is a blog about so many aspects of dance — news from all around, glimpses of many styles, perspectives from teachers, [...]
Dancing – and constantly growing — with autism
March 31st, 2010 · 10 Comments · Autism, Uncategorized
OK, so today has been my days for multiple appointments: doctors, dentist, Apple one-to-one, exercise, lecture. And in between, in the fractional hours when it’s easier to stop at a cafe than to drive home, I’ve been collecting my thoughts… Next week I’ll start my 7th month of teaching dance to 16 students with autism, [...]
Lesson plan: Let’s do an improvisation!
January 2nd, 2010 · 1 Comment · Lesson Plans
Context: In my years of teaching classroom teachers how to use movement in the classroom, I’ve always cautioned, “Never put on music & just tell the kids to dance!” That would be wild-party-time not dance education, and the resulting chaos would likely discourage anyone from inviting dance into the classroom. This year, however, I’ve been [...]
Tags:dancing·improvisation·lesson plans·music·teaching·thinking
Domingo en Merida
March 25th, 2009 · 1 Comment · Uncategorized
Look for me in Merida in the Yucatan on Sunday. Frommers says, “Each Sunday there’s a fair called Merida en Domingo. The main plaza and a section of Calle 60 from El Centro to Parque Santa Lucia close to traffic. Parents come with their children to stroll around and take in the scene. At 11am [...]