Overview

Magic hand

Educator or a student, uses their hands to direct the group’s movement.

Mirroring

Two students face each other and mirror what the leader is doing. This is best done with slow music and encouraging the children to use sustained movements.

Name Dance

Each person creates an action to represent their name. They then teach their action to a partner while saying their name and learn their partner’s name and action. The pair puts the two names together and present them as a name dance to the group.

Recipe Dance

Children bodystorm ways to interpret each type of movement and volunteers share with the group to build a repertoire of options for each. Model putting together several types of movements to create a dance (e.g. lets put Ella’s step with Supreet’s turn to create the start of a dance).  Then partners or small groups can work together using 3-4 movements to create a dance to perform for the class. The dance could be recorded on video, or represented with still photos or drawings for a permanent record of the experience.

Some types of movement for the recipe might be:

  • Balance
  • Step
  • Shake
  • Turn
  • Roll
  • Big Shape
  • Jump
  • Little Shape
  • Freeze

Body Socks

Originally designed for students as a sensory tool. They are constructed out of very stretchy lycra fabric (like swimsuit fabric) sewn into large sacks with a slit in the back for entry and exit. Once inside, a child can see out through the fabric but only the outline of their body and face are visible to the audience. So much can be communicated through movement and posture while in these "socks". Many children enjoy the sensation of being inside the fabric since as they apply pressure, so does the fabric back to them. For kindergarten, the "socks" need to be made smaller so they are able to move comfortably while inside. They are a wonderful way to explore how to communicate feelings without facial expressions.

Body Sox Image