Read A Good Book About Dance
Back to school means back to books for students. The same can be true of dance students in the month of September. Dancers and their parents often overlook the value of reading about dance as a resource. You can recommend and encourage reading this month by holding contests, reading in class, decorating with books about dance, and providing families with suggestions for good books about dance and dancers. With a little effort and some organization, you can promote reading as a way to expand your student's knowledge and appreciation of dance.
National Read-A-New Book Month: September is the time to devote the entire month to reading a new book. New can mean hot off the press or a title you've never read before. Make a poster or a hand-out suggesting that your students read a new book this month about dancing. The end of this article lists books by age groups to help you with ideas.
Make Books In Class: Provide students with the materials to make a simple book in class. Multi-colored copier paper stapled together with a construction paper binder will suffice and keep the budget happy. Keep the books in the studio for the month and provide a few minutes at the end of each class for children to draw or write about their dancing. Older students can make notes about new choreography. At the end of the month send home a classic treasure about their first month of dancing classes!
National Library Card Sign-Up Month: Pay the library a visit and explain that you are encouraging your students to read about dance in the month of September. Ask if you can have library card sign-up forms for your students and give them out in classes. Be sure the library address is listed and attach the age appropriate reading list suggested below. Don't forget to leave a poster in the library about your classes!
Reading Contest: Offer prizes for reading dance books in September. Provide students with a Reading Log form they can use to record the dance books they read during the contest month. Give small, inexpensive prizes for the most books read. Post an announcement telling how many books the studio read cumulatively.
National Literacy Day is September 8: The International Reading Association recognizes this day to encourage reading all over the world. Their website offers an amazing list of idea starters for this day and the month. Projects include a read-a-thon to raise money for the local literacy program, read aloud programs, author readings, and ideas for partnering with book stores and local media to promote literacy. A photo in the newspaper of older students reading to younger students in your studio promotes good books and tells the community that your business supports literacy. Visit www.reading.org.
Bring A Book To Class Week: Invite students to bring a favorite book to dance class. At the start of class, have students hold up their book and give the title. Arrange the books on the floor at the front of the studio for everyone to see during class. At the end of class, children retrieve their books one at a time by dancing up to the book and dancing back to their spot. Teachers can make suggestions like, "Ashley, skip to your book and then skip back to your place." (Note: distribute a helpful reminder the week before this activity so parents will have the books in class and bring a supply of dance books to class for forgetful students to borrow for the activity.)
Publisher Connection: The publishers who produce dance books and videos are dedicated and great to work with. Perhaps you've always wanted to publish a book about your dance experiences or are looking for a particular type of technique book or DVD. These are the publishers to know.
Dance Horizons
Princeton Book Company
614 Route 130
Hightstown, NY 08520
1-800-220-7149
www.dancehorizons.com
Human Kinetics
1607 North Market Street
P.O. Box 5076
Champaign, IL 61825-5076
(217) 351-5076
www.humankinetics.com
Suggested Reading List: Below is a list of books currently available and suitable for different age groups. Add suggestions from your personal collection.
Pre-School to age 8
Becoming A Ballerina, Susan Jaffe and Nancy Ellison, Universe Books, 2003.
My Ballet Bag, Ellisa Held, Little Simon Publishers, 2002.
Ballerina Flying, Alexa Brandenberg, Harper Collins Publishers, 2002.
Angelina Ballerina, Katherine Holabird and Helen Craig, Viking Juvenile Press, 2006.
Song and Dance Man, Karen Ackerman, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2003.
Ages 9-12
The Ballet Book: The Young Performer's Guide To Classical Dance, Deborah Bowes and Lydia Pawelak, Firefly Books Ltd, 1999.
The Phoenix Dance, Dia Calhoun, Farrar, Straus, Giroux Publishers, 2005.
Clair-de-Lune, Cassandra Golds, Alfred A. Knopf Publishing, 2006.
Put Your Best Foot Forward: A Young Dancer's Guide to Life, Suki Shorer, Workman Publishing Company, 2005.
Ellie's Chance To Dance, Royal Ballet School Diaries, Alexandra Moss, Grosset and Dunlap, 2005.
Ages 13-up
The Ballet Companion: A Dancer's Guide to the Technique, Traditions, and Joys of Ballet, Eliza Gaynor Minden, Fireside, 2005.
Basic Principles of Classical Ballet, Agrippina Vaganova, Dover Books, 1969.
Dance In Poetry, Alkis Raftis, Editor, Dance Horizons, 2006.
Dancer's Foot Book, Dr. Terry L. Spilken, Dance Horizons.
Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life, Donna McKechnie, Simon and Schuster, 2006.
Joy Held is the author of Writer Wellness, A Writer's Path to Health and Creativity, New Leaf Books, 2003. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher-500 and teaches dance and yoga for several universities and her family owned studio. Share your great moves for studio success at yogajoy@charter.net.