“Good Morning Dancers!”

Good Morning Dancers! IS, as its subtitle suggests, a practical guide to teaching elementary Dance Arts. This book covers all aspects of the skills and knowledge dance educators need to successfully provide rich and inspiring dance lessons in elementary school settings, and beyond. It covers the six elements of dance: Body, Space, Time, Energy, Relationship, and Purpose, including detailed lesson examples for younger, middle, and upper elementary students. It includes numerous additional lessons about using sources of inspiration, choreographic tools and devices, and integrating dance with other content areas and art forms, that dance teacher can use in their classrooms tomorrow!

You will find specifics such as sample curricula by elementary grade level, good stories and poetic forms to use, dozens of world daces, and descriptions of child development including recommended focus concepts for each of the eight grade levels from Pre-Kindergarden through sixth grade. Plus, a broad organization framework similar to both the National, and California Arts Standards for Dance.

The art of dance, being so vast and inclusive of countless sources and manifestations, is appropriately referred to as a plural - Dance Arts. Technique, composition, performance, observation, pedagogy, dance styles or genres, assessment, historical and cultural consideration, and creating a teaching environment are all arts in and of themselves, which join together under this enormous umbrella.

Dance educators can use this guide as a springboard for the enhancement their own ongoing development as choreographers, lesson creators, innovators, and inspirational experts in Dance Arts.