Photo courtesy of April Taylor of Dance with Me (SF Bay Area - https://www.facebook.com/dancewithmeACT/). Photo: Jenni Wright

Throughout the coming weeks, we will be sharing several posts related to parent/child dance classes. 

1. Favorite Props

Hula hoops, tulle fabric, juggling scarves, large pieces of silver mylar, polyspots, bean bags, tunnels, parachutes, pinwheels, drums, egg shakers, and ribbons/streamers

Blue painters tape can be used to make playful lines and shapes on the ground – for tightropes, pathways, and more.

The toy section at IKEA always has fun ideas and options.

2. Themes

Together/apart, tunnels, opposites, rain, trucks, colors, and animals

Ask your class participants for ideas too – what the kids are curious and excited about these days.

3. NDEO Early Childhood Dance Standards

This is an incredible resource to help hone in on this age group, vocabulary, and lesson planning.

http://www.ndeo.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=893257&module_id=55411

4. Dancing Words Blog

A blog with hundreds of book ideas for dance classes, including many for dance classes with very young children:

www.dancingwords.typepad.com

5. Book to Boogie Blog

Another great resource for working with young children and their parents/caregivers:

http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?s=book+to+boogie

6. Article: "Ten Tips On How to Engage with Parents in Parent-Child Classes"

This is a beautiful article by Jochelle Perena of the Luna Dance Institute:

http://dancersgroup.org/2016/07/ten-tips-how-to-engage-parents/

7. Books for Teaching Artists

• Body, Mind, and Spirit in ACTION: A Teacher's Guide to Creative Dance by Patricia Reedy 
• Creative Dance for All Ages by Anne Green Gilbert
• Wonderplay by Fretta Reitzes, Beth Teitelman, and Lois Alter Mark

8. Four Examples of Parent/Child Classes Around the Country

Mark Morris Dance Center (Brooklyn)

Bay Area Teaching Artist: April Taylor

Tanner Dance (Salt Lake City)

Luna Dance Institute (Berkeley)

——————–