Elementary Dance Education: Nature-Themed Creative Movement and Collaborative Learning
by Janice Pomer
Review by Dr. Lisa Sandlos
Google “eco-somatic”—a term that has emerged in recent years to describe the process of learning about our bodies, not just in relationship to nature, but as part of nature—and you will find an almost endless array of writing and resources locating eco-somatic practice within education, environmental stewardship, science, the arts, and activism. Amongst these riches is a gem that gleams particularly brightly for K-6 teachers: Janice Pomer’s Elementary Dance Education: Nature-Themed Creative Movement and Collaborative Learning which was released by Human Kinetics in e-book and print formats in November 2022.
With nearly five decades of dedicated experience working as an artist who explores nature through choreography and performance and as a movement/dance educator in public schools all over Ontario and beyond, one would be hard-pressed to find anyone better situated than Pomer to guide and inspire teachers in bringing both body-based and ecological learning activities into their classrooms.
Elementary Dance Education is brimming with over 70 step-by-step lessons that encourage teachers to combine ecology and body-based movement experiences so, on a practical level, it serves as a helpful guide. But this publication is so much more than a handbook. It is infused with Pomer’s philosophy about the importance of exploring the natural world with a sense of wonder and curiosity, especially during childhood.
By combining the artistic creative process and the scientific process of Inquiry, the basic elements of dance, and an inclusive practice called “collaborative observation,” Pomer’s resource helps deepen children’s awareness and understanding of their place in a diverse world - a world that is always moving, changing, and growing, just like they are.
"The Sun"
In addition to the invaluable practical and philosophical aspects of the book, a notable feature of Elementary Dance Education is access to digital resource materials for classroom use. Through a unique link that accompanies the book, one is prompted to create an account at HKPropel that leads to 90 minutes of original music and sound art compositions created by Pomer’s long-time artistic collaborator, Barry Prophet. This selection includes soundscapes, percussion, and electro-acoustic music, all ideal for use as dynamic accompaniment for the movement activities Pomer has designed.
Furthermore, through the digital link, one can access videos corresponding to the themes of each chapter. The video collection shows a range of choreography and performances from various cultural dance traditions, movement that occurs in nature, and examples of the ways in which human beings interact with nature through movement.
Whether you are an experienced dance educator or just beginning to incorporate movement and dance into your classroom, Pomer’s supportive presence as a mentor to teachers radiates through the pages of this book. Lesson plans are interspersed with photos, discussion questions, and journal prompts. Indeed, the book gives teachers all the tools they need for planning nature-based creative movement activities and projects, all of which can easily be tailored or adapted to meet the needs of any elementary-level class.
Lisa Sandlos holds a PhD in Gender, Feminist and Women's Studies, an MA in Dance and is a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA). She is a long-time faculty member at York University in Toronto (School of Kinesiology, The School of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies, Faculty of Education, and Department of Dance) and a research associate at Brock University in St. Catherine’s, Ontario, Canada.
A keen interdisciplinary collaborator, Dr. Sandlos has worked on dozens of community projects with actors, musicians, puppeteers, and visual artists and she is co-founder with landscape architect Rennie Tang of a research/teaching group called Soma-City. Working through organizations such as the Ontario Arts Council’s Artists in Education program, the National Ballet of Canada’s Creating Dances, Global Water Dances, and the Toronto District School Board’s Drama/Dance Project, she has taught contemporary dance, somatics, and improvisation to all ages and levels for over three decades.
All photos provided by Janice Pomer