Christine Jackson - Moved to Dance

Moved to Dance: Elementary Picture Books

Reviews and Suggested Activities by Christine Jackson

Here are a few picture books that will make you and your students want to get up on their feet to dance!

How Do You Dance? By Thyra Heder

The dance lesson is built right into this picture book, with the story and illustrations guiding students to improvise and explore all of the elements of dance. It is about dancing everywhere, any time, using every body part in every way! The illustrations portray children dancing with joy and exuberance, except for one child who is reluctant to join them. This child rejects the invitation to “Just move a part, then move another. Let it get weird. See where it goes!” the child’s response to the pressure to dance with them is “ Enough. I don’t dance like that. I want to. be left alone”. The delightful surprise ending is that the child does love to dance, but only behind closed doors, alone.

Each page is an invitation to move. One double page spread calls upon readers to try some new moves. These include such moves as the “zappo”, “swivel”, “toodle”, “scribble”, “scoot”, “the nothing”, etc., offering rich opportunities for improvisation.

A key theme of this story is that we all dance differently, in our own way. There is one glaring omission however; the illustrator missed the opportunity to depict disabled bodies dancing. It will be important to augment this experience with picture books, stories and videos that are inclusive of disabled dancers.

Activity: Dance Improvisation

Interpret the dance moves on pages in as many different ways as possible.

Why We Dance- A Story of Hope and Healing

Written by Diedre Havrelock; Illustrated by Aly McNight

Author Diedre Havrelock, member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation and Illustrator Aly McNight, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe, tell the story of a family preparing to go to a pow wow, where the young girls will dance the Jingle Dance- a ceremonial dance of prayer and healing. The story beautifully depicts and describes the many distinct elements of the regalia and dance.

The rhythm of the dance is beautifully embedded in the text of the story, with variations of the recurring refrain:

“Bounce step, bounce step to the beat of the drum. Forward moving, dresses singing Tink- Tink -Tink-Tink. We dance for those who can’t”.

This book can be purchased from Good Minds who describe the book in this way:

“Lyrically and rhythmically written with lush, full-color illustrations, Why We Dance is a joyous celebration of a proud Indigenous tradition that inspires hope, resilience, and unity.”

Why We Dance – A Story of Hope and Healing is suggested as a read-loud to build knowledge and appreciation of the Jingle Dress Dance. This is a complete experience in itself.

Activity: Gratitude Dance

If you wish to invite the students to respond to this story, making connections to their own experiences and building their own dances, you might consider the following prompt:

Compose a Gratitude Dance:

Make a class list of things for which the students feel gratitude.
Individually, write a statement of what you are most grateful for. Share with a partner.
In partners,

create movements/gestures to accompany your statements of gratitude. Rehearse speaking and moving their lines of gratitude.

Extensions:

Share with another pair and combine the 4 phrases – speaking and movement- to create a new dance.
Share with the class in two ways: a) movement only and b) with words and movement combined.

Feel the Beat: Dance Poems that Zing from Salsa to Swing

Written by Marilyn Singer; Illustrated by Kristi Valiant

This collection of dance poems will have your students bopping in their seats to the unique rhythm and beat of each dance story. Students are introduced to a wide range of dance styles and traditions from around the world- Salsa, Merengue, Hip hop, Chacha, Foxtrot, Square dance, 2-step, Conga, Polka- through dynamic rhythm and rhyme patterns. Feel the Beat presents dance as a family and community experience, rich in culture and tradition. The unique sounds, steps, and movement qualities of the various dance forms are brought to life through the vivid illustrations and spirited language of each poem.

Activity: Dance Poem

Engage in a discussion of family or community dance styles and traditions experienced by your students. When and where and why are these dances experienced?
Individually or collaboratively, compose a poem about dance. Here is a sample template: Create Your Own Zing Dance. Create and share the dance described in your poem.

Christine has provided arts leadership in a variety of contexts, as a teacher and Arts Coordinator at the Toronto District School Board, Arts Education Officer at the Ministry of Education, and faculty member at OISE/UT, York University, and Brock University. As a Sessional Lecturer at OISE, Christine is currently teaching Intermediate/Senior Drama, P/J Drama and Dance, and Foundations of Teaching & Learning. She is a long-time member and former president of CODE, a Cultural Leader's Lab fellow, and is a board member of several arts organizations. Christine is the founder and managing editor of Provocations, 2020-2026.