In the Dance Exploration program located in the Cantril School Building in Castle Rock, we believe in the power of integrating literature and movement to ignite the imaginations of young dancers. As Read Across America Week approaches, we are thrilled to share how we celebrate the joy of reading and dancing with Florrie Flamingo!
One of the highlights of our program is our incorporation of the delightful book, "Florrie Flamingo's ABC's of Dance," written by our very own Miss Jessica. Over the course of four weeks, we immerse our dancers in the world of ballet and dance vocabulary using poems and catch prhases, vibrant illustrations that captivate their minds and bodies and a fluffy pink flamingo!
"Florrie Flamingo's ABC's of Dance also allows our dancers the opportunity to learn about the dance concept of Action. Dancers are challenged to identify whether a movement in the story is locomotor (a traveling movement) or non-locomotor (stationary movement), fostering critical thinking skills while honing their dance technique.
After exploring our ballet and dance terminology indvidually through the book, we then combine multiple skills together. First traveling across the floor, we combine a locomotor movement with a stationary movement. Using fun props like flamingo feathers and balance domes, our classroom becomes a multi-sensory environment!
After practicing single movements, we then combine all of the movements we learned that week into an ABC's of Dance obstacle course! Dancers explore locomotor movements while traveling across our different shaped balance beams or hop scotching over a row of dots and cones. Additionally, non-locomotor movements are epxlored while dancing on domes, inside hula hoops or standing on a poly dot.
A highlight of each class is the Florrie Flamingo Freeze Dance game, where dancers showcase their newfound skills with Florrie Flamingo flashcards. Crafted by Miss Jessica herself, these flashcards are divided into locomotor and non-locomotor movements, adding an extra layer of excitement to the game. As the music plays, dancers joyfully dance to the locomotor movements strengthening their dynamic balance and coordination skills, and when the music stops, they freeze in place, practicing the non-locomotor movements improving their static balance.
As we celebrate Read Across America Week, we take pride in fostering a love for both reading and dancing in our students. Through "Florrie Flamingo's ABC's of Dance" and our engaging activities, we instill a passion for learning that transcends the studio walls. Join us at the Cantril School Building in Castle Rock as we dance, learn, and celebrate the magic of literature and movement this Read Across America Week and beyond.