Individual Exploration & Expression within Group
With Sonja and her drum as their guide, the children slither and slide; they crawl, jump, twirl, skip, hop, and fly through the air, and with each other.
“Listen…Can you hear the circular rhythm? How do you move in circles?” The drum plays and all the children move in circles, each in their own way: some children spin, roll, tumble and cartwheel; one child sits and makes circular movements with her shoulder while another rolls his eyes in circles; others skip, scamper, crawl and fly around the space making circles on the ground and in the air.
A fundamental part of every movement class is creating a group structure that leaves room for each child’s needs, interests and creative participation while maintaining the integrity of the whole group.
The drum resumes and they all explore, discover and create their own ways of moving as they respond to Sonja’s questions and suggestions. The drum stops, they freeze. “Who has a way of moving in circles that they would like to share?” Many hands shoot into the air. The children share and the whole group tries out their movement inventions. Everyone creates their own versions of their friends’ way of moving.
“Find one, two or a few partners and make a low to the ground movement together.” The children create together, share with the group, and then switch partners and explore some more.
“How could you make a circular movement with the whole group?!” Everyone in the group works together to create their group movement.
