I know, that title makes me cringe too. But this week, my body betrayed me. I have been teaching elementary music for 15 years, and I have always been right in there with the kids, singing, dancing, jumping, hopping, skipping, whatever! Lately my classes have been really wiggly, so I've been starting class with 5 to 10 minutes of movement (especially on rainy days). Sometimes it's structured, "follow the leader" type stuff, and sometimes we just cut loose and DANCE! My newest dance song is the Kidz Bop version of "Party Rock Anthem". It's really fun! It's great watching 7-year-olds shuffle!
So there we were, dancing our hearts out in first grade. We finished the song and sat down to begin the lesson. Moments later, I stood up and...............ouch! My ankle hurt with every step. "No biggie," I thought. "I've had minor twists a million times. I'll just walk it off." Yeah, right. For the first time in my life, I sprained my ankle! No joke! I'm offically too old for hip-hop. Dang.
Showing posts with label dance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dance. Show all posts
Friday, February 3, 2012
Monday, September 26, 2011
HHM la segunda parte (Part 2)-- La Raspa
"La Raspa" is a traditional dance from Mexico, often taught to school children. (It is sometimes referred to as the Mexican Hat Dance, but this is incorrect. The Mexican Hat Dance is a more complicated, flirtatious dance performed by adult dancers.) I like to show the students a video of children dancing, to give them an idea of the final product we are aiming towards. They really enjoyed this one:
This is just a home video of someone's school program, but it shows the steps well, along with the traditional costumes and some pretty good little dancers.
We discuss the form of the piece (rondo), then learn the steps for each section. I list ABACA on the board, with steps for each, to help them remember. We partner up, and dance! Sometimes I have kinder and first dance in a circle instead of with partners - it depends on the class. :)
La Raspa is great exercise! Get extra PE minutes, learn Rondo form, and learn multicultural music all in one fun activity. It's a great way to start class for a few weeks. Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
This is just a home video of someone's school program, but it shows the steps well, along with the traditional costumes and some pretty good little dancers.
We discuss the form of the piece (rondo), then learn the steps for each section. I list ABACA on the board, with steps for each, to help them remember. We partner up, and dance! Sometimes I have kinder and first dance in a circle instead of with partners - it depends on the class. :)
La Raspa is great exercise! Get extra PE minutes, learn Rondo form, and learn multicultural music all in one fun activity. It's a great way to start class for a few weeks. Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
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