Children inherently love to play and be creative. Young kids love to dance freely to music. However, I have seen many dancers with years of training behind them who can pick up choreography quickly, yet have a hard time improvising. Why is that? Perhaps sometimes as teachers we focus so much on telling our students what to do that we forget to teach them (or allow them) to have their own voice in their movement. It is so important that we give young dancers the opportunity to improvise, move freely, and use their imaginations in dance class. This helps them to become better improvisers, problem solvers, and communicators. As artists, we should never lose our ability to play. Whether you teach modern dance, creative dance, or ballet, I think you will find this list helpful. I have compiled a list of 10 artists who have created albums that will help you help your young students improvise and be creative! Some of their songs would be great for modern combinations or ballet exercises at the barre, across the floor, or in center as well. Check them out below: 1. Andrew Holdsworth Andrew Holdsworth's music really is perfect for preschool dance classes. Most of the songs create a scene such as "At the Zoo" or "Outer Space". Some of the tracks, like the one above, help guide the dancers through playing simple improv games that teach musicality. You can find all three volumes of the Adventures in Pre-School Dance series here at preschooldance.com. 2. John Maxim I appreciate John Maxim's use of different instruments in his albums to creative different types of energy in his music. There is a mix of keyboard, percussion, horns, etc which makes this album unique from many others of its type that only use piano. Stepping into Creative Movement and Dance Stepping into Creative Movement and Dance No.2 3. Panda Panda! You can get the Black and White EP and the Cherry Blossoms album by Panda Panda! for free on Noistrade! I seriously love these albums and have used them many times for guided improvisation. AND THEY ARE FREE. Go download them and give this artist some love. 4. Rob Thaller Rob Thaller has many compositions for ballet, but I especially love these two albums for creative work and improvisation. Music for the Young Ballet Class even includes includes accompaniment for improv games. Recital Music for Ballet and Creative Dance Music for the Young Ballet Class 5. Richard Maddock Kids will especially like the "Dance-A-Story" tracks on Richard Maddock's albums as they are so fun and will easily inspire young imaginations! Music for Movement and Imaginations Music for Movement and Imaginations Volume 2 6. Craig Wingrove Craig Wingrove has a very large collection of compositions for ballet, but these albums are my favorite for young children's improvisation. The song that I featured above will help children explore the concept of tempo. Musical Gems XVI Creative Movement for Pre - Ballet Class Musical Gems III for Ballet Class 7. Erik Geddes Erik Geddis has another very fun album of piano accompaniment for creative dance with different inspirations for each song. One favorite of mine is the "Maple Leaf Freeze Dance" at the end of his album because we all know that children love freeze dance! Music for Creative Dance I 8. Man in a Shed Man in a Shed offers a very unique take on creative dance music that is great for dancers both young and old. I like that he often begins with organic sounds and then builds upon them in his compositions. Music for Choreography & Creative Work Music for Choreography & Creative Work, Vol. 2 9. Chris Cawthray Perhaps I love this album so much because it reminds me of my college days where I was able to dance with live percussionists in my modern technique classes. If you are look for percussion accompaniment, this is a great choice! Move - Music for Creative Movement + Modern Dance 10. Jon Scoville I may have saved the best for last! Jon Scoville is Faculty Emeritus in the school of dance at the University of Utah. He taught and accompanied many of my classes and I have learned so much about music and dance from him. Here is a short clip that was used as a performance promo featuring one of his compositions. Jon has composed MANY albums for dance and you can buy them online at http://www.albertsbicycle.com/.
What music do you use for children's creative dance and improvisation? Please share your favorites with us in the comments below!
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