front cover of The Body Can Speak
The Body Can Speak
Essays on Creative Movement Education with Emphasis on Dance and Drama
Edited by Annelise Mertz. Foreword by Joseph Roach
Southern Illinois University Press, 2002

Movement is our first language, our universal language. Expression of body movement is the very basis of life as the nineteen contributors to The Body Can Speak: Essays on Creative Movement Education with Emphasis on Dance and Drama attest. Students use their bodies as an instrument of expression, and movement as medium; this means investigating space, energy, time, and motion in order to gain insight into these basic principles. At the same time they gain essential awareness of the self. Such work stimulates the senses and intellect, and develops a tangible new vision to satisfy the human need for aesthetic and artistic expression.

As editor of this collection, accomplished dancer and artistic director Annelise Mertz provides both an aesthetic appreciation for creative movement education as well as practical pedagogy for incorporating dance and drama into contemporary curriculum. Mertz has assembled here a definitive body of work from fellow artists and former students that speaks to the need to actively promote art as part of education.

The book gives voice to accomplished teachers, actors, dancers, directors, authors, and choreographers who share their experiences while they address creative movement education from preschool through college. Forty-eight photographs add an illuminating visual dimension to this wealth of stimulating ideas. The Body Can Speak provides a balanced and varied mosaic, with each essay offering evidence that creative movement education is vital for human development.

Contributors include Becky Engler-Hicks, Ruth Grauert, Anna Halprin, Joanna G. Harris, Margaret N. H’Doubler, Michael Hoeye, Murray Louis, Annelise Mertz, Jaime Nisenbaum, Carol North, Jeff Rehg, Shirley Ririe, G. Hoffman Soto, Emma D. Sheehy, Harold Taylor, Branislav Tomich, Dorothy M. Vislocky, and Joan J. Woodbury.

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Move, Play, Learn
Interactive Storytimes With Music, Movement, And More
Alyssa Jewell
American Library Association, 2020

Foreword by Jamie Campbell Naidoo

Get ready to break out of your storytime routine by encouraging children’s natural instincts to move, sing, and play! Unlike traditional storytimes, where children are expected to sit quietly and just watch, music and movement storytimes encourage children to learn by getting inside stories while interacting with others. Research shows that this kind of play stimulates the senses, provides connections to all four lobes of the brain, touches on a variety of intelligences, and heightens social and emotional awareness—all while extending the early literacy practices of Every Child Ready to Read® and preparing children for school. And because there are no crafts to cut out, no snacks to pack, no scripts to memorize, and no story kits to make, it’s one of the simplest, most cost-effective storytime models to implement. Jewell’s complete guide shows the way, offering

  • 20 ready-to-use storytime plans tailored to specific age groups, including babies, toddlers, preschool and all-ages programs, a real time-saver for storytime organizers and presenters;
  • advice and best practices gleaned from interviews with professionals who specialize in storytimes, music making with children and families, yoga storytime, and drama education; and
  • lists of recommended resources, from interactive print books to children’s music and videos available digitally, with tips on choosing the best materials.
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