CREATIVE MOVEMENT FOR CHILDREN

"To be present in our body is a form of awareness, and it is the first step toward being kind to others and ourselves. In coming into our body we become connected to our greater home the earth; we become a part of the earth and she a part of us. We are received into her and she into us; we grow through and from her support and nourishment, and we express her qualities through our very being. She is our ground”. Linda Hartley, Author of Wisdom of the Body Moving.

Movement is a non-verbal medium that can be used to communicate thoughts and feelings that might otherwise be challenging to express through speaking. It is an immediate channel of expression. How we physically appear to be moving - or body language as it is commonly referred to -reflects how we feel toward others and ourselves. Children come to movement in an organic way: they move naturally and spontaneously. They are easily inspired and eager to explore their surroundings. Kinesthetic intelligence is inherent to the child but may become compromised as the child grows and becomes self-conscious. The goal of this program is to nurture and develop this innate intelligence so it may serve the child as he/she matures.

What is Creative Movement? 

Creative movement is an assortment of fun and challenging physical activities that allows the child to explore new and unusual ways of thinking and moving. There is an emphasis on story telling through movement (acting out a story without dialogue), problem solving through movement (e.g. With your partner, how can you get from this side of the room to the other with elbows touching/in a low shape/skipping?), movement interpretation of visual stimuli (photos, magazines, story books, etc.), and creative anatomy (physically illustrating the roles of the muscles, joints and bones, the movement of the blood to and from the heart, the movement of the breath through the lungs, etc.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In upstate New York she danced professionally with children in MOVITA - a contemporary dance company “dedicated to bridging the gap between youth and adults”. She also has experience leading workshops in creative movement, voice and dance in the elementary schools system and with the “at-risk” adolescent population.  She continues her love of movement with

children through a ten-week course that she has designed and succesfully implemented in the Toronto Montessori school system.  She believes that movement is a crucial element in every child's education.