A lot of creative movement teachers have "circle time" at the beginning of class to give the children a chance to share any special thoughts they have before class and to help set up a structure and collaborative tone for the rest of the class. Over at the incredible dance resource Dance Advantage, Nichelle established a circle time of her own a few months ago so her readers could also share their thoughts on a variety of dance topics.
This month, Nichelle is asking bloggers to describe five top posts from their own blogs and why those posts "rock." This sounded like a fun exercise, especially since I haven't spent too much time reflecting on how Picture Books & Pirouettes has evolved since I started it back in August 2010. Here's a bit of what I had to say about the blog in my very first post...
My plan is to blog about a wide variety of picture books that are in some way related to dance...And, since I am still new to this whole blog thing, I'm not yet sure what other directions it might take...
It is reassuring to look back at this and realize I have stuck to my plan of blogging about picture books related to dance. But now -- 122 posts later -- it is also rewarding to be able to highlight a couple of those "other directions" my blog has taken in the last two and a half years...
This post describes the picture book Miss Tutu's Star by Leslea Newman and Carey Armstrong-Ellis. The book is such a wonderful combination of poetry, humor, sweetness, and dance. It introduced me to an author and an illustrator I hadn't heard of before and has become one of my favorite picture books with a dance theme.
The History and Power of African Dance
(July 2011)
(July 2011)
This post about the picture book Drumbeat In Our Feet was one of my most personal posts, as the book reminded me of some of my own life experiences related to Africa and African dance. It also resonated with some of my readers and elicited comments from people I don't often hear from through my blog.
We're Dancing on a Bear Hunt!
(September 2011)
Read & Romp Roundup
(January 2012)
(September 2011)
One of my favorite "other directions" the blog has taken is my monthly collaboration with Maria's Movers. For "Read It. Move It. Share It," each month I recommend a book for Maria to use in her creative movement classes, and then we share our experiences with the book. We're Going on a Bear Hunt turned out to be a popular book among dance teachers, and I love how Maria used it in her classes!
(January 2012)
Exactly a year ago, I started hosting a monthly roundup of blog posts related to both picture books or children's poetry AND dance, yoga, or other forms of movement. I was really happy with the response, especially among other bloggers who integrate children's literature and the arts. I love interacting with other bloggers who share my passions, so I would have to say that the inaugural "Read & Romp Roundup" is another of my favorite posts!
Author Interview: Ballerina Allegra Kent
(April 2012)
(April 2012)
I've had the privilege of interviewing several children's book authors on my blog, but my interview with Allegra Kent stands out in my mind. It was the only interview that I conducted over the phone (rather than over email) for the blog, and I so enjoyed learning more about Allegra's history as a Balanchine ballerina and how she became the author of her debut picture book Ballerina Swan.
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We are doing exactly the same thing this week. We have been reading a few versions of The Nutcracker, and we will be seeing a performance on Saturday. Although my daughter and I enjoyed watching it on TV last year, we are really excited to go see a live performance now that she is 3 and will be able to see everything and enjoy the show.
Our favorite version so far has been Alison Jay's version, but I am eager to find some of the ones you mentioned in your guest post.
Hi, Shaunna. Thanks for your comment. That's awesome that you are doing the same thing as us! Alison Jay's version looks beautiful, though I haven't read it yet. I will have to take a look. Of the ones I mention on my post, Mary Englebreit's version is probably my favorite :) Enjoy the ballet this weekend!