Bodysong Creative Dance with Linley Boyle

Today we had Linley come, and together we enjoyed some creative dance and movement in two small groups. She followed a sea theme, which is an extension of our current areas of interest. We started with making different shapes; wide, tall, curvy and flat.
Linley then created a beach using wide yellow ribbon and blue shimmering scarves.
We collected shells to place carefully on the "sand" with little baskets.
Next Linley asked the children to think of different ocean animals and we moved and danced around the room being the various creatures. 
The children then created the flat shape of sea stars on the carpet while Linley and Alethea/Sandy slowly moved a long blue shimmering sari over the "Sea Stars". Linley used the ocean drum to create the sound of the waves.
We then went snorkelling, using masks Linley had made herself. We held our breath and swam in slow motion looking at everything under the water. We swam up to the surface to take in a big breath of air. 
In small groups we created rock pools with big rocks and small pebbles, shells and glass bead treasures all on a "pool" of silky scarves.
We pushed seed pod boats with bamboo sticks around the rock pools the children had created loading and unloading treasures as we went.
All the children were very engaged and enthusiastic. They were patient, expressive, listened well, working together sharing ideas and props and thoroughly enjoyed the creatie movement eperience. Linley is in the process of culminating all her imaginative, innovative, creative moment ideas into a book called:
"Bodysong: Exploring the natural world through creative dance"