Hey guys, I was wondering if you had any ideas for using ribbons in creative movement. If you have any ideas for games or activites I would appreciate it. They are 3-4. Thanks!

Actually, isn't that one of the points of creative movement/dance? To see how one can move with something, their head, their shoulder, the different shapes and movements they can make with either themselves, or other objects?

So, if you've never seen a scarf before, what would you do with it? Well, you'd pick it up, maybe you would run it through your hands, maybe you would swing it around in a circle, or try making serpentine movements with it...

It's a movement study!

I sort of feel that if I give you too much to work with, I'll deny you the creativity impulse, so, to really feel what can be done with an object, I think one really needs to pick up that object, and start to work with it, investigate it, study it, flow with it, see how the object can guide YOU.

Maybe have a time where one student shows what she discovered about her ribbon, and have her share it with the class -- or have the class follow her movements with vocal sounds...?

And then, if one could bring the ribbons together, to see what can be done in a group atmosphere -- each member of that group experiencing the group movement -- the group unity?

I can't help but see this as an awesome "hands-on" activity -- go for it -- pick up a ribbon, and see what it does with you!

Have fun!

Shadow.

I use streamers instead of ribbons. The kids love this because they are cheap so they get to take them home. What I do with them is let them free dance at the end of class, but when they have done this for a little while I start to ask them to do specific things. I ask them to make it move on the ground, in the air, in circles, zig zags etc. What they really love though is when I ask them to throw it up and catch it on different body parts (toes, ear, nose, back).

I lead them in stretches with the ribbons, actually they are streamers. We stretch over like a rainbow (in a side lift), we reach up to the sky and waive them in the clouds, then do a grande plie, and waive them on the floor like water in the ocean.

Also, we talk about the different colors in the streamer and pretend to paint things with them. We can paint the sky, the floor, the mirrors, walls, and whatever else needs to be painted.