Dance Exclusive

An Essential Tool for Teaching the Fundamentals of Movement...

"Movers of all shapes, ages and abilities can creatively move together. This is the message of Up, Down & All Around, a new National Physical Education Standards–approved DVD exercise program developed by movement educator Stacey Pepper Schwartz.

"Suitable for ages 2 and up, the program encourages the development of healthy body image with easy-to-follow games, teamwork and fun imagery set to silly acoustic songs by children’s musician Steve Blunt. Students will laugh and learn, while participating in exercises like the "Name Game." (Each mover creates a different-leveled body shape for their name, then all come together for a group movement sequence.) Teachers will appreciate the progressive pace and concise eight sections, all beginning with bulleted objectives. Bonus material and a free, downloadable program guide are available."

Courtney Rae Allen ,
"School Tools", Dance Teacher, August 2009
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Up Down & All Around for Dancers and Dance Teachers

Dancers need to learn about the elements of dance in order to perform and perfect their skills.  From spins and leaps, to kicks and jumps, understanding the fundamentals of dance will give the dancer ease of motion, mastery of steps and a dynamic quality of movement.

When should a dancer start to learn the fundamentals of dance?
A dancer should learn the basic elements of dance at the very beginning of his or her training. All movement can be broken down into four elements: space, time, energy and body.

SPACE

1. Relationship: personal space, general  space
2. Level: low, middle and high level
3. Direction: forward, back, side, up, down, turning
4. Shape: angles, curves, and straight lines
5. Pathway: curved, straight, zigzag

TIME

1. Beat or pulse
2. Accent
3. Speed: slow, medium, fast
4. Duration: long or short

EFFORT

1.  Weight: strong or light
2. Spatial focus: direct or  indirect
3. Time: quick or sustained
4. Flow: bound or free

BODY

1. Body parts: head, shoulders, arms, hands, legs, knees, back,
   hips, ankles, nose, etc.
2. Body Movements: twist, bend, stretch, circle, rise, fall, shake, swing
3. Steps: walk, run, jump, hop, skip, gallop, slide, leap (crawl, roll)

The Leaping Legs Up Down & All Around DVD is an essential tool for comprehensive dance training.  It provides exercises and lessons that are based on the fundamentals of dance in a fun, energetic and entertaining way. It strengthens a young dancer's body, technique, creativity, and dynamic qualities of movement. It is fun for all dancers from beginners to dancers taking their training to the next level. 

This DVD is a powerful tool for Dance Teachers
The Up Down & All Around DVD is a great teaching tool to assist in teaching dance fundamentals to your students. The lessons are divided by specific dance skills and follow the same progression as a dance class. The Up Down & All Around Movement Guide is an added bonus which explains the lesson in detail, the skills you are addressing as well as fun variations you can do! It is a winning program for everyone!

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