Justin Colón Interviews Connie Dow

Hello Spring!

For today's blog, I am posting an interview by Justin Colón that is a conversation about writing and dance:

I’m excited to welcome to the blog this week, author Connie Bergstein Dow!

Interview with Connie Dow

I’m excited to welcome to the blog this week, author Connie Bergstein Dow!

About Connie:

Connie grew up in Cincinnati and took her first dance class at age four.  She went to Denison University, and received her MFA in Dance from the University of Michigan. She had a professional performing career in contemporary dance and ballet for twelve years, which took her from Michigan (Harbinger Dance Company), to Venezuela (Macrodanza), Guatemala (Ballet Nacional de Guatemala) and finally back to Cincinnati (Contemporary Dance Theater). She has taught dance in colleges, conservatories, studios, and public and private schools; she has taught students who are having their first dance experience at three years old, senior citizens in wheelchairs, and every age in between. Five years ago, she founded a dance program called Healing Through Movement at a safe shelter for trafficked women.

Connie writes books and articles about dance and movement, including the picture book From A to Z with Energy! (Free Spirit Publishing, 2019). She has written two books for teachers, Dance, Turn, Hop, Learn! Enriching Movement Activities for Preschoolers, (Redleaf Press, 2006), and One, Two, What Can I Do? Dance and Music for the Whole Day (Redleaf Press, 2011). She also writes articles for magazines and journals, and verses for Highlights magazines.

She shares her passion for dance by writing, teaching, visiting schools and libraries, and offering movement workshops to early childhood professionals. She believes that dance and the other arts are essential and transformational forces in our lives.

Please tell us a bit about your debut picture book, FROM A to Z WITH ENERGY: 26 WAYS TO MOVE AND PLAY. 

This is my first picture book. In my long career as a dance teacher, I have often used stories, poems, and verses as inspiration in my dance classes for young children. I have written two books for teachers about bringing movement opportunities to young children. I wanted to write a picture book that speaks directly to the preschool-aged set. This book is a playful way to inspire children to be healthy and active.  And for the adults who are reading along with them, there is a guide in the back about movement, with ideas for ten simple activities to enhance the enjoyment of the story, while addressing early literacy concepts through movement.

Who might this story appeal to? 

The story is written with the preschool set in mind, in that it is about what children love to do every day — move and play. Each letter of the alphabet shows children participating in a different activity. I also used rhyme and rhythm, which makes it a good read-aloud and inspires the readers to move along with the words and illustrations.  It appeals to adults who want to try simple movement activities with children.

What about bringing movement and play to the picture book format, specifically for an alphabet book, resonated with you? 

I am passionate about bringing awareness of the benefits of movement to the forefront, as research continues to show the connection between moving and the brain, as well as countless other benefits. I am always on the lookout for venues to bring this message to teachers and parents.  Alphabet books are a fun and accessible learning opportunity, but a layered alphabet book with other positive messages is even better.

I visited your website, movingislearning, and was instantly greeted by all these amazing images and fun stories of you instructing, dancing, and choreographing. Please tell us more about your background! 

I feel fortunate to have had a  long career in dance. You may know that a dancer’s performing life is comparable to that of a football player’s. By about 35 (there are exceptions, of course), the rigors of staying in performing shape — taking class and dancing all day — catch up with your body. Also, for women, our childbearing years are in that small window (I have three children), so I am grateful that I could dance professionally until my mid-thirties, both in the US and Latin America. I had also been teaching dance since I graduated from college, so I continued teaching children and adults. I have planned or helped with many community dance events, and I also speak and give movement workshops at early childhood conferences.

I love the creative aspect of our art form, and found I was gravitating more and more toward teaching younger children. This led to writing my two books for teachers about creative movement, and particularly how to integrate it into the daily lives of children, including into the classroom. I then began writing picture books and verses so that I could write directly for the 3-6 age group.

To backtrack a bit, what is the meaning behind ‘moving is learning’? 

The more I have danced,  and the more I have written about, read the research, and analyzed the benefits of movement, I have realized that there are learning opportunities for everyone who dances. (I use the terms “movement” and “dance” interchangeably, as I am referring to the art of movement, which is dance). There are physical benefits, benefits for the brain, the nurturing of social-emotional learning skills, creativity, and the possibility of teaching virtually any subject through movement.   Here are some of the things going on in our body and brain when we dance:

What are the basic steps?  What do your arms do, your head, your torso?  Where do you go — right, left, forward, back, diagonal circle, stand in one place, etc.?  How does this change as the dance progresses?  Sequence: What comes next?  What are the counts?  Regular, irregular, repeating?  If there is accompaniment, how do the steps fit with the music or the beat?  What is the overall floor pattern?  Does it repeat, does it have variations?

What is the formation with other dancers?  A line, circle, face to face, partners, holding hands, etc.? How does that change as the dance progresses? And that is not all! You can see the many opportunities for learning, even when you are doing a very simple, basic dance.

movingislearning.com features a poster with ‘Moving is Learning! Bringing Dance to the Lives of Young Children’ on it. What captured it most about it was the children featured on it, clearly from different backgrounds with different experiences, but all connecting and sharing experiences through movement. Would you tell us more about that.

I’m happy to hear you like that delightful poster! It was created by the folks at Free Spirit, using Gareth Llewhellin’s beautiful illustrations from the book.  [I will attach a copy of it. Free Spirit asked that if you use it, to please link the image back to the book page for From A to Z with Energy! freespirit.com/early-childhood/from-a-to-z-with-energy-connie-bergstein-dow-gareth-llewhellin]

What was the timeline like for FROM A to Z with energy, from your inception of the idea to publication?  

I had written a poem about being active that was four stanzas long, for the letters A through D, with the idea of submitting it to Highlights.  While I was editing it, I thought about expanding it. That led me to a lot more ideas:  E is for the Energy you need to run and play!  F is for the fun you’ll have while moving every day! and before I knew it, I had what I thought could be a picture book manuscript.

I started researching publishers that might be interested in a story that would inspire children to be active. In addition to the other benefits I have already mentioned, dance also addresses many social-emotional learning (SEL) concepts, such as problem-solving, body awareness, impulse control, and creativity.  I came across Free Spirit Publishing and submitted to them. They were interested in the ways I tied dance/movement activities to SEL and also early literacy skills.

I had submitted to them in October, 2016, they contacted me about two months later, and by the time we had a contract, it was a little under two years to publication.

Who were the team members you worked with on it and what was the process like collaborating with them?  

It has been a pleasure to work with the whole team at Free Spirit.  They ushered the book through the editing, chose a fantastic illustrator (Gareth Llewhellin, who added so much to the book with his bright, lively, energetic and inclusive illustrations), and also guided me through the release and publicity process. I am enjoying working with them again on my second picture book.

What about writing this story in rhyme appealed to you? 

I think it must be my dance and musical training that have made writing in rhyme something that I really enjoy.  Rhyme’s core premise is really about rhythm, and of course, rhythm drives music and also many types of dance. An underpinning of rhyme, especially in this type of concept book, gives the story a lilting framework that appeals to children.

The rhyme and meter quite literally keep this story moving. Was that a conscious decision from the start? 

That is what I was hoping!  Yes, it was a conscious decision.  When I decided to write a verse that ties the alphabet with movement, I thought that the story should have a rhythm  and beat that is reminiscent of music. That way the story has a built-in accompaniment; the rhythm of the story and the words and images of movement are like dancing to music!

I read over at Lydia Lukidis’s blog (lydialukidis.wordpress.com/2019/06/27/q-a-with-author-connie-dow-plus-giveaway/) that at the end of the book you provide ideas for “integrating movement into the classroom, the books also includes information about the benefits of movement, ideas for classroom management, and modifying movement to include all children in the activities.” Do you perceive those to be gaps that exist within early childhood environments such as schools? And if so, was filling them a conscious mission of this story?

Oh, yes. I am driven by a passion to offer movement opportunities to children.  I think it is important that we remember that children’s work is play, and creative dance is playful and fun.  Also, it seems that teachers feel more comfortable with art, music, and drama, but are somewhat intimidated by movement. I understand this. They might have an image in their head about children running in all directions and creating a chaotic situation. But the wonderful thing about movement, that I always stress, is that not only can it be a fun learning environment for children, it is also a gift to teachers, in that guided movement activities can actually aid in classroom management. During creative movement, children learn body awareness, including regulating their speed, changing direction, and stopping and starting. They learn about personal space vs. shared space, and how to respect other children moving in the space with them. They learn about taking turns, individual and group problem solving, and using the medium of movement to look at problems in new ways. I tell teachers that guided movement activities, with built-in boundaries and guidelines, are a win-win for both teachers and students. The suggestions in the back for enhancing the reading of the story was a way to extend its use and enjoyment, and to offer more learning opportunities for young children.

Have your own suggested ideas mentioned above influenced how you present your book signings and/or engage with young readers? 

Definitely. When presenting my book to parents, teachers, and young children, I use lots of movement. I usually start out by saying that we are going to read, and we are also going to dance. I do a playful warm up, and often use the alphabet as a framework. For example I might say, A is for arms.  How many ways can you move your arms?  B is for bounce — bend your knees and bounce slowly, then keep bouncing all the way to jumping. C is for Cat. Can you move like a cat? . . . O is for opposite.  Does anyone know what the word opposite means? A lot of little ones don’t know, so they learn what it means through movement (moving is learning!): Can you march slowly, then quickly?  Can you reach up, then down to the floor?  Can you walk quietly, then very loudly?  Can you make a straight shape like a pencil, then a twisty shape like a pretzel? Can you show me how you move when you’re tired, and when you are energetic? Once we have done these activities for a while, I read the story, and then finish with some more movement games.

I end the session with a quiet finish, to bring the energy level down, as I do for almost all of my creative dance activities.

Do you have any movement tips, tricks, techniques for writers who spend hundreds and thousands of hours sitting stationary as they write?

I can tell you some of the ones I use!  Sitting at a desk is a good time to work on posture. I try to sit centered and straight, not leaning to one side or another, with my shoulders down, my neck lengthened, and not slouching with my head forward. In addition to thinking about posture during writing time, it is really important to take breaks at least once an hour.  Walk around, stretch, or do some of your daily exercise routines in between long stretches of writing.

Is there anything you’re currently working on and would like to share with us?

I am currently working on two projects.  I am excited to share that I am writing a second picture book about movement for Free Spirit. It has an innovative format for offering movement activities. I am enjoying the challenge of the creative process in developing it with the folks at Free Spirit.

The other is a story that came to me through a friend. It is the true story of a border-collie mix, LouLou, who was born in France and adopted by my friend’s son when he was volunteering for WOOF. LouLou has had a long journey, but she is now at her forever home in Indiana, where she is a therapy dog and a CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocate) for the courts.  She is the first dog in Southeast Indiana to receive this designation and be sworn in at a courthouse. It is a wonderful story, and LouLou continues to do lots of good work today for both children and adults. I am submitting this story now and have my fingers crossed.

WILDCARD QUESTIONS:

What’s your favorite style of dance? 

I am reminded of my son’s violin teacher who was a member of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.  I asked him his favorite piece of music, and his answer was “whatever I am playing.”  His point is well taken.  I love to dance, watch dance, make dance, teach dance, any kind of dance!

But, I would have to say that contemporary dance is my favorite. Classical ballet and contemporary dance have been slowly blending together over the years, taking the best parts of each style, and the result is strong, gorgeous dancers trained in both disciplines. This mixing has also resulted in beautiful choreography, which celebrates both classical ballet and contemporary dance, and this type of dance is present today in the repertory of both contemporary and ballet companies.

If you could partner up with any dancer, living or dead, for one performance, who would you choose and why? 

It would have to be Merce Cunningham. While I was growing up and discovering contemporary dance, he was already a towering figure in the dance world. I had the opportunity to train on and off (sometimes he taught the classes himself) at his NYC studio. His contribution to the field of dance is hard to quantify. He basically separated dance from the constraints that music can put on it, which freed dance to stand on its own. It didn’t have to  have counts or follow a musical score. It didn’t have to be “about” something, other than the choreography, the space, and the dancers. I think he enabled us to look at and value dance in a new way.

Thanks for your time, Connie!

Thank you, Justin!

Reader, you can check out FROM A TO Z WITH ENERGY! By visiting any of the following links:

movingislearning.com/works.htm
kidcareapproved.com/new-book-6/
nationalautismresources.com/from-a-to-z-with-energy/
susannahill.com/2019/04/26/perfect-picture-book-friday-from-a-to-z-with-energy/
https://kadn.com/kidlit-pick-author-aly-and-guest-everyday-elise/

Keep on dancing,

Connie
www.movingislearning.com

Moving is Learning!

Author School Visits -- Dancing Through the Alphabet

Hello!


       This past month, I have enjoyed visiting children in preschool, kindergarten, first, and second grades, in three different school systems around Ohio.  This is probably the most fun part of being an author and dance educator.  I have the opportunity to share my picture book with young children, librarians, and teachers, and I also have the chance to share my love of movement. 

Reading to a kindergarten class

        I wrote From A to Z with Energy! to inspire children to be healthy and active.  The book's unofficial subtitle, "26 Ways to Move and Play," is a good description of what I do while visiting with young children in their classrooms. 

       After I have read my book aloud, I spend the rest of the time tying movement to early literacy concepts. We dance about the letters in the alphabet. We might start out by thinking of action words that begin with different letters.  For example, the letter S is the first letter in the words Sit, Stand, Stretch, Squiggle, Stomp, Shake, Soar, and making Silly Shapes. I ask the children to first make the shape of an S in their bodies.  Then we try out the many action words that start with that letter.  We have the whole array of letters to choose from, and we move in many different ways as we dance through the alphabet.

       Another early literacy concept is recognizing rhyming words.  My book is a rhyming story, so I make sure to ask the children to listen for rhyming words as I read the story.  Then we play a game in which I create pairs of rhyming words, with one of the words being a movement. I might ask them, what action word rhymes with "ounce?" "Bounce!" Then we all do some bouncing movements together.  Other examples of rhyming pairs are bake-shake, pop-hop, arch-march, fun-run, and pants-dance. 

"March" rhymes with "Arch!"

       All of the above activities can be done in a large gym with the children moving away from and back to a home spot.  But if you only have a small space, don't worry!  Children can get an active workout even staying in one spot.  They can sit and stand, go up on tiptoe, stretch, squiggle, stomp, shake, balance, make silly shapes, run in place, march, turn, hop, jump, twist, and dance, all in one spot.  

       Another fun movement game is to practice the concept of opposites.  This is a vocabulary exercise as well.  A child might not be able to describe the meaning of the word "opposite," but he or she can learn and experience opposites kinesthetically.  Some of the movement opposites we explore are:
Happy/Sad, Straight/Twisty, Hot/Cold, Quiet/Loud, Tired/Energetic, Slow/Fast, Right/Left, Heavy/Light, Facing Forward/Facing Backward, Up/Down.  All of the above movements can be performed moving through a large space, or staying in a home spot. 

        I would love to visit your school or library!  For more information, please visit the School Visit Info page 
of my website www.movingislearning.com.

Keep on Dancin'!

Connie

MOVING IS LEARNING!

Reading and Dancing from A to Z!

March, 2019

Greetings. and Happy Spring!

One of my favorite ways to get children up and moving is to read a story, and then use ideas from the story as movement prompts.  Here are some of the benefits children can gain from a Read and Dance activity:

• Comprehension
• Sequencing
• Identifying with and understanding different characters in the story
• Exploring and learning about the setting
• Vocabulary acquisition
• Recognition of rhyme and rhythm 
• Alphabet knowledge/Letter recognition
• Fun and lively physical activity
• Social-Emotional Learning (SEL):  Group cooperation; creativity; problem solving; listening to, understanding and responding to instructions; self-expression; body awareness

Reading a story , , ,

Dancing the story!

I love to inspire young children to be active and to learn by exploring, playing, dancing, and moving in many differentI ways.  in this blog post, I am introducing From A to Z with Energy!, my new picture book, published by Free Spirit Publishing.

The book, geared toward children ages 3 to 6, along with parents, teachers, librarians, and caregivers, offers ideas for staying active while learning and reading about the alphabet. The book includes guidelines for 10 supplementary movement activities, along with a short summary of some of the many benefits of movement for young children.



Here are some suggestions (these are examples; the ideas are expanded upon in the book) for enjoying From A to Z with Energy! as a Read and Dance activity with young children:

Once you have read the story aloud:

• Read it again and as you read it, ask the children to clap the rhythm of the verse
• Ask them to sway side-to-side, march, or move freely as they clap.
• In the book, each letter introduces ideas about being active.  Read each stanza slowly.  Ask the children to imagine they are doing the activities described.  Show the colorful, lively illustrations by Gareth Llewhellin to further stimulate movement ideas.

There are several more playful movement activities to help children explore letter shapes kinesthetically, and ideas for supplementing early writing activities as well.

Making Letter Shapes!

Keep on Dancin',



Connie

www.movingislearning.com

MOVING IS LEARNING!

To order From A to Z with Energy!:Click here

More Health Benefits of Dance!

Greetings!

        


Have you seen the new Disney movie Mary Poppins Returns?  Were you as impressed with Dick Van Dyke's wonderful dance scene as I was?

        In my November, 2018 post, I wrote about the anti-aging effects of dance. Today I am sharing some more good news.

        "Dance Like Your Doctor Is Watching:  It's Great for Your Mind and Body,"  Time, December, 2018, cites two recent studies that tout dance's capacity for helping to stave off disability and dementia while we age. 

        One study followed about 1000 elderly women and monitored them for 8 years, measuring their ability in everyday tasks as well as keeping track of their health and what kind of physical activity they did.

        The results showed that some kinds of exercise seemed to stave off the effects of aging better than others. Dancing came out on top, beating out calisthenics, walking and yoga!

        "The researchers found that women who frequently danced had a 73% lower chance of becoming disabled during the study period. Researchers theorize that this is because dancing requires an engaged mind as well as an active body. It is a multi-layered activity.  Most people have fun while they are dancing and don't realize that it often requires learning and remembering steps, keeping time to music, spatial and body awareness, and last but not least, strength, balance, flexibility, and stamina.


        The second study cited in the article is from the Journal of American Geriatrics Society.  Thirty-two past studies were analyzed.  This totaled more than 3500 people who ranged from ages 50 to 85.  It attempted to discern the effects that mind-body activities, such as t'ai chi, yoga, and dance, have on the cognitive function of aging adults.

        The results were startling. They found strong evidence that 60 to 120 minutes of tai chi or dance per week could "improve global cognition, even for adults who already had some impairment." 

It cautions that these body/mind activities aren't proven to cause the health benefits, but that they do seem to be associated with the positive results.

Conga Line!

        However, to bolster the case for dance even further, it cites a study that was published in 2017 showing through brain scan imaging, that "dancing can increase the amount of white matter in the brains of elderly adults.  White matter degrades with age, and this breakdown is thought to be associated with cognitive decline."


        Click here if you would like to read the full article:  http://time.com/5484237/dancing-health-benefits/

        We often think of the physical benefits of dance, which are substantial and important, but studies continue to reveal and reinforce the many cognitive benefits as well.

        All we need to do is take a look at Dick Van Dyke at 90+ years old, tapping and high-stepping on the desktop, and we can see it for ourselves!



Keep on Dancin',


Connie

MOVING IS LEARNING!

www.movingislearning.com

Check out Connie's upcoming picture book at: 

 https://www.freespirit.com/early-childhood/from-a-to-z-with-energy-connie-bergstein-dow-gareth-llewhellin

                                                                             

The Anti-Aging Effects of Dance!

Hello!

One of the things I often blog about is the benefits of dance, for children and adults. When I come across some interesting research, I like to pass it along. Much of the information for this post is from: https://blog.frontiersin.org/2017/08/29/dancing-can-reverse-the-signs-of-aging-in-the-brain/

Dr. Kathrin Rehfeld,  the lead author of this recent study, is based at the German center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, in Magdeburg, Germany. Several previous studies have shown that physical exercise has an anti-aging effect on the hippocampus region of the brain, an area that controls memory, learning and balance.  

Dr. Rehfield's new study compares two basic but different forms of exercise -- dancing versus endurance training -- undertaken by elderly volunteers (with an average age of 68), for 18 months.  The outcomes show that both can have an anti-aging effect on the brain, but only dancing corresponded to a noticeable difference in behavior.  This difference is attributed to the extra challenge of learning dance routines. 

The study compared volunteers who either took an eighteen-month weekly course of learning dance routines, or endurance and flexibility training.  Both groups showed an increase in the hippocampus region of the brain. But the group who danced weekly, with changing routines, rhythm, patterns, and steps, in order to challenge their memories, showed a noticeable difference in balance.  Dr. Rehfield says "I think dancing is a powerful tool to set new challenges for body and mind, especially in older age."

I will add my two cents here from my long career of teaching dance.  When you are learning a new dance -- line dancing, square dancing, hip-hop, folk, zumba, ballroom,  ballet, etc. -- your brain and body are working together in a variety of ways. First, there is the basic learning and then memorization of steps.  But where are you in space? Which direction do you go with the steps?  What is the count of the music you are dancing to, and how do the steps synch with the music? What are the music cues you are listening for? What is the rhythm of the steps? 

And there's more! Where are you going in relation to other people who are dancing with you? How do you interact with them, and when?  What do the arms do while the legs are doing the different steps? What patterns do you recognize in the steps, that might help you remember the sequence? Do any of the steps repeat? How? Do they repeat in the same way, or in a different direction, different count, different rhythm?  

This is a lot to think about!

There are so many factors involved in learning a dance. But the challenge is worth it.  Once you have learned a dance, you have the satisfaction of performing it over and over, and knowing you have accomplished something that can be difficult at first. The good news is that it does get easier with practice. So whatever form of dancing you find that you enjoy, stick with it, and according to study after study,  both your body and your brain will benefit.

Moving Is Learning!

Keep on Dancin',


Connie

www.movingislearning.com

#cbergsteindow

Check out Connie's upcoming picture book at:

 https://www.freespirit.com/early-childhood/from-a-to-z-with-energy-connie-bergstein-dow-gareth-llewhellin

 http://movingislearning.com

Dancing from STEM to STEAM to STREAM!

Hello!

Dancing to stories is one of the main activities that young children have enjoyed in my creative movement classes over the years.  Reading a book or story, then using verbal prompts to encourage the children to relive the story through dance and music, is also a wonderful way to incorporate the all-important "A" for Arts and the "R" for Reading into STEM. 

STEM to STEAM to STREAM -- let's go!  

Recreating the story with movement helps children to understand the concepts in the book and learn about them kinesthetically.   This process also helps children identify with settings, characters, plot and themes of the story, and helps with sequencing, comprehension, and vocabulary.  Most of all, though, this activity makes story time lively and even more fun.

Here is a dance story that I have created based on Eric Carle's classic book The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  Along with instructions for presenting the dance story, I have included photos of a visit I made to a school in Nicaragua.  I had the Spanish version of the book, La Oruga Muy Hambrienta.  

I often supplement a dance story with props.  In this case, I used colorful scarves which become the wings when the caterpillar becomes a butterfly.  

The materials you will need for this activity are:

1.  The book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
2.  Colorful scarves or fabric scraps, about 12" square 
(2 per child)













3.  Two lively instrumental musical selections, one of which has a conga rhythm



Now you are ready to begin!  Gather the children together and read the story.

Explain the dance story, and tell the children that you will be giving them movement prompts so that they will be retelling the story with dance and music.  Make sure to give the children plenty of time to respond to each of your movement suggestions.

Play the music softly in the background.  

Begin:  

You are a little egg on a leaf, in the moonlight.

Pop out of your egg!

You are so hungry.  Where would you find some food?     Proceed through each day in the story as the caterpillar finds new things to eat.

Eat as much as you can and become a great big caterpillar!

Your tummy hurts! Eat a nice green leaf to make you feel better.

Now it is time to spin your cocoon! Turn, turn, spin, spin, spin!  Wait inside your cocoon while you make your amazing transformation.  

While the children are waiting, use a clothespin to attach a scarf to each of their shoulders.

Nibble a hole in your cocoon, and push your way out. Push hard.  Push with your feet, your wings, and look, you are a colorful butterfly! Your wings are still wet.  Try to flap them up and down, very gently.  Now, flap harder, and fly.  Fly around the room, beautiful butterflies!

Now we will finish our story by making a giant caterpillar! Form the children into a line, and put on the conga music.  

Play the conga music, stand at the front of the line and introduce the conga step:  one, two three, touch heel to one side (rhythm:  one, two, three + four), repeat to the other side, and continue all around the room.

Caterpillar Conga line.  One, two, three, and four!

Happy dancing -- 

from STEM to STEAM to STREAM!

Keep on dancin',

Connie

MOVING IS LEARNING!