#Creative Movement

[seapoleproject]

2022 Drop - Linocut print of my design 'Kaiju Dragon vs. the Space Needle' (11" x 14")

[lisasdanceandexercise]

At its core, creative movement and ballet practice invites dancers to tap into their creativity. Participants can engage in various imaginative activities, from mimicking animals to conveying emotions through gestures. 

[delicatelysublimeforester]

Celebrating International Music Day: Uniting Through Music in Saskatoon

[gpstudios]

Title: National Dance Day: Celebrating Movement and Expression

Celebrate National Dance Day on September 21 by embracing the joy of dance! Whether you’re dancing at home, joining a class, or attending an event, enjoy the physical and emotional benefits of movement.

Introduction National Dance Day, celebrated on September 21, is a joyous occasion that invites everyone to embrace the art of dance. This day highlights the physical, emotional, and social benefits of dancing, encouraging people of all ages and skill levels to move and express themselves. Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or a beginner, National Dance Day is the perfect time to celebrate the joy…

[news24h]

Gliding with Grit: The Amazing Story of a Legless Skater

In a world where obstacles are often seen as barriers, there are inspiring stories that redefine what it means to overcome adversity. One remarkable individual proves that passion knows no limits. Meet Alex, a young man without legs who has turned to roller skating, using only his hands to glide gracefully across the pavement. This blog post explores Alex’s incredible journey, his unique approach…

[syntonylife]

Unlocking Fitness Joy: Group Exercise and Creative Movement Explained

Daily writing promptWhat’s the most fun way to exercise?View all responses Me, the pole, Ibiza As a seasoned personal trainer, I’ve led countless individuals through diverse workout regimes, always emphasizing the importance of enjoyment in fitness pursuits. Along the way, I’ve discovered a vital truth: true fitness success transcends mere repetitions and routines; it’s about finding genuine…

[aplausosvestuario]

Discover expression in movement with the modern dance costume. In the vibrant world of contemporary dance, every movement tells a story, and every story deserves to be highlighted with a unique and captivating outfit. From clean, elegant lines to avant-garde designs, garments that fuse functionality with fashion, giving modern dance artists the freedom to express themselves with style.

Descubre la expresión en movimiento con el de vestuario para danza moderna. En el mundo vibrante de la danza contemporánea, cada movimiento cuenta una historia, y cada historia merece ser resaltada con un atuendo único y cautivador. Desde líneas limpias y elegantes hasta diseños vanguardistas, prendas que fusionan la funcionalidad con la moda, brindando a los artistas de la danza moderna la libertad de expresarse con estilo.

[mscaitlinb]

My first teaching job

Welcome back!

I’ve come here to discuss what it was like working my very first teaching job out of college.

This was shortly after I realized I wanted to teach more full-time and leave performing on the backburner, for the time being. I wanted to jump right into the teaching scene and gain some experience. 

What’s funny is I remember telling myself back in my last semester, “The one thing is that I never wanna teach young children. I don’t have the energy or patience for it.” And what was my first job out of college? An instructor position at a preschool mobile company… surprise! I figured a job is a job and I needed money now to pay the rent!

What is a preschool mobile company? It’s a company that hires contract instructors to travel to several preschools, and even elementary schools, to teach a fun creative movement class for their students. I taught students as young as 18 months to 7 years old. Let me tell you, I learned a lot from this job!

The first thing I learned was how to approach a dance class with a different tone and structure. I had to turn on that Disney princess persona and make the whole class seem like a giant game to keep the kids interested and engaged. It wasn’t enough to tell a child to perform a plié in warm-up, but rather engage them with an imaginary crown we had placed on our head, and couldn’t drop as we bent our knees in first position: aka “pizza pie feet”. This method of creativity allowed me to dive into the mind of a child and opened up an imaginative way of dancing/training. I felt like a kid once again, as this gave me the chance to find the fun in dance!

Something else I learned is how to properly use discipline in a preschool dance class. As the kids are learning positive behaviors and weeding out the negative behaviors, it’s important to give these kids the right motivations/incentives for learning and successfully participating in a dance class. For instance, using punishments, such as timeouts, should be rarely used, if at all. I’ve come to see that a child wants to do good and be good if you give them the chance to be. If I needed a class to quiet down, instead of yelling or shushing, I’d turn to someone who was sitting quietly and give them praise for following my instructions. That child would have received an extra sticker or special prize for being quiet while I was giving instructions. Oftentimes, that would help complete the domino effect of getting the whole class in order. I started using this positive reinforcement method as a way of not only handling classroom management, but later using it as a tool for encouraging correct technique execution. 

Another lesson I learned is how you can change a child’s whole day with a 30 min dance class. This I can illustrate better with a little story:

Just a regular Friday as I am about to teach my last class of the week. It’s a Montessori school in Cypress, CA. There is one child in the class I’ll never forget, let’s call him Julian. Now Julian was very energetic and outgoing as a 5 year old. For these school teachers and administrators, I believe they viewed it as a misbehavioral problem. Therefore, he would always be in trouble when I arrived. One day, he was very much in trouble with the staff, for reasons I still don’t know today, and he seemed very down about the whole situation. I gathered all the kids to the class space and he immediately sat down by one of the tables, visibly upset and unwilling to participate. I tried to talk him into joining, but seeing as he refused to talk, I told him that he can sit at the table and join the class when he’s ready. We finish warm-up and start one of his favorite dances, The Lion King’s I Can’t Wait to be King. I knew he couldn’t resist. Sure enough halfway through the dance he joins in and is all smiles. We move on with some across the floor work where the kids get to navigate through a fun obstacle course of dots, tunnels, and hula hoops. I call up a child one-by-one to have a turn. After the first few, Julian raises his hand to ask for a turn. I told him if he sits quietly and still on his spot, then he’ll have a turn next. He followed through still as a statue and lips zipped the whole turn. I called him up next, and with a big grin on his face, he completed his turn across the floor. We finish up with some freeze dance and I start to take the kids back to their classrooms. As I am walking Julian back, he looks up at me and says, “Did I do good today Ms. Caitlin?” I look down on him with a comforting smile and say, “Yes. You did a very good job today Julian.” He gives me a tight grip hug before he goes back to class. I’ll never forget that class and that kid, seeing as he probably needed a positive highlight to the day, and I certainly hope that was it for him. 

If these children are not having fun in a dance class, then what’s the point of going? I felt these kids learned better from an encouraging and well-nurtured environment, rather than one where I’m standing over yelling at them to do something right. These were some of the most valuable lessons I learned as a young 23 year old instructor. Lessons like these were catalysts in my teaching career 7 years to today. 

How many of you have experienced teaching preschool children? Did you enjoy it? What did it teach you about structuring a fun class environment?

[blackkatdraws2]

There are more things in the Parable than Stanley knows about. [Blank Scripts AU]

[unboundprompts]

How do I make something happen in my story? I’m writing a murder mystery where they are all stuck in a theater. all the characters have been just sitting around talking for two chapters now and it’s getting boring. How do I add action or movement without derailing the story?

How to Add Movement to a Murder Mystery without Derailing the Story

Here are some ideas for you to consider!

1. Introduce a New Clue or Discovery

Unexpected Evidence: Have a character stumble upon a crucial piece of evidence. This could be a hidden note, a strange item, or an overlooked detail that propels the investigation forward.

Surprising Revelation: Perhaps someone finds a hidden compartment in the theater with items related to the murder. This could spark new theories and discussions among the characters.

2. Create a Disruption

Theatrical Effect: Use the theater setting to your advantage. For example, the lights could suddenly go out, or there could be an unexpected sound or event (like a prop falling) that causes chaos and forces the characters to act quickly.

Power Outage: A sudden blackout could create confusion and force the characters to rely on each other, which could reveal new dynamics and secrets.

3. Introduce Conflict

Accusations and Tension: Allow tensions to rise by having characters confront each other with accusations or suspicions. This could lead to heated arguments or confrontations that reveal more about each character's motives.

Personal Conflicts: Bring underlying personal conflicts or grudges to the surface. This could create drama and reveal new aspects of the characters that influence their behavior and decisions.

4. Add a Time Crunch

Imminent Threat: Introduce a sense of urgency by suggesting that the murderer might strike again or that there’s a time limit for solving the crime before a more severe consequence occurs (e.g., a ticking clock or a scheduled event).

Urgent Action: Characters could discover that they need to find a specific clue or solve a puzzle before the theater is locked down or before someone else arrives.

5. Dynamic Character Actions

Shifting Alliances: Characters might decide to split up to search the theater more effectively. This could lead to new discoveries and interactions.

Personal Goals: Characters could pursue personal objectives or hidden agendas that complicate the investigation and create movement in the story.

6. Revelatory Dialogue

New Information: Characters could reveal previously hidden motives or secrets in their conversations, adding new layers to the mystery and prompting action.

Unexpected Accusation: A character might make a surprising accusation that causes everyone to reevaluate their theories and actions.

If you like what I do and want to support me, please consider buying me a coffee! I also offer editing services and other writing advice on my Ko-fi! Become a member to receive exclusive content, early access, and prioritized writing prompt requests.

I also have a Patreon! Become a member to gain access to a Member's Only Community where you can chat and message other members and myself. Also gain access to my personal writing, which includes completed short stories, chapters from novels in progress, as well as completed scenes.

[c0rinarii]

Union yaoi warmup sketches!

[seapoleproject]

The official link to the project!

[tilbageidanmark]

Guillermo Galetti, an Argentine Artist, Transforms Scrap Metal Into Unique Sculpture

[moonagedaydreamsofrhiannon]

every time someone calls contemporary art “not real art” an angel loses its wings (a creative and unique new artist gives up on their passion and the world becomes slightly less interesting where it could have become slightly more)

[atopvisenyashill]

At the other end of the Street of the Sisters, Gaemon Palehair's queer kingdom blossomed atop Visenya's Hill. The court of this four-year-old bastard king was made up of whores, mummers, and thieves, whilst gangs of ruffians, sellswords, and drunkards defended his "rule."

[His] edicts were almost certainly the work of a Dornish whore named Sylvenna Sand, reputedly the paramour of the little king's mother Essie.

[georgemiser]

I Support the accused.

So, I recently saw this long, heartbroken "moving on" post from this user who believes the accusations against Danny Elfman and Neil Gaiman and how she was giving up their work to "support the victims" and how there's "other stuff", etc. Usual boring "Believe the victims" MeToo BS. (It's her loss of course if she wants to limit her viewing choices. Dumping Elfman certainly narrows the list.) Thankfully, I don't want to join her and I never will. People will undoubtedly call me vile, selfish and callous for refusing to let go of these men and their "tainted" works; For standing with them instead of their accusers; for choosing to believe in their innocence over their guilt. They'll say that I'm "coping" or "in denial."But then again, I'm not the one who's allowed sympathy and empathy to poison myself.

The truth is that Elfman and Gaiman, along with many, MANY others like them, are the true victims here. They're the ones with everything to lose, they're the ones who have to put up with lost work, defamation, the heartbroken howls of so-called "ex-fans" who buy into these inane, obviously fake MeToo Hollywood "Horror Stories", all after everything they've given those ingrates. Meanwhile, Their "victims", who haven't done jack for the world and never will, bask in undeserved love and admiration for their "courage" in ruining these men's lives. Luckily for those men, I feel nothing for those women, and I never will. I don't have to believe these men are innocent. They simply are so. The real evidence, I.E. everything outside of these women and their tear-soaked "testimonies", points to that conclusion. So, to Danny Elfman and Neil Gaiman and all the rest of Hollywood's "witches", consider me on your side for life, I'll never apologize, never reflect, and never be "better." Not for them. Never for them. My mind was made up nearly 8 years ago when this nonsense started and it hasn't changed an ounce since. I eagerly await the backlash to this post from your former ex-fans who foolishly decided to "move on" the moment the news broke about those women "coming forward." Thank God the "Court" of Public Opinion has no real power. Idiocy + Toxic Compassion kills justice.