Dancing the Web
Teresa Benzwie

Introduction

Creative dance can be a connecting force uniting all aspects of the developing child with many of the arts in all areas of the school curriculum. In the dance experience, Dancing the Web, children may develop awareness not only of him or herself, but also of the world around them and how we relate and respond influences and are influenced by our universe. Self-esteem is also enhanced as each individual is permitted to select, shape, become, and feel a special part of nature of his or her own choice. Children also like to feel they have some power over their world. With the use of visualization and communicating good thoughts and feeling, children learn to respect nature, themselves, and each other, helping to create a more peaceful and harmonious world for themselves. Creative movement is a powerful force. It can excite and energize us to feel that all is possible and makes learning a vital, intimate, and holistic experience.
The following experience, Dancing the Web, from the book, “More moving experiences”, (Benzwie), was created toward these goals.

Dancing the Web

Body Awareness

Let yourself be quit and still. Become aware of your body and how you feel right now. Feel energy going through you and see where it takes your attention. As I mention each part, be aware of what you are sensing in that part without thinking of it as good or bad.

Body Visualization-The Interrelatedness of Life

Let yourself be quiet and still. Become aware of your body and how you feel right now. Feel the energy going through you and see where it takes your attention. As I mention each body part, be aware of what you are sensing in that part without thinking of it as good or bad.

Guided Visualization-The Interrelatedness of Life

Imagine a perfect world of which we are all a part and imagine yourself as an element of nature. You might be:
A blade of grass
A beetle
The trunk of a tree, strong and sturdy
A running brook going over rocks
An elephant stomping through the jungle
A dolphin playfully swimming through the ocean
A kitten chasing another kitten
A flower unfolding
The branches of a tree reaching upward toward the sun
Wind moving through space making a breeze on a hot summer day
Rain washing the earth, the rocks and the air
A huge leaf protecting some small creature in the rain forest
Birds soaring through the sky freely, wings spread wide, gliding to a rock in the
ocean or the branch of a tree

Movement

Using the image you chose, let it take over your body little by little.
Feel it in your face,

head,

neck,

shoulder,

arms,

legs,

torso.

Feel your nature image fully.

Now let your body feel and move as if it were this part of nature. I invite you to move throughout the room using its qualities,

soft,

swift,

strong,

gentle,

not touching any other person.

Be aware of the boundaries of other living things. Acknowledge the other as you dance toward each life form you encounter. Present yourself in your dance as if in a conversation with other parts of nature. Be fully who you are as you acknowledge your new partner.
Move freely from life form to life form, admiring the beauty and uniqueness of each part of nature.

Each new life form you come to will stimulate and inspire new shapes and movements in you. Dance with as many other parts of nature as you can.

In slow motion come together as closely as possible. Without touching, freeze the position so that we can tell if you are a huge

rock,

bird,

a cat,

rain,

another part of nature.

In this frozen moment of time, take a look around and observe the beauty of us all together, coexisting in one world.

You will be standing in this position for about five minutes. Adjust your position so that you can stay comfortable.

If anyone gets tired and needs a chair, let me know.

Once a child asked for a chair, stood on it, and said that he was the sun, watching over everyone.

Dance the Web

Now we need web-makers. Those of you who chose not to be a part of nature can now help us make the web. You will be given rolls of streamers of different colors. People of the web, you can choose to come out of the web and be the web-makers instead.

This is a good opportunity to include children who did not want to participate. I have offered them a colorful roll of crepe paper, and asked if they would help is make the web. Because they become interested through observation and have been enjoying the process, this gesture often gets everyone fully involved.

Web-makers, hand the end of your roll of crepe paper to one child to hold and then, moving in an out through other children, wind the crepe paper around, under, and over their arms, legs, shoulders, and so forth. Be careful not to wind it around their neck. Everyone likes to watch the web being created, so don’t cover anyone’s eyes. Web-makers, as other children are winding their colors through the group, you may have to step over or under the other steamers. When you have finished your rolls of paper, give the end to someone to hold or tuck it into another’s pocket or sleeve.

Now that the web-makers have finished making the web, you can move in and out and over and under the spaces of the web you have created.

Web-makers can now take a special place in the web. You may sit on the floor and look at it from below.

You may stand in one of the spaces.

You may take the shape of a part of nature and be part of the web.

Now we can move in slow motion, each of us affecting the web and one another with our movement.

Remember to move very slowly so we don’t break the web.

Naming

He web includes all living things.
One at a time, I would like you to tell the others who you are and say a few words or a sentence about yourself. I will not tell you when it is your turn. You will have to be aware of each other and not talk at the same time. You will know when it is your turn. If you choose, you may build upon the ideas of others.
One group of children who built on each other’s ideas said:
I am a flowing river.
I am a seagull soaring over the river.
I am the wind moving wherever I want to go.
I am the storm that is creating the wind.
I am a kangaroo jumping into the wind.
I am a lion chasing the kangaroo.
You are all beautiful parts of nature connected to each other, dependent on each other, giving to each other, related to each other, and growing with each other.
While we are all connected to the web we can sing a song. Sing, “Let there be peace on earth”.
We come together and we are separate.
In leaving today take a part of the web with you.

Art

We will make a large mural of all your nature ideas.

Reference

Benzwie, T. “More moving experiences. “. Zephyr Press.