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Text; Choreography; Illustrations; Photo copyright 2001-2007 Susan Kramer
Santa Barbara, California USA
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Published by Dance for Children
susan@susankramer.com

Rhythms and Dances for School Age Kids
by Susan Kramer

In 100 pages, 16 rhythmic dance steps illustrated and described,
plus 9 little dances, 18 - ABA and other sequencing combinations, and 4 advanced group dances -
for learning kinesthetically about math sets, sequencing, and language phrasing and rhythms.
Can be adapted for special needs children.

Spirited Dance
Bending, Circling
Flowing, Moving
Lightly, Rhythmically in Time
Using Space

I. Key for Clapping

II. Combinations with AB Sequencing
1) march & slide AB
2) jump & hop AB
3) march & skip AB
4) run & gallop AB
5) waltz & prance AB
6) polka & skip AB
7) schottische & leap AB
8) minuet & skip AB
more complex: combinations with ABAC, AA, BB, ABC Sequencing
9) waltz, slide, & skip  AB,AC
10) skip, march, & slide  AB,AC,AA,BB
11) polka, skip, & waltz  AB,AC
12) schottische, skip, & polka  ABC,AB
13) minuet, waltz, & skip  AB,AC
14) gallop, march, & run  AB,AC

III.Links
 
 

tum = a whole beat that is accented
ta = half the time of a whole beat
&  = a brief pause or transition in action

walk, walk, walk, walk & gallop, gallop, gallop, gallop
tum, tum, tum, tum & ta tum, ta tum, ta tum, ta tum

 

II. Combinations

Guidelines:
 

• The accompanists can clap hands, clap on thighs, or use rhythm instruments.
• Sequencing: from simple AB to more complex patterns including ABAC, AA, BB, ABC
• Numbers 1) through 8) combine 2 different movements; 9) through 14) combine 3 different movements.
• Move in circles, lines, or other shapes.
• Arms to the side, in opposition, or stretched up high.
• Vary tempo, dynamics, levels; scrouch down low, or stretch up on half toe.
• If possible, move not only forward, but backward, or to the side.
• Between different movements note the "&" pause or transition symbol; moving forward, as one would in walking forward, the back foot passes to in front of the body to step into the new movement. In moving backward, as in walking backward, the front foot passes behind to step into the new movement.

---

1) AB
march, march, march, march, & slide, slide, slide, slide,
&  march, march, march, march, & slide, slide, slide, slide, &...
Clap:
tum, tum, tum, tum, & tum, tum, tum, tum,
& tum, tum, tum, tum, & tum, tum, tum, tum, &...

---

2) AB
jump, jump, jump, jump, & hop, hop, hop, hop,
& jump, jump, jump, jump, & hop, hop, hop, hop, &...
Clap:
tum, tum, tum, tum, &ta, ta, ta, ta,
& tum, tum, tum, tum, & ta, ta, ta, ta, &...

---

3) AB
march, march, march, march,
& skip, skip, skip, skip,
& march, march, march, march,
& skip, skip, skip, skip, &...
Clap:
tum, tum, tum, tum,
& tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, tum ta,
& tum, tum, tum, tum,
& tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, &...

---

4) AB
run, run, run, run,
& gallop, gallop, gallop, gallop,
& run, run, run, run,
& gallop, gallop, gallop, gallop, &...
Clap:
ta, ta, ta, ta,
& ta tum, ta tum, ta tum, ta tum,
& ta, ta, ta, ta,
& ta tum, ta tum,ta tum, ta tum, &...

---

5) AB
waltz, waltz, waltz, waltz,
& prance, & prance, & prance, & prance, &...
Clap:
tum ta ta, tum ta ta, tum ta ta, tum ta ta,
& tum, & tum, & tum, & tum, &...

---

6) AB
polka, & polka,
& skip, skip, skip, skip,
& polka, & polka,
& skip, skip, skip, skip, &...
Clap:
tum ta tum, & tum ta tum,
& tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, tum ta,
& tum ta tum, & tum ta tum,
& tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, &...

---

7) AB
schottische, & schottische,
& leap, & leap, & leap, & leap, &...
Clap:
tum, tum, tum, tum, & tum, tum, tum, tum,
&  tum,    & tum,    & tum,    & tum, &...

---

8) AB
minuet, & minuet,
minuet, & minuet,
& skip, skip, skip, skip, &...
Clap:
tum, tum, tum, tum, & tum, tum, tum, tum,
& tum, tum, tum, tum, & tum, tum, tum, tum,
& tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, &...

---

9) AB,AC
waltz, waltz, waltz, waltz,
Clap:
tum ta ta, tum ta ta, tum ta ta, tum ta ta,

& slide, slide, slide, slide
Clap:
& tum, & tum, & tum, & tum,

& waltz, waltz, waltz, waltz,
Clap:
& tum ta ta, tum ta ta, tum ta ta, tum ta ta,

& skip, skip, skip, skip,
Clap:
&tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, tum ta,

& waltz, waltz, waltz, waltz,
Clap:
& tum ta ta, tum ta ta, tum ta ta, tum ta ta,

& slide, slide, slide, slide,
Clap:
& tum,     tum,     tum,     tum,

& waltz, waltz, waltz, waltz,
Clap:
& tum ta ta, tum ta ta, tum ta ta, tum ta ta,

& skip, skip, skip, skip, &...
Clap:
& tum ta, tum ta, tum ta,tum ta, &...

---

10) AB,AC,AA,BB
skip, skip, skip, skip,
Clap:
tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, tum ta,

& march, march, march, march
Clap:
& tum, tum, tum, tum,

& skip, skip, skip, skip,
Clap:
& tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, tum ta,

& slide, slide, slide, slide,
Clap:
& tum,     tum,     tum,     tum,

& skip, skip, skip, skip,
skip, skip, skip, skip,
Clap:
& tum ta, tum ta, tumta, tum ta,
tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, tum ta,

& march, march, march, march,
march, march, march, march &...
Clap:
& tum, tum, tum, tum,
tum, tum, tum, tum, &...

---

11) AB,AC
polka, & polka,
& polka, & polka,
Clap:
tum ta tum, & tum ta tum,
& tum ta tum, & tum ta tum,

& skip, skip, skip, skip,
skip, skip, skip, skip,
Clap:
& tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, tum ta,
tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, tum ta,

& polka, & polka,
& polka, & polka,
Clap:
& tum ta tum, & tum ta tum,
& tum ta tum, & tum ta tum,

& waltz, & waltz,
& waltz, & waltz, &...
Clap:
& tum ta ta, & tum ta ta,
& tum ta ta, tum ta ta, &...

---

12) ABC,AB
schottische, & schottische,
& schottische, & schottische,
Clap:
& tum, tum, tum, tum, & tum, tum, tum, tum,
& tum, tum, tum, tum, & tum, tum, tum, tum,

& skip, skip, skip, skip,
Clap:
& tum ta, tum ta, tum ta,tum ta,

& polka, & polka,
Clap:
& tumta tum, & tum ta tum,

& schottische, & schottische,
& schottische, & schottische,
Clap:
& tum, tum, tum, tum, & tum, tum, tum, tum,
& tum, tum, tum, tum, & tum, tum, tum, tum,

& skip, skip, skip, skip,
skip, skip, skip, skip, &...
Clap:
& tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, tum ta,
tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, &...

---

13) AB,AC
minuet, & minuet,
& minuet, & minuet,
Clap:
tum, tum, tum, tum, & tum, tum, tum, tum,
& tum, tum, tum, tum, & tum, tum, tum, tum,

& waltz, & waltz,
& waltz, & waltz,
Clap:
& tum ta ta, & tum ta ta,
& tum ta ta, & tum ta ta,

& minuet, & minuet,
& minuet, & minuet,
Clap:
& tum, tum, tum, tum, & tum, tum, tum, tum,
& tum, tum, tum, tum, & tum, tum, tum, tum,

& skip, skip, skip, skip,
skip, skip, skip, skip, &...
Clap:
& tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, tum ta,
tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, tum ta, &...

---

14) AB,AC
gallop, gallop, gallop, gallop,
gallop, gallop, gallop, gallop,
Clap:
ta tum, ta tum, ta tum, ta tum,
ta tum, ta tum, ta tum, ta tum,

& march, march, march, march,
march, march, march, march
Clap:
& tum, tum, tum, tum,
tum, tum, tum, tum,

& gallop, gallop, gallop, gallop,
gallop, gallop, gallop, gallop,
Clap:
& ta tum, ta tum, ta tum, ta tum,
ta tum, ta tum, tatum, ta tum,

& run, run, run, run,
run, run, run, run, &...
Clap:
& ta, ta, ta, ta,
ta, ta, ta, ta,&...
 
 

III. Links

web site:  http://www.xs4all.nl/~sustan/dance.html
email:  susan@susankramer.com
biography: http://www.susankramer.com/Biography.html

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Susan Kramer, M.A. is an international author of more than 50 collections and 150 articles on rhythmic movement, modern dance, ballet, music, philosophy, relationships, social issues, yoga and practical spirituality for children, teens, adults and those challenged, with some translations in Dutch, French, German and Spanish, and with her husband, Stan Schaap- http://www.powertoshare.com resides in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.related texts
Radiant Yoga for Children
http://www.susankramer.com/Yoga.html

http://www.thegateway.org

published March 14, 2001 | updated June 17, 2001 |  webmaster