Folk Dancing At Doxey Elementary

I had the pleasure of visiting Laurie Allen at Doxey Elementary last week and it was a dancing day!  Here's what you may not know about Laurie....


1)  She has taught at Doxey Elementary for 20 years! As a classified specialist!
2)  Laurie teaches music but touches on drama, story telling and dance.
3)  Laurie serves a very difficult community at a Title 1 school and she does her job traveling to and from classes on a cart.
4)  Laurie loves folk dancing!


That's why I was so lucky to be with her when she was teaching folk dance to her 5th graders. 


Laurie taught 3 different dances that day.  She started out with a very simple partner dance where the kids got to sashay down the middle and then do this cool move called DIP AND DIVE!  When the kids finally got it, it was like watching human weaving in action! 

Laurie also taught a circle dance which was a little more complicated.  It included partners again, some hand clapping and moving both directions.  The Laurie taught the Boot Scootin' Boggie!  Ahh!  Bringing me back to my country dancin' days. 


The kids really loved this one.  Here is my favorite picture of them...

The thing I enjoyed most about watching the kids dance was the look on their faces.  They truly enjoyed dancing with each other and smiled the whole time.


Laurie taught a lower grade class following the dancing and had a fun lesson that included the music Star Light Star Bright and glockenspiels or tone bells.  I loved the way she had the instruments set up for the kids.  They knew exactly what notes to play because she had removed some of the bars,  and what a great way to use a set or two of tone bells. 

The little kids had so much fun singing together that they began to hold on to each other and sway to the music.  They didn't know it, but they were practicing steady beat.  And...look at their faces!  Smiles all around!

Thanks, Laurie for sharing your classes with me.  I always love coming to see you and one day I AM going to catch you doing your amazing poetry!