Movement in Your World

Movement In Your World (MIYW) introduces children ages three to five to creative movement and basic music through a series of weekly workshops that are free of charge. MIYW is designed to stimulate children’s intellectual and cultural development through fun experiences with dance and music. The program impacts over 1,000 children each year.

The program was introduced in 2000 and continues to fill a significant gap in the community's arts offerings: expansion of young, under-served children's learning capabilities and interests through the art of dance. In collaboration with the Dane County Parent Council and Madison Public Libraries (to name a few), MIYW is a major component of Madison Ballet's Education & Outreach Program and is free-of-charge to children.

A typical workshop

Part I: Warm-up

Warm Up The children form a circle and are introduced to movement such as stretching, flexing and pointing the feet, bending and straightening the knees and torso, basic arm movements, and posture. The children explore many ways the body can move and are also introduced to classroom behavior appropriate to a dance class.

Part II: Introduction to Creative Movement

Introduction Each week, students are introduced to a concept around the day's lesson. These concepts help children explore various ways to expand everyday movement into dance by manipulating qualities such as space, time, weight and energy. Lessons include exploring the differences between large and small, high and low, loud and soft, and fast and slow movements.

Part III: Exploring the Concept

Explore Students are guided through activities designed to help them become familiar with the concept. They may work individually, in pairs or as a group. The children also use rhythm instruments to demonstrate an understanding of the concept, allowing them to see the connection between rhythm, music and dance.

Part IV: Developing Skills and Introduction to Creating

Create In the last section of the class, children are encouraged to explore locomotor and nonlocomotor activites that illustrate the concept. Through movements such as leaping, turning, stretching, and balancing, the children develop these skills as they relate to creative movement. Students are also asked to draw from earlier explorations to create movements of their own in improvised or "free dance" activities.