In celebration of its 20th Anniversary Season, the
Jump Rhythm Jazz Project will present "Jump Rhythm Technique and the
Language of Rhythm" for the Family Dance Matinee at 3:00 p.m. on
Saturday, February 20 at The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago (1306 South Michigan Avenue).
This educational and entertaining, audience-interactive
lecture-demonstration will begin at 2:15 p.m. with audience members
joining the performers onstage for a parent/child movement workshop,
followed by the 3 p.m. hour-long performance.
Jump Rhythm's program
will provide an opportunity for families to experience the pleasures of
both watching and doing Jump Rhythm's signature "full-bodied
rhythm-making."
For tickets, call (312) 369-8330 or visit
www.colum.edu/dancecenter. Family Dance Matinee tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for
children.
This sounds like a fabulous family event -- but don't just take my word for it. I had a
chance to ask some of the moms on the Board of the Jump Rhythm Jazz
Project about their thoughts on this event and the importance of music
and movement for kids in general.
The "Mom Panel" included Board
members and former Jump Rhythm Jazz dancers Kari Kudson Christopher (Benefit Committee Chair), Corey Yarnell Lozier (Board President),
and Annie Beserra (Secretary-Treasurer).
Here is what they had to say.
Wee
Windy City: Why should dance and music be a part of kids' lives? Tell
us about the benefits you've witnessed in your work with children and
movement.Kari: Dance and music has been a big part of my
children's lives. I have found that movement at a young age fulfills a
great desire to express oneself and have fun (read to get energy out).
It is natural for all little ones to want to move around when they hear
music. I have seen my son's coordination develop as well as his
confidence, as evidenced now in his athletic endeavors (he plays ice
hockey). Music has contributed to the increase of my children's
vocabulary and sense of rhythm. Lots of children's music has hand
movements that go with the words (i.e. Itsy bitsy spider, wheels on the
bus, etc.) which encourages coordination between their voice and their
bodies as well as helps them to understand the meaning of the words. I
believe being exposed to music and dance at an early age sets a solid
foundation for later appreciation of the performing arts.
Corey:
Dance and music should be a part of every child's life, without a
doubt! The human brain is very complex, and there are many neurological
links between academic or intellectual learning and movement. Music and
movement also offer an emotional release, and another way, besides
language, for a growing person to express himself. The benefits of
including movement and music in a child's life are countless. In my
work as a dance teacher for kids aged 3-18, as well as with my own
9-month old son, I have seen the impact that music and movement has. At
the dance studio, I see children gaining confidence each time they
master a step; I see them smiling when the are jumping and leaping
through the air with abandon, just for the fun of it; I see them
understanding rhythm and learning patterns and sequencing when we put
together tap steps to jazz music. At home with my baby, I see him
learning about cause and effect each time he bangs his hand on his drum
and learning about the world around him each time I skip around the
house with him in my arms.
Annie: Kiddos are born singing and
dancing. I'm witnessing this first hand with my 6-week-old and
2-year-old. Those first cries and squirms quickly shift into simple
compositions. My 2-year-old's latest hit is "Fire Boots," a tribute to
his fireman styled rain boots that he sings as he stomp-marches up and
down our hallway. Exposing kids to movement and music affirms these
expressive instincts and gives them a place to share their experience.
They see their own singing and dancing reflected in other people's
voices and bodies, and suddenly singing and dancing becomes a way of
knowing and experiencing community.
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