Moving and Dancing

Music moves us, and music makes us move.

Movement and music within early years settings is often planned for within an adult led music session and at times focuses on singing and movement; encouraging children to make specific actions and movements to songs. When referring to infants approaching their first year, Tafuri (2008, p.20) refers to songs and discusses babies’ ability to clap their hands:

There are numerous songs in the popular repertoire that call for this action.  Sometimes, it is the parents themselves who take the child’s hands and clap them, although really the children should have the freedom to do so when they have developed this skill and feel the desire to do it.

There are many avenues and possibilities for music and movement activity; moving whilst listening to music and moving whilst making music. Pound and Harrison suggested that ‘opportunities for dancing or expressive movement to music should continue to be encouraged’ (2003, p.57). This and much of the literature on children’s movement and music seems to focus on children’s movement to music and there is little on children’s movement with music, whilst playing instruments.

Dalcroze is important to acknowledge within this aspect of children’s musical development. Émile Jaques-Dalcroze was a Swiss composer and music educator who developed Dalcroze Eurhythmics. This is an approach to learning and experiencing music through movement. To find out more about Dalcroze you can visit https://dalcroze.org.uk/

Movement & Instruments

The type of instruments available in settings needs to be carefully considered for musical activity, not purely for the sound possibilities but also for movement possibilities. The nature of an instrument has a direct impact on the physicality of the person playing it. Portable instruments may encourage children to move more freely, how instruments are positioned in terms of height may have an impact on how they are played.

Burke and Power (2014) conducted a small research study on the influence of instruments on children’s movements in their music making. The research specifically explored the influence that the layout and display of instruments have on children’s movements.

The study clearly identified that some children are provoked to move with the sound of an acoustic instrument. It is therefore important within early years settings that opportunities are provided for movement with this in mind. Children’s movements should be observed and acknowledged, not just in response to music but also within their individual instrumental musical play. On the whole and not surprisingly standing appeared to encourage more mobility for example dancing, jumping and walking around tables whilst playing with instruments. Children’s instrument play is clearly connected with movement and these two aspects are fused together within children’s creativity. This in accord with Marsh and Young’s suggestion of multimodality (2006, p. 290)

There are, however, certain characteristics of musical play that persist across all ages.  A key characteristic is multimodality: children blend movement with singing and, if available, with making sounds with objects or instruments.  They are therefore as visually and kinaesthetically active as they are aurally.

Burke and Power’s study found that the nature and type of instruments available and how they are presented within an environment clearly impacts children’s movements.

You can download the report from the study here.

Music and movement are inseparable.  We physically sense the movement in music and ‘hear’ the music silently made by movement.  The qualities of timing, rhythmic patterning, phrasing and intensity are shared by both.  So it makes sense to work with children in music and movement together both in musical terms and in terms of children’s learning. (Young and Glover 1998, p.36).

Observe the children in the following clip: