Allow your children to become Story Dancers
I want to share this story because it made my day when it happened. I was visiting a school in Toronto and sitting in front of me in eager anticipation was a Grade 1 class. They are open and friendly and the ideal audience in many ways because they still believe in magic.
I began my stories and told them wonderful tales and in one of the stories there was a king who loved music and loved to dance. The story tells of how the king would make his subjects sing and dance for him each evening as part of the entertainment and the best would get a very special prize!
When the story was done this young boy put up his hand and told me “I have a gift for you “and he asked if he could dance for me as this was a dance he thought the king would like. It was beautiful. He pirouetted and swayed and was totally wrapped up in the dance.
When he was done I asked him what music was he hearing?? And I started to hum a well-known tune -Ravel’s Bolero….”That’s it exactly “ he shouted and danced again and when he was finally done he said and I quote “I am your story dancer”.
I was blown away. He was 6. His language was thoughtful and he made me feel very special and I told him I would always treasure his “gift”.
But what made this even more lovely was I noticed that one of the teachers had run out of the room when he was dancing and she brought the principal in and they all looked on in wonder.
Apparently my story dancer had NEVER spoken a word, had never danced, had never interacted since he had started in Grade1.
They couldn’t wait to tell his parents and I have been sharing his story ever since.
Children are precious. They have hidden depths and talents. Share your stories & your music with them.
Let them all become “story dancers.”