Skimming, lighter than air

So lovely to view the young before they have been (mis) directed. My nephew Simon, who has the breathe of Terpsichore in him, just loves to move, and sing, and play with sounds, and rhythms, and body sensations as he floats through the universe. We love to watch.


We also wonder, after viewing ancient beauty at the Met, if maybe others have felt the breathe of Terpsichore. What cherubic beings float through space and play with the feeling of their bodies defined by Earth's gravity.

Art Smart

One thing we should not ignore, as the election draws near, is where the candidates rank the arts. Recognizing the importance of art in education is becoming increasingly important. Research tells us that children exposed early, and often to the arts fare better in tests, careers and life. But as our nation's economy reels, will we see funds for art programs shelved?
Good thing Americans for the Arts Action Fund, a bipartisan arts advocacy group, is asking. In their ArtsVote report, they found that while Republican Sen. John McCain issued a brief statement, vaguely saying "arts education can play a role in nurturing the creativity of expression" the Obama statement was long and strong.
In addition to a history of voting for the arts throughout his political career, he stated, "To remain competitive in the global economy, America needs to reinvigorate the kind of creativity and innovation that has made this country great. To do so, we must nourish our children’s creative skills. In addition to giving our children the science and math skills they need to compete in the new global context, we should also encourage the ability to think creatively that comes from a meaningful arts education."
He gets it. A meaningful arts education.
Neuroscientists get it. Training in the arts improves cognition.
Teachers get it. Students who participate in the arts have higher test scores and lower drop-out rates.
Corporate leaders get it. Terry Semel, past chairman of Warner Bros., said, "Art is central to a civilized society. Kids who create don't destroy."
Thinker/writer, Daniel Pink notes that we are at the end of a binary-only thinking era. Students who can think imaginatively, creatively, or "outside the box" will become the most attractive workers for global corporations. Arts education prepares young minds for non-linear thinking.
As the oft-quoted Elizabeth Murfee writes in her 1995, Making a Case for Culture, "Drawing helps writing. Song and poetry make facts memorable. Drama makes history more vivid and real. Creative movement makes processes understandable."
Socially, arts have proven to be an effective outreach tool to engage youth. Self esteem, cooperation, resilience improves when students have been exposed to the arts.
And lastly, what of the joy and wonder the arts offer the mind and spirit? Arts play a key role in the education of a child.

Wigged Out

I wasn't blessed with a girl. I got two boys and we didn't "keep trying" for a girl.
We all know families with half a dozen of one gender of offspring. Maybe they kept trying.
And yes, they are full of love, perhaps a tad imbalanced, there might be an overwhelmed parent somewhere in the household.
For me, two kids was enough.
I was born with two hands. One each for holding, feeding, disciplining, caressing, changing diapers. Each child got one hand. Made sense to us.
But as a former dancer, boy did I want a girl. If I had a girl, we could dance, and dress up, and play and stuff. Didn't happen.
Until now. I've got a niece! And she is too cute and turning three and I get to play with her and spoil her and read to her and we are good friends.
She seems to be safely transitioning out of an alarming Clara (Nutcracker girl) phase. It seemed long and obsessive. She would sharply correct anyone who addressed her by the name on her birth certificate. "I am Clara!"
And her parents had to act out the other roles, primarily the part where the younger brother, Fritz, breaks her new toy in Act I. To the sad music. Granted, she did just get a new brother, and maybe she was "working stuff out" but maintaining that role for four months, that's a major fraction one's life if they are two-and-a-half. We were kind of worried.
But not anymore. Now, she is Ariel. The Little Mermaid, Ariel. And we sing the song......aaah, ah ah aaaah, and her far away look probably means something other than new sibling stealing toys. Good.
Now for her third birthday, she wants long orange/red hair. Like Ariel. Wavy. Long.
In the world of dance, we would bring in an artiste to create the look in mind, a costumer, a designer, you work together, discuss, play the music, money changes hands, and opening night is fabulous.
But here and now, we simply have the Internet and FedX. One could Google costumes and details and get all sorts of options. All fire retardant, some sleazy. But she wants to be Ariel. And it's my job to deliver. View the option.
I am truly challenged.
Comments welcome.

Sometimes The Spirit Moves Us

Sometimes you just can't help yourself, when that music comes on, when your favorite dancing skirt moves just right, you just have to dance!