Dafna is a performer and educator in Drama, Storytelling and Dance. Also as a dancer- choreographer she has performed her work and the work of others in Mexico, Israel, Canada and New York. Dafna graduated from Bard College Division of Drama and Dance, is a Certified Laban Movement Analyst (CMA) and a Registered Dance Educator (RDE). Through Kinesthetic Intelligence Plus, she has coordinated the planning and implementation of New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) grants in partnership with Long Island public schools. These partnerships link performing arts skills with core subject areas to achieve integrated goals and outcomes for student learners using a whole brain approach to education.

Keywords
interpretive dance, descriptive language, kinaesthetic intelligence, literacy, Laban movement analysis, story making

This article was previously published online on the well known children’s literacy website: www.best-childrens-books.com/story-dance.html

Dafna writes ‘Children love to move and can use their kinesthetic intelligence to learn literacy skills. Theme and variation, descriptive language, beginning, middle and end, keeping track, and sequencing are all skills needed to be a good reader, writer, choreographer and improvisational dance maker.’ She describes this as a creative and engaging activity for sustaining children’s interest in stories, whilst activating their embodied imaginations. (pp 31-33)

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