Charlotte Mason included folk dance in the wide and varied feast. Today’s interview with Sandra Sosa explores some of the enormous range of possibilities that open up to us when we consider making dancing a part of our education. Her contagious enthusiasm will inspire even the most bashful among us to get moving and add a joyous element to our lives.
Listen Now:
“Therefore, children should learn dancing … at an early age. The subject of the natural training of eye and muscles was taken up pretty fully in treating of ‘Out-of-Door Life.’ I will only add, that to give the child pleasure in light and easy motion…dancing, drill, calisthenics, some sort of judicious physical exercise, should make part of every day’s routine.” (1/113)
“Dancing, and the various musical drills, lend themselves to grace of movement, and give more pleasure…to the little people.” (1/315)
For the Children’s Sake, Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
A Charlotte Mason Companion, Andreola
Episode 77: Dancing with Lance Halverson
Soldado – Juan Luis Guerra (a merengue)
El pescador – Totó La Momposina (a famous Colombian cumbia)
Sandra! Thank you so much for sharing this! I was a Spanish major in college and an exchange student in Costa Rica for four months, then did mission work for two months in Mexico a year later. Latin American dances are near and dear to my heart even though it’s not my heritage. I’ve been trying to teach myself some English dances like what Mason would’ve done, but my heart is not in it. Thank you for just sharing that you can do what is dear to your heart. I’m not the best dancer, but I love merengue, salsa, and bolero and love to learn new ones so now I’m going to go watch your cumbia video. I learned Mexican cumbia while in Costa Rica. Thank you for clarifying there are two different cumbias because I am not so sure I want my kids to know the words to the Mexican cumbias I learned in the discoteca in college. lol Anyway, thank you again. I really loved hearing you share! 🙂