Moving in power – Dance, music, and joyful expression

Written by Liz Pemberton, the award-winning director of The Black Nursery Manager Ltd. Her mission is to transform early childhood education by embedding inclusive, anti-racist principles into practice, policy, and pedagogy.

As we enter the second week of Black History Month, I really hope that you were able to incorporate some of my suggested tips from last week’s article. Maybe you’ve started building a ‘family traditions wall’ at home or been reading some of those gorgeous books that I recommended with your children? What would be even more wonderful is if you shared any activities that you did with your child’s key person so that they can share these things during circle time with their friends.

I did hint last week that we’d be talking more about dancing in this article and here we are! But before anyone panics, let’s take a moment to define what I actually mean by “dancing.” Because I know a few of you probably just took a sharp breath and heard that little internal voice whisper,

“You? A dancer? Absolutely not.”

IGNORE THAT VOICE! I am not saying that any of us need to be Oti or Johannes level (a shout out to my Strictly fans) but I want you to think about it more in terms of movement of any kind on or off the beat - no judgement .

The kind of dancing that I do in the comfort of my own home, when it’s just me, my husband and my toddler is uninhibited and purely joyful in its expression. I learn more and more from my son about how to let go of my inhibitions because I watch him dance like nobody’s watching all of the time and it’s inspiring.

Dance and music links brilliantly with another of this year’s Black History Month’s themes, Power, and more specifically the power of movement and any joyful expression.

I’m sure that you won’t be a stranger to the ways your little one instinctively moves some part of their body to a favourite song when they hear it playing. It could be a sudden smile of recognition when they hear that opening chord or, like in the case of my toddler, a waist shake and arms reached to the sky when he hears the opening lyrics ; “It talkin’, I answer” of Klassik Frescobar’s song Dansa.

Whatever they do that demonstrates joy in that moment will instinctively trigger the same feelings in you too and that’s the sign that feeling is contagious.

Music and movement sit at the heart of Black culture around the world. My mom often shares call-and-response songs with my toddler like Brown Girl in the Ring, a traditional Caribbean song she sang as a child growing up in Jamaica. The playfulness, turn taking and group singing that are a key part of this song carry deep cultural meaning and transform rhythm into a collective heartbeat that unites generations. Are there any songs like this that you know are directly related to yours and your families cultural background?

For Black communities, movement and music have always been intertwined with strength, celebration, and connection. Across generations, rhythms have carried stories, faith, and joy from church gatherings to dance halls. In every form, from the gentle sway of a lullaby to the exuberance of playing mas at carnival, movement has been a way of remembering who we are and honouring those who came before us. It is important to understand these historical parts when it comes to the legacy of Black communities in the UK as it helps to cement understanding about how things have come to be today.

What is also good to know is that Black History Month, along with lots of other cultural markers, is firmly embedded in the N curriculum. This means that there will be lots of things happening in your child’s setting to mark this celebratory month.

Music and dance offer children of all backgrounds and abilities a chance to express emotion, build confidence, and experience community. When you see updates on the N App about your child’s day and see that they have learnt a new clapping game, taken part in an African drumming circle session or learnt a new song from across the African or Caribbean diaspora, they are not simply adding diversity to the N curriculum; they are connecting children to a powerful lineage of creativity and resistance intrinsically linked to Black history.

For children with SEND, rhythm and movement can be especially inclusive. Music invites participation beyond words, and repetition or vibration can help children engage through sensory experiences. This of course will be carefully tailored to individual children’s needs but by creating space for all children to feel the beat, practitioners celebrate not only cultural heritage but also the universal power of joy and belonging.

What can we do at home?

• Use anything as a percussion instrument (tabletops are our favourite) and beat out rhythms together.
• Make up your own call-and-response songs
• Make a conscious effort to have music playing whilst you are cooking, during bathtime or as relaxing wind down time before bed. Some of our family favourites are:

- Yussef Dayes - Portrait of Tracy

-Sister Nancy – Bam Bam

-Klassik Frescobar’s – Dansa

-Fela Kuti – Water No Get Enemy

-Sault – My Light

-Jullian Gomes (feat Sio) – 1000 Memories

-John Coltrane – A Love Supreme

For more content from Liz, visit theblacknurserymanager.com and @theblacknurserymanager

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