Splish splash! How refreshing is a cooling water theme in summer? Though watery ocean, lake, river, and rain concepts can ignite the imagination yearlong, I find them particularly fun in the warmer months, for children’s and all-ages dance, yoga, meditation and visualization, poetic and artistic inspiration. This is a (growing, dynamic, never comprehensive) collection of resources I personally treasure and love to share as a teaching artist but may also be useful to families with children, other creatives, or to delight your own inner artist child.
Dance Like Water
Rain Dance
Lakeside Swans
Seaside Stretch
Flowing Yoga & Meditation
Water-Related Yoga & Dance Poses & Shapes
- Waves
- Boat, Row Your Boat
- Fish
- Starfish
- Dolphin
- Crab
- Turtle
- Starfish
- Mermaid
- Seal
- Clamshell, Mollusks & other Sea Shells
- Snail, Hermit Crab
- Sea Anemone
Flow Like Water Yoga Practice
Float Your Boat Pose & Bridge
Beachy Books & Reading
Books
- A Day at the Beach by Mircea Vasiliu is one of my favorite children’s books that takes place on a summery day by the sea, with images that stuck with me through the years
- Blue Skin of the Sea by Graham Salisbury is a novel that takes place in my home town of Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i
- Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- Black Flags, Blue Waters by Eric Jay Dolin
- Pirate Women by Laura Sook Duncombe
- Booty: Girl Pirates on the High Seas book by Sara Lorimer
Poems
- “In Time of Silver Rain” by Langston Hughes (recorded reading above)
- “Tropical Fish” by David D. Horowitz
- “Each Wing Alive” by David D. Horowitz
- “The Owl and the Pussycat” by Edward Lear
- “Penguin Love” by Donald Kentop
Water-Inspired Music
- Wave After Wave – Aquatic Water, Sea & Oceanic Sounds Playlist on YouTube
- “Come Dance by the Ocean” Kids’ Song by Ella Jenkins
- “Ocean Ballet” (instrumental) by Randy Stahla
- “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid
- “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” Traditional, sung by Laura Wright
- “Swan Lake” Little Swans by Tchaikovsky played by Trisha Wolf
- “Mermaid” by Kevin McLeod on YouTube
- “Mermaids” and “What the Water Gave Me” by Florence + the Machine
- “Shorelines” by Lucy Vincent
- “The Sea” by Morcheeba
- “Sweet Tides” by Thievery Corporation
- “Water” by Tyla
- “Swim Good” by Frank Ocean
- “Sailing” by Christopher Cross
- “Big Ship” by Freddie McGregor
- “Surf” by The Ka’u Crater Boys
- “Surfin’ USA” and “Kokomo” by The Beach Boys
- “River” by Joni Mitchell
- “River” by Bishop Briggs
- “Proud Mary” by Tina Turner
- “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” by B.J. Thomas
Questions for Reflection
- What are your favorite watery movements, songs, poems, books?
- Which element(s) inspire you?
- What watery creations are you moved to make?
Resources for Further Exploration
- Summer Fun in or out of the Sun: a Bucket List of Hot-Weather Hits
- Creative Ballet Port de Bras – Arm Artistry Exploring Nature
- Wonderful Warmers Whet the Appetite – Movement, Dance, & Ballet Warm-Ups to Get Ready & Feel Good
- Cool Downs to Cleanse the Palate – 5 Ways to Cool Off & Wind Down
- Balletlicious Building Blocks of Dance 7-Day Free Virtual Challenge
- Yogalicious 5-Day ReTREAT: Escape Virtually, Anytime
- Coming from Your Powerful Core: Calibrating a Centered State of Being for Yoga, Dance, & Life
Special events and resources for Back-to-School, Fall and more coming up soon! The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as my favorite work from other creators is to subscribe to my weekly email newsletter. Would love to be connected to you there, on social media, online or in-person.
Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst
she/her or they/them
Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach
helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties,
taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education