Missouri Humanities Council e-News | November 2009 | View Online  

Passages Masthead
Our Home Back Issues READ from the START Web ReadMOre Web Our Blog Our Wiki

All the Dancin' Babies

By Julie Douglas, Family Program Specialist

What does Beyoncé have in common with children’s authors Tana Hoban or Sandra Boynton?  Well, oddly enough, she has created something that fascinates babies in much the same way that a picture book or the whimsical Boynton verse does.  If you're a fan of YouTube, you may have already discovered countless clips of babies bouncing and gyrating to Beyoncé’s “All the Single Ladies” video.

According to Time Magazine writer Ada Calhoun, it's not that surprising.  The babies are simply responding (enthusiastically!!!) to the rhythm, repetition, and the visual appeal of the catchy song and dance.  The music has a steady beat, a simple tune, and phrases that are repeated over and over.  The dancing is performed by three smiling women (babies love smiling faces!), and the movements have a distinct pattern.  The dancers are clad in black leotards. See them dance in front of a white background! Dance! Dance! Dance!

Ah! Ah! Ah! The lyrics are composed of sounds that are easily imitated by Baby.

While it is doubtful that the artist had babies in mind when creating her video, it is interesting how an accidental audience responds to it! (Don't even imagine that I condone plopping baby in front of a video! Your own singing or reading to Baby will evoke this same happy response.)

Think about the great books for babies. They share these characteristics: rhythmic language, high contrast illustrations, and lots of repetition so that baby can anticipate what is coming.  The language has a strong beat and is predictable.  It offers the baby sounds to imitate and explore. Books for babies feature simple black and white or bold, chunky illustrations that offer Baby the high contrast that is visually appealing to young eyes.  And because babies learn about their world using their mouths as well as their eyes and ears, "board books" with durable pages that can stand up to being gummed are best.

Perhaps the most important lesson learned from this unusual interaction between babies and a pop star is that enthusiasm captures a baby’s attention!  When reading to baby, be sure to add some movement such as rocking, bouncing, clapping, or dipping.  Put excitement in your voice and use lots of expression!  A good book is a good start, but a parent can be a real rock star in the eyes of a child by loosening up and having fun with language.

To see the baby dancing craze for yourself:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikTxfIDYx6Q

To read Calhoun’s article, visit: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1929777,00.html

[Return to Passages Front Page]

Also in This Issue:

Support the Council

Giveness Logo Purchases from online retailers Amazon.com, eBay, and others yield a donation to the Council with no cost to you. The retailer contributes a portion of its profits on each transaction when you shop through giveness.com/mohumanities