Rhythms

Rhythms

Rhythms is a unique movement program developed at City and County in the 1920s. In Rhythms, the 3s and 4s run, gallop, jump and hop to live piano accompaniment. Guided by the Rhythms Teacher and carefully chosen music, the children move with spontaneity and freedom, with fantastic invention and skill. They come to understand their own environment and to recognize their own internal rhythms. The program develops movement and coordination skills by asking children to perform developmentally appropriate skills––galloping, running and jumping on two feet in the 3s and hopping on one foot in the 4s.

Dramatics is an essential aspect of Rhythms. As the group is exploring a theme in the classroom, the group teacher will share their direction with the Rhythms Teacher, who in turn will set up an improvisation scenario for the children to act out. For example, if the children are tending seeds, the Rhythms Teacher might ask the children to become the seeds themselves, burrowing into the ground, soaking up water and sunlight before turning into beautiful flowers.

In the 8s through the 13s, these improvisations are organized into themes comprising much of what the children have learned a about the historical periods and cultures they are studying. With the guidance of their Group and Rhythms Teachers, the children develop these themes into a play that they produce and perform themselves––the culmination of their year-long research study.