by Kim T. Ha

With the New Year, many people start afresh with goals of working out and getting fit. What better way to meet these New Year’s resolutions than by dancing and moving with your kids? Below are some Sesame Street DVDs that educate while getting you and your children on your feet and moving.



Elmocize: 
I have to admit I was a bit skeptical because I’m not the biggest Elmo fan. However, this DVD provides 30 minutes of fun and simple, low-impact exercises for toddlers and parents who enjoy aerobics and want to ease back into exercising. It also wins over host Monty, who absolutely refuses to exercise at the beginning but cannot stop himself from moving by the end!

Children warm up with a series of dances featuring an animated caterpillar and cat. Then there is the simple “Workout in a Chair” that requires only arm movements. The “Elmocizers” don’t stop there however; in “Elbows and Knees,” kids learn how important it is the bend their large joints. The importance of bending is then reiterated in dancing to “Comin’ Round The Bend.” Here, kids bend to touch their toes and flip their wrists and ankles, as well as bending their knees and elbows.

Once warmed up with stretching and bending, you can join Benny in “Do the Benny Hop” and then “Jump,” featuring kids jump-roping and leaping around their neighborhoods and on the beach. Finally, after kids have worked up a sweat and raised their heart rates, they join Cyndi Lauper in twisting in “Twisted Sisters.” While songs are simple and may not prove challenging for elementary school kids, they are perfect for toddlers learning about the importance of exercising and moving their bodies.

Zoe’s Dance Moves: 
Don’t let sweet Zoe’s pink tutu fool you. This DVD goes beyond ballet and teaches children a variety of dance styles including Asian, hip-hop, African, and tap. Also, there is Zoe’s special “Silly Willy Nilly Dance.” Zoe meets up with Paula Abdul who shows her segments of the choreography, interspersed with both animated and live-action skits demonstrating the different types of dance. The skits are educational as well as entertaining, and a number of them feature children from other cultures. I especially enjoy the young Korean dancers celebrating spring with their movements and the young boy performing a “Lion Dance” (the lion looks like a fusion of an Asian lion and a Sesame Street Muppet).

One animated skit introduces the idea of moving quickly versus slowly to the beat of a song. Another skit has a tap dancer who encourages children to find words that rhyme with the word “tap” while dancing. The musical skits all inspire movement through the infectious energy of the characters. In the end, Elmo joins them (after spending the first half of the DVD in search of his dancing shoes), as well as a number of children. Paula goes through the entire choreography once more, and all segments are put together for the final “Everything Dance.”

Now I am familiar with some of Paula’s grown-up exercise videos; and I have to say that these moves are just as, if not more, challenging. Zoe does get frustrated once during the DVD, and Elmo notes: “That’s a lot of different steps, Miss Paula.” However, Paula reminds them that it’s okay and to just keep on practicing. I would recommend doing this with your kids and showing them how unlikely it is for you to get it the first time around. The “Everything Dance” is run through twice, though the second time is mainly shown through three-quarter body shots. While this adds some interest, it is not very helpful in learning the dance. Regardless of the complexity, this DVD is a great introduction to different styles of dance and an effective way to get kids to move. If they get lost, you can always suggest that they resort to Zoe’s “Silly Willy Nilly Dance.”

Dance Along!: 
There is nothing like old-school Sesame Street. While Zoe’s Dance Moves educates children about different world dances, its choreography can be challenging for the average child. Elmocize,on the other hand, has movements that may be repetitive for an elementary school child. Dance Along! strikes the perfect balance. This half-hour DVD has children performing simple yet varied movements, while effectively getting their heart rates up. Big Bird, Gina, and Mike narrate children through nine different dances.

The DVD opens with the Oinker Sisters singing “A New Way to Walk.” These pigs know how to strut their stuff while teaching children the word “walk.” They make their way over huge letters spelling out “walk,” while a green walk sign flashes. The only issue I have is when they walk over red letters spelling out “walk.” (Isn’t the color red usually associated with stopping?) Other than that, these pigs lead a fun, low-impact way to warm up.

I love the variety of the dances that come after and especially how accessible they are for kids (and adults) with little to no dance training. For instance, Mike leads a simple dance routine that includes clapping, turning around, and toe-touching. The Count’s “Batty Bat” is essentially a simple waltz and involves flapping the arms three beats while turning. Freeze dances are both simple and fun, and in Sesame Street style, children learn the word “stop” as they move to a hip-hop freeze dance.

Of course, Sesame Street always features a cast of delightful Muppets, and a band of bird Muppets have children quack, cluc, and hoot their way through the “Bird Call Boogie.” Gravely voiced Hoots the Owl sings and plays the saxophone, and is accompanied by a duck on the drums and a chicken on the keys. Grover demonstrates his knowledge of the alphabet through a brief, albeit intense, disco number. Then Bert shows off his favorite dance, “Doin’ the Pigeon,” where he mimics their walk.

Sesame Street is also known for diversity, and the “Any Way You Feel” dance is a medley of songs including folk, Chinese, African, classical, and Latin. The DVD closes with the mellow and jazzy “Birdland Jump.” Movements include touching your nose while jumping and jumping with your “wings” across your chest. This DVD is a great way to not only get in shape with your kids, but to have your kids work out excess energy with moves they enjoy doing anyway!

Kim Ha is the Children’s Instructor and Research Supervisor at the Elkridge Branch of the Howard County Library System.  She enjoys dancing, jewelry-making, photography and traveling. So far, her favorite destinations are Hawaii and Italy. She recently discovered the joys of yoga and stunt kite flying.

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