Halloween is creeping around the corner, and what better way to bring a little wonder — and movement — into your dance classroom than with The Spooky Duo from Dance Curriculum Designs? These hinged magnetic puppets combine creativity, play, and dance pedagogy into one bewitching tool.
What Is *The Spooky Duo*?
The Spooky Duo is a pair of magnetic, hinged puppets — the “Top Hat & Cane Dancer” and the “Pumpkin Head Dancer” — designed for playful, instructional, and imaginative use. Each puppet is:
- 12″ tall, crafted of recycled black material
- Fully articulated with hinged joints allowing fluid, expressive movement
- Infinitely repositionable, with “magical” movement possibilities when used on magnetic surfaces
- Non-gender specific and non-race specific (made completely black to let teachers and students project their own ideas)
Use them on vertical metal surfaces like whiteboards or refrigerators, or lay them flat on studio floors, tables, or desks. The larger the surface, the more expressive and creative the use can be.
Because the figures are black, they work especially well against light-colored surfaces, and you can even customize them further — use colored tape or paper cutouts to “dress” the figures for seasonal themes, storylines, or choreography ideas.
At $32.00 for the pair, they’re a fun addition to your dance teaching toolkit — and since they’re offered in limited supply each Fall, seasonal timing is key.
Why Use The Spooky Duo in Your Dance Classroom?
Here are several compelling reasons to bring them into your teaching:
1. Visual & Kinesthetic Learning Tool
These puppets let dancers see shapes, lines, and transitions in a hands-on way. Students can manipulate the joints, experiment with angles, and explore creative choreography through physical visualization.
2. Encourages Creative Composition
Since the figures are “infinitely moveable,” students can experiment with unexpected shapes, surprising transitions, and unique focal lines. The openness of the design supports improvisation and composition.
3. Cross-curricular Tie-ins & Themes
With the Halloween (or “spooky”) aesthetic, *The Spooky Duo* is perfect for seasonal lessons. But beyond Halloween, you can adapt them for storytelling units, character dance lessons, or even in cross-disciplinary projects (art, drama, history).
4. Inclusive & Open to Interpretation
Because they’re non-gender and non-race specific, students can see themselves in the puppets or project characters freely. This flexibility encourages ownership of movement exploration.
5. Portable and Durable
Constructed with durable recycled material and designed for flexible use, the figures are easy to transport, store, or pack in kits for summer intensives or outreach programs.
Tips for Best Use
- Use light-colored or white metal surfaces for maximum contrast and visibility
- Keep extra magnetic surfaces (whiteboards, fridge doors, filing cabinets) ready
- Store the puppets flat or hanging to avoid bending
- Encourage students to draw or photograph interesting configurations as inspiration
- Rotate with other magnetic manipulatives (e.g. STACK or Degas dancer magnets) to build a toolkit of movement prompts
Why *The Spooky Duo* Aligns With Dance Curriculum Designs’ Mission
At Dance Curriculum Designs, we believe deeply in making dance accessible, creative, and pedagogically strong. *The Spooky Duo* is more than a novelty — it’s a tool that helps bridge visual, kinesthetic, and imaginative learning. It supports the 6DC model of dance education, encouraging Dynamic Composition, Creative Thinking, and Expressive Movement (while also serving as a practical, hands-on resource for teachers).
This dynamic magnetic puppet set embodies our commitment to tools that are playful, flexible, and grounded in solid dance education philosophy.
Ready to Bring The Spooky Duo Into Your Studio?
Because The Spooky Duo is available in limited supply each Fall, now’s the time to act. Head over to the product page to order your pair and begin weaving movement magic into your Halloween (or any-time) dance lessons.
And if you’d like help integrating it into your curriculum, designing a themed lesson plan, or mixing it with other manipulatives, just let me know — happy to brainstorm with you!
Dance Curriculum Designs LLC
545 North Glassy Mountain Road
Landrum, SC 29356
803-754-7384
http://dancecurriculumdesigns.com/