43
Boardman library hosts Tween Dance Party
Photo
Neighbors | Tim Cleveland.A group of children did their best to keep up with the movements of their computerized characters during the Tween Dance Party at the Boardman library.
Photo
Neighbors | Tim Cleveland.Four children danced to the song "What You Waiting For?" during the Tween Dance Party at the Boardman library.
Photo
Neighbors | Tim Cleveland.Children's librarian Katherina Matasic explained how the Kinect Just Dance 3 program worked during the Tween Dance Party at the Boardman library.
By TIM CLEVELAND
After the success of the Kinect Tween Dance Party last summer, Boardman library brought it back again this year on July 22 for grades 4-6.
“We’ve owned the Kinect system here at the library for a couple years now,” children’s librarian Katherina Matasic said. “This will be our second time doing this program. It’s another good way for the kids to come and have fun at the library. Something different for them to do. We like to do this one during summer break because a lot of kids are looking for something different to do.”
Nine children attended this year’s event.
The Kinect is a gaming system for the Xbox. The Tween Dance Party used the Just Dance 3 game. It has a sensor that tracks the player’s movements and it will register that with the character on the screen. It’s similar to a Wii gaming system except it doesn’t have a remote controller.
“We like this one because it allows up to four people to dance at a time, so we get all the kids up; they pick a song that they want to try, and they’ll kind of follow the movements,” Matasic said. “It shows them which hand is supposed to go where and they’re supposed to keep up with what they see on the screen.”
Two of the children who attended were Katie Thomas and Haley McMahan, cousins from Boardman. “I like dancing,” Katie said of her decision to attend the event. Haley said she had limited experience using the Kinect system prior to the event. Haley added that she has used a Wii in the past.
Matasic said doing the game provides many benefits for the children. “It’s a chance to get up and move,” she said. “It’s a good chance to socialize since they all dance together, then we also have a wide variety of library items set up for them to check out when it’s not their turn or even if they wanted to take something home with them. They get a chance to explore stuff here at the library.”