I recently met with a dance instructor to look for iPad apps that might serve as useful tools in her instruction.  We found some interesting apps based on projects she was doing. The two coolest ones we found were Mannequin Dancers and FREE Sound Effects!

Mannequin Dancers (free - iPad only)

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Mannequin Dancers screenshot with random photo set as the background (taken from Elmo's Monster Maker).
This simple app lets you change the positions of the mannequins' heads, arms, and legs in different keyframes, and the program fills in the motion in between.  You can add extra keyframes for more positions, play background music, and even import a background image (as I did in the screenshot above).  It takes a little time to get used to how to position the two mannequins, but once figured out I think the program has a lot of potential for demonstrating and designing a series of poses and movements.

FREE Sound Effects! (free - iPad and iPhone)

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FREE Sound Effects! for iPad
This app has several negative reviews and I'm sure there are many better alternatives, but we found that the interface was easy to navigate and one of the best features was the ability to quickly make up to 3 custom sound effects.  The dance instructor has a unit where her students design movements based on sound effects so it seemed like this tool was appropriate for her needs.
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This $4.99 app is one of the best programs I've paid for on my iPad.  The designers of Let's Create! Pottery have intelligently incorporated a goal-oriented game into the art of (virtually) throwing clay.
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You use your fingers to stretch, pull, and pinch the clay on the wheel.  Once you've designed the shape, you can fire the pot and then paint it. The "mission" aspect of the game is a lot of fun.  You get messages from people asking you to design certain pots.  There is a store where you buy different paint colors and patterns with the money earned from completing missions or simply auctioning off other pots.
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I wonder if this environment would be a good introduction for kids to the art of pottery.  The physics in the app are pretty good.  The app also might give people who don't have access to the necessary equipment to gain some feeling about this craft.
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Kids Draw 07/08/2010
 
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Kids Draw by neu.Pen LLC is a drawing program that allows users to record the drawings in progress (screencast) and save and email drawings.  The interface is pretty simple and it makes good use of the iPad screen size.  Best of all, it's completely free!
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Kids Draw (neu.Pen)
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