This unit focuses on how choreographers organize their movement ideas into a form. Random movement is meaningless unless it is given form. In this unit, at every grade, students focus on the decisions that choreographers make when sequencing movements to create dances. Students learn about and explore various forms or structures used in dance. At this level, students focus on the simple structure of the dance phrase.
Sample Topic: "Connecting Movements and Phrases"
Suggested Resources
Starter List of Activities
1. Introductory Activities
Have students observe hip hop dancers or other pop music dancers in excerpts from music videos that are appropriate for viewing by grade 2 students. Talk about the types of movements and music that these pop dancers use.
Invite older students or community members who are proficient with the style of dance commonly seen in popular music videos to demonstrate the dances for the students.
Ask the guest dancers to teach some basic popular dance movements to the students.
2. Main Activities
Guide students to create dances to accompany a popular music selection. Select a piece of music that lends itself to a simple AB or ABA form.
Help the students incorporate pop music dance movements learned or seen into a simple movement phrase that matches the beat and form of the music that was selected. For example, students may create a movement phrase that is eight counts in length to match eight counts of the music.
Practise the movement phrases without using the music. Try doing them with the music.
Create a second movement phrase. Combine the two phrases that the students have learned to form an A phrase and a B phrase. Go through the sequences without the music. Do them with the music.
Have students work with a partner to combine their two phrases. Students might end up with two phrases or four phrases. Practise doing the phrases with the music. Repeat the phrases several times to create a short dance. Practise in partners or small groups.
3. Concluding Activities
Videotape the dances. Have the students observe the videos to see how students could improve the work. What movements would students like to repeat or adapt? If the students see some areas within the dance that could be improved, have students work in groups to solve the problems or create the enhancements.
Videotape the dance again. Look for ways that the dance has been improved. If the students are pleased with their work, they could share it with another class or with their families at an open house or other school event.
Sample Topic: "Friends"
Suggested Resources
Starter List of Activities
1. Introductory Activities
Read a story or poem about friendship.
Invite students to talk about activities that students like to do with their friends. Talk about how various people meet and become friends. What is it that makes two or more people want to become friends?
Discuss friendships that last for a short time and friendships that last for years, and the good that can come from both experiences.
Have students reflect on good times with friends and on times when friendships were tested. Reflect on what personal qualities are required to maintain friendships.
Note: The topic of friendship is also addressed in the Social Relationships Strand of Health Education where grade 2 students learn that good friends support one another. In addition, good friends identify and share their feelings with one another.
2. Main Activities
Guide students to create dances based on the concepts discussed about friendships. Refer to Planning for Students' Dance Making.
Divide the class into small groups. Ask the students to have one section of the dance reflect the good times that friends can have, and the other section reflect the difficult times. For example, one section may focus on friends having a wonderful time playing together, and another section may focus on friends who are angry at each other or feeling left out.
Focus on the element of relationships. Discuss how different relationships in the dance creation might reflect the experience with friends; for example, close by and far away, or touching or not touching.
3. Concluding ActivitiesView the dances with the students. Divide the class in half; one half dances while the other half observes. Ask students to observe how the ideas about friendships have been incorporated into the work.