This appendix is intended to give teachers ideas for teaching the dance elements within the dance units. It includes suggested activities that relate the dance elements to the students' own world.
Teachers can use the appendix in a number of ways. The suggested activities:
The activities in this appendix are not intended to be used in sequential order. Teachers can look at them as a potpourri of ideas and use them as appropriate within the units of study. The dance elements should always be taught within a meaningful context.
Review the idea that in dance when people are moving, they are doing an action. Explain that there are locomotor and non-locomotor actions. Have students practise different locomotor and non-locomotor actions.
Review the idea that in dances, stillness is an action. Explain to students that being still means being alert and ready to move again – it is a capturing of energy. Have students practise moving and being still.
Have students think of different action words and words that suggest stillness. Display the word list which may include actions such as jiggle, jump, turn, creep, roll, grip, squeeze, pause, and twist.
Introduce students to motif symbols drawn on cards. Choose three symbols to explore. (See page 77.)
Encourage students to explore the symbols in many ways. Select some of the movements explored to create a dance phrase; for example:
Motif writing is a system for recording the general sequence of movements on paper. It was developed by Preston-Dunlop (1980a) from the dance notation system invented by Rudolf Laban called “Labanotation”. Motif writing is written in vertical columns. It is read from the bottom of the page upwards, left to right. See page 77 for motif samples.
Explore different ways of being airborne and different ways of being on the floor. Contrast airborne movements and movements on the floor.
Explore the spatial actions of open, close, advance, retreat, rise, and sink; for example, “Twirl as you open and sink as you close.”
Use games as stimuli to explore actions (e.g., baseball). The students might swing their arms as a pitcher does. Students might “hit a homer” by making a complete circle around themselves as they swing like a batter. They might run, leap, and slide to three different spots in the room, as though they are running bases. Students might clap their hands in rhythmic patterns and gaze like spectators.
Review the following ideas:
Think of “nonsense” movements that explore body bases, parts, and zones; for example, skipping hands, quivering knees, sliding backs, and flapping torsos. Have the students contrast the movements with the whole body action.
Explore actions that different body parts can perform:
Contrast the movements with actions that travel on different body bases.
Have students walk with their eyes open. Then have students walk in partners, one student leading, the other being led with closed eyes. Direct the students to feel their muscles, spine, head, and legs as students walk. Have the students describe how it feels to move this way. Explain to students that, in dance, feeling the body move is as important as moving.
Duration
Have the students listen to the rhythms of their bodies. Look at the duration of their body rhythms.
Identify, for example, a long sigh, or a quick cough or sneeze. Keep track of the ideas on the board.
Record a rhythmic soundscore by repeating certain ideas; for example:
Explore movements that might accompany the students' body rhythm phrase.
Have students do the Round Dance (Nakota, Plains Cree). Explain to students that the drumbeat of the Round Dance represents the heartbeat of the earth or people.
Energy
Review the concept that when we move, we use energy. Even standing uses energy as we resist gravity; otherwise, we would fall down. Have students experience using energy by pushing against a wall with different body parts. Have the students face a partner with an imaginary rope between them. As they pull the rope, ask students if they feel the same energy they used pushing against the wall. Discuss why or why not.
Have students discuss their use of energy in their daily lives (e.g., running, sitting, eating, and sleeping). Practise feeling energy to resist gravity. Guide the students with statements such as:
(Note: In breathing exercises, take care so that students do not hyperventilate. Give students time to breathe normally between the deep breaths.)
Qualities
Arrange for students to look at things that have different movement qualities. Examples include:
Have students explore different ways of moving: lightly, strongly, suddenly, in a sustained manner, in a free-flowing manner, or in a bound manner. Have the students describe how it feels to move with different qualities. Have students combine different ways of moving into one movement; for example, a strong, bound movement or a light, sudden movement. Combine contrasting movement qualities in a dance phrase; for example, strong, sudden movements with light, free-flowing movements.
Explore movement qualities that might be associated with an idea. For example, what sort of movement qualities could be associated with anger, joy, youth, or old age? Explore several contrasting ideas; for example, being in a hurry with being tired.
Speed
Review the idea that things can accelerate and decelerate. Have the students practise accelerating and decelerating to the sound of a drum that beats faster and slower.
Ask students how it feels to run faster and slower. Coach students to move with control so they can stop or turn at any moment. (Note: When students move slowly, encourage them to reach and stretch in order to maintain the quality of their movements.)
Use the image of a kite flying as a stimulus to explore accelerating and decelerating. Have students explore movements associated with a kite flying. For example, the kite might soar and float; with a gust of wind, it might dip and dive, quicker and quicker until it plunges into the ground.
Time Signatures
Have the students listen to music or a drumbeat. Have them clap to the music or drumbeat. Use a variety of time signatures. Have students identify the accents when clapping.
Have students practise moving to music or a drumbeat with a variety of actions such as walking, running, skipping, jumping, and leaping. (Note: Some students may have difficulty moving to an external beat. It will take time.)
Have students explore different ways of responding to an accent (e.g., flicking the hand or stomping the foot).
Have students move to a piece of music by contrasting locomotor and non-locomotor movements. Guide students by setting tasks to explore separately; for example:
Have students learn a dance to experience moving to an external beat. You might select a dance such as The Oklahoma Two-Step (Indian peoples) or La Danse du Crochet (M é tis).
Review the concept of relationships. Have students describe how they are situated in relation to objects or other people. For example, students may be far from the blackboard, below the ceiling, above the floor, or near the window.
Have students run, walk, and skip through space. Encourage them to become aware of the different relationships being experienced.
Adapt the game of Frozen Tag to explore relationships. Select five students to be “it”. If a student is tagged, he or she must freeze in a shape that allows a runner to pass under; that is what frees the student again. Caution the students not to yell as they might in a games period. A statement, such as “In dance, you are only noticed by your firm shape and your attitude toward space”, may help students. Encourage many different frozen shapes.
Use props to explore relationship ideas (e.g., skipping ropes or hoops). A skipping rope can be jumped over, moved near to, or far from; children can be inside a hoop.
Use the idea of mirror images as a stimulus for a dance phrase. In partners, have students take turns leading and following each other.
Have students explore relationship ideas in partners or in trios; for example:
Learn La Danse du Crochet (Métis) using the Second or Third Step, or review the Owl Dance (Cree). Have students discuss the variety of relationships in the dances.
Levels and Directions
Review the meaning of levels and directions. In dance, levels and directions are to be thought of in relation to the dancer. There are three levels - high, middle, and low or deep. There are six directions - upward, downward, forward, backward, and sideways (to either side).
Review the idea that there are low, middle, and high levels in dance. Have the students think of action words that suggest levels. Record the words on the board (e.g., float, writhe, wriggle, soar, and collapse). Have the students explore the action words using whole body and body part movements. Encourage students to use smooth transitions from one action to the next.
Review directions with the students. Have students practise moving in different directions through space; for example, sliding while leading with the ribs, taking giant steps backward, jumping upward, and crumpling downward.
Have students explore space in terms of directions and levels. Encourage students to use different body parts, bases, and movement qualities; for example:
Use the idea of “space as a friend or a foe” as a stimulus for a dance phrase exploring directions and levels. Space could be a supporting, helping, trusting friend or a pushing, pulling foe.
How would the students feel in the above situations? For example, soft light movements reaching outward might be an expression of space as a friend. Low, resisting movements might be an expression of space as a foe.
Pathways
Review the concept of pathways with the students. Explain that when they move, their bodies trace pathways in the air and on the floor. As their bodies move, the pathways appear and disappear.
Pathways are not seen in a single glance. They are developed over time and remembered. In partners, have students create simple pathways on the floor and in the air. Have the partners remember and retrace the pathways.
Project designs with an overhead projector or display designs on cards; for example, street signs, circles, or squares. Have students explore different ways of tracing the designs on the floor and in the air.
Encourage students to use different body parts, actions, and levels. For example, the students could walk, then tumble to trace the design on the floor; or “draw” the design in the air with different body parts.
Have students think of different expressions, such as going in circles, making a bee line, pacing up and down, being sneaky, or being led by the nose. Explore pathways these expressions suggest. Ask students what feelings are associated with the pathways.
Learn a culture's dance. Discuss with the students the pathways prominent in the dance. Learn, for example, The Oklahoma Two-Step (Indian peoples), Greensleeves (English), or Gustaf's Skoal (Swedish).
Shape
Have students look at pictures of statues, friezes, and gargoyles. Ask students to describe the shapes seen (e.g., round, twisted, or thin). Have students explore different kinds of “statue” shapes with a partner. Ask students to select and remember two or three of their statue shapes.
Ask students, “How do you suppose your statue might move if it could?” Explore. Responses might be, “Our statue is a strong, tall shape; it would have very strong movements” or “We are attached at our heads; we will have to roll.”
Use poems as stimuli for exploring shape. Explore the images of shapes in the poems. Encourage students to vary speed, body parts, and qualities in the explorations.
Size
Plan ways for students to observe that people in the general population are of different sizes. It is natural to have students of varying sizes in a classroom. Some are shorter and others are taller; they are a range of sizes. Review the idea that, in dance, students can become different sizes. Students can shrink to a small size or grow to a tall size. Their movements can be made smaller or larger. For example, they can travel using large steps or small steps.
Use a story about growing or shrinking as a stimulus for exploring size. Have students explore growing and shrinking in size, either on the spot or travelling. Encourage students to fully explore the idea by asking them, “What is growing? Shrinking? From where is it growing? What is starting the action? To where can it grow?”
Have the students explore doing the same movement in a range of sizes; for example, large walks, small walks; large gestures, small gestures, and in-between gestures. Have the students contrast large and small locomotor actions with large and small non-locomotor actions. For example, enormous leaps contrast with small shakes on the spot, or small leaps contrast with large shakes on the spot.