The dance section of the curriculum encourages teachers to plan their dance programs in units – that is, in a series of connected lessons.
The curriculum outlines four required units. Each unit is presented in two mini-units, which are simply shorter units. The mini-unit themes are required. The sample topics and activities are suggestions. Refer to Dance Unit Overviews and Sample Topics on page 63 of this curriculum guide. The required mini-unit themes and sample topics have been designed so that, during the Elementary Level, students experience a varied range of contexts for learning in dance.
The time allotment for dance is 50 minutes per week. It follows then, that roughly three to five weeks could be spent on each mini-unit. It is not required, however, that the two mini-units be given equal time.
The activities provided for each mini-unit are intended to be a starter list only. As teachers become more experienced in teaching dance, they will certainly want to add other activities or adapt the ones provided for different topics. The activities are listed in three categories: introductory, main, and concluding activities. These three categories have the following purposes:
Introductory Activities
Main Activities
Concluding Activities
A sample planning form for dance lessons can be found on page 90. Remember that lessons can include research, discussion, reflection, and a variety of other activities as dance experiences.
The following are steps to consider when planning dance units.
Step One
Familiarize yourself with the information provided for your grade. Become familiar with the scope of learning objectives. Study the four unit overviews. Become familiar with the units and mini-units. Read the sample unit for your grade (refer to CD-ROM or Saskatchewan Learning website). This provides a model for unit planning. Read the sample units for other grades to get a sense of how other units and themes or topics are addressed (refer to CD-ROM or Saskatchewan Learning website).
Step Two
Select a unit. Most teachers will want to begin with Unit 1: Learning About Motion; however, the units may be taught in any order. Choose a mini-unit theme and topic. You may use the topic suggested in the guide or select one of more relevance to your students and community.
Teacher Note:
You may wish to begin by using the sample unit for your grade as it includes detailed lesson plans.
Step Three
Outline a sequence of lessons. At this point, be brief – a sentence or two describing each lesson. Refer to the Starter List of Activities in the curriculum guide, or develop your own activities. Lessons may be either 25-minute lessons (two per week) or 50-minute lessons (one per week), although teachers could plan for any combination totaling 50 minutes per week.
Step Four
Plan the lessons in detail. The following are important aspects of lesson planning:
Step Five
Refer to the Sample Checklist for Planning a Dance Mini-unit (page 89). This checklist is a means of ensuring that Core Curriculum Components and Initiatives are included in every unit. It also acts as a reminder of the importance of including a variety of teaching strategies in the dance strand.
Dance-making activities develop students' abilities to express themselves in the language of dance. Meaningful dance expressions will result when specific purposes for students' dance explorations are planned. Throughout the dance-making process, students need to be encouraged to consider what they want to say through their dances and to reflect on what the dances are about.
Involve students in planning as appropriate, and keep the specific learning objectives in mind. The key is for the teacher and students to be familiar with the dance elements, which are the language of dance, and to ask questions that encourage full exploration of dance concepts. See page 79 for the Elements of Dance.
Encourage students to use their own ideas and experiences as starting points. Anticipate that students will need support in developing their ideas so that students go beyond literal representation or mimicry to address the objective of personal expression through dance.
Usually, dance making activities span several lessons. The following five steps outline ways in which teachers can plan lessons and assist students in dance making. These five steps allow for the incorporation of a variety of instructional methods (e.g., brainstorming, discussion, co-operative learning groups, problem solving, demonstration, concept mapping, reflective discussion, synectics, focused imaging).
Steps one to four focus on planning for dance making. Step five is included to help teachers structure each individual dance-making lesson. Teachers new to teaching dance may use the steps as presented and, when feeling more confident, may explore variations of this or other planning processes.
Step One: Starting Points
Step Two: Brainstorming
Step Three: Finding the Movements for Exploration
Step One: Starting Points
Starting with a Theme or Idea Ideas to inspire dance making can come from many sources: poems, stories, pictures, personal experiences and feelings, the environment, observation, the imagination, memories, events, the other arts, and so on. When starting from a theme or idea, teachers and students together look for themes with images that suggest movement such as “superheroes” or “fabulous creatures”. Note that some themes might not seem to have potential for movement at first glance, but may prove stimulating upon reflection and discussion. Starting with MovementIdeas for dances need not begin with an external idea or theme. Some choreographers approach dance in a more formal way by beginning with movement itself.
If starting from movement concepts rather than a theme, the teacher's and students' focus will be on the elements and structures of dance. For example, instead of creating a dance using a theme such as “wishes and dreams”, the choreographer might begin by exploring a concept directly related to the elements of dance. Students might decide to create a “Wiggle, Jiggle, Stomp” dance and might begin by exploring the dance elements of actions and space.
Teacher Information:
The dance elements are the language of dance. For more information on the elements of dance, see page 79.
Step Two: Brainstorming
Once a starting point has been chosen, teachers and students may use discussion and brainstorming to arrive at the movements to explore.
Brainstorming on a Theme or Idea
If the teacher and students select the starting point of wishes and dreams, for example, the teacher might ask questions such as, “What are some people's dreams like? When do you daydream? If you could have three wishes come true what would they be?” Use only one or two words to describe these ideas. Students would begin by listing words that come to mind when thinking about wishes and dreams.
Sample Starting Point Theme: Wishes and Dreams
running
Flying
mazes
Tangled
daydreaming
Swimming
creatures
Stories
fantasy
riding bikes
superpowers
Floating
pictures
Falling
cloud shapes
People
characters
Stairs
friends
Places
happiness
Peaceful
animals
computer games
gardens
Buildings
When Starting with Movement
When starting with movement rather than a theme, the brainstorming step is usually omitted and planning begins with Step Three. The teacher and students can still begin, however, with a discussion about the movement-inspired starting point. For example, if the teacher and students decide to create a “Wiggle, Jiggle, Stomp” dance, they might begin with a discussion of various things the students have seen that either wiggle, jiggle, or stomp.
Step Three: Finding the Movements for Exploration
When Starting with a Theme or Idea
Having decided on the theme or idea, the teacher and students can make concept maps or webs of possible movements for further exploration over the next few dance-making lessons.
When creating the concept maps or webs, the teacher's role is to prompt students to associate core characteristics of the chosen theme or idea with concepts related to the dance elements: actions, body, dynamics, relationships, and space. The association of theme characteristics and dance elements encourages students to go beyond mimicry in their movement explorations. For example, if using the theme of animals, students should not be imitating the animals' exact movements but rather could explore the range of actions, pathways, and shapes suggested by the animals' movements. This helps students learn how to “abstract” the movements as students become more experienced.
In the following example, using the theme wishes and dreams as a starting point, the teacher and students select “superpowers” from their brainstormed list. They then list words on the concept map that describe the elements of action, body, dynamics, relationships, and space for movement exploration.
When creating the map, students respond to questions, such as “What actions do you think about when you hear the word superpowers ? How do you think you would do the actions (dynamics)?”
Teachers should note that students might not associate an idea or theme with every element. Although all elements are present, some elements may predominate for some themes. A sample concept web follows.
Sample Concept Web
When Starting with Movement
When using movement as inspiration for dance making, teachers and students can also make concept maps or webs of possible movements to explore over the next few lessons. For example, if the teacher and students selected “Wiggle, Jiggle, Stomp” as the starting point, they brainstorm movement ideas related to that concept. A sample concept web follows.
Over the next few dance-making lessons, students go on to improvise, explore, develop, and further refine their movements, working from the suggestions on the concept webs.
Step Four: Taking Stock
At this point, the teacher and students might need to focus on small parts of the concept webs of Step Three for further exploration in dance. This is necessary if the concept webs have too many ideas with which to work in a single lesson. The teacher also needs to determine learning objectives appropriate for the concept webs. Some learning objectives may have been determined previously. Other learning objectives, particularly those related to the elements of dance, may be more easily determined at this point. After the learning objectives have been selected, the teacher can design tasks specific to the objectives. The teacher might want to involve the students in this task.
Planning from a Theme or IdeaLearning objectives related to the elements of actions and space might be particularly appropriate for the concept map of “Superpowers”. Teachers may find other elements that work just as well and would then select other learning objectives.
Planning from Movement
Learning objectives focusing on the elements of body and dynamics might be an appropriate place to start with the concept map of “Wiggle, Jiggle, Stomp”. Teachers may find other elements that work just as well and would then select other learning objectives.
Step Five: Structuring the Lesson
The teacher now uses the information from the concept webs to plan the following essential parts of the dance lesson. These five segments apply to all dance making, whether the students are planning from a theme or idea or from movements.
The warm-up uses activities to:
Both locomotor (travelling) and non-locomotor (non-travelling) actions are used in warm-up activities. The material taken from the concept maps that will be developed later in the lesson can be used, although this is not necessary. Warm-up activities can be repeated or extended from lesson to lesson.
2. Exploration and DevelopmentIn this part of the lesson, the students explore their starting points by referring to the concept webs. Students need encouragement to improvise, experiment with, and create their own movements in response to the tasks set by the teacher and students. The teacher acts as a guide and observer. He or she encourages the students' development of the movements, ensures that a movement is fully experienced, makes suggestions, and responds to what the students do.
3. Sequencing
The movements that the students explored and developed will now be ordered and refined to create dance phrases and compositions. Not all the movements will be used, just the ones that convey the students' intentions best. Students consider each movement and ensure that it contributes to the whole dance composition.
When sequencing movements and dance phrases, the teacher's role is to encourage students to explore principles of composition such as repetition and contrast. (See foundational objective #1 on page 64.) Again, the teacher acts as a guide and observer, encouraging and responding to what the students do.
Sometimes several dance lessons may be needed for students to refine and complete their dance creations. Students need to be given the opportunity to sequence their movements in every dance-making lesson as this is essential in order for students' dance experiences to have meaning.
4. The Cool-down
The cool-down uses slow, stretching activities to help the students' heart rates and concentration return to normal. Movements from the warm-up activities might be adapted for cool-down activities. As in the warm-up, activities can be repeated from lesson to lesson.
5. Reflection
Reflection is planned for throughout the lesson. Students need time to think about their own work, clarify their intentions, refine the work, and decide if they are satisfied with their work. Do they still have a clear idea of what their dance is about? Do they find that what they are doing is interesting to them? Do they think their expressions are clear to others? If not, how could students make their dance expressions more interesting for themselves or clearer to others?
At the end of the dance lesson, students should show their work to each other. They progress when given the opportunity to look at, describe, and discuss their peers' work. This can be done in several ways: with half the class watching the other half, with small groups demonstrating to the class, and with partners demonstrating to each other.
Caution: To maintain objectivity, limit the students' comments to observations about the movement itself and discourage comments that judge the students. For example, the comment, “I liked John's dance” would be better said as, “I thought the jumps in John's dance were interesting.” (see Responding to Student Work, included in this curriculum guide).
The elements of dance are the ingredients of dance. Often one or two elements predominate but all the elements are present. This is the nature of dance.
The different ways of combining and using the elements determine the expression of the dance, just as reordering words in a sentence can change the meaning of the sentence.
The elements of dance identified in the dance strand are based on the movement theories of Laban (1975), and the later work of Preston-Dunlop (1980a, 1980b), and Boorman (1969).
The elements of dance in this curriculum include:
In this section of the curriculum guide, each element is organized into the following four parts.
Definition
The definition of each element.
Ways to describe the element
Included are lists of words that describe each element. These words can be used as starting points for explorations of each element.
Questions to guide students' explorations
These questions can be used to guide students' dance exploration without being too restrictive. It is important that students are able to explore movement without being told exactly what to do.
Activities to explore the element
Suggested activities can be used to:
- adapt as warm-up activities for creative dance lessons
- spark ideas for developing other activities
- extend to become entire dance-making lessons.
These activities are NOT intended to be used in sequential order. The teacher should look at them as a potpourri of ideas, and use them as appropriate within their units of study. These activities must relate the dance elements to the students' own world. The dance elements are always taught within a meaningful context.
1. Actions
Definition: Actions are what the body is doing. A rich vocabulary of actions increases the capacity to express through dance.
Note: Action words fall into categories. This list is by no means complete.
Ways to Describe Actions
Action Category
Action Words
Travel
run, skip, slide, roll, dart, gallop, creep, float, flee
Stillness
freeze, balance, hold, pause, settle, wait, perch
Gesture
wave, block, sign, shrug, nod, signal, beckon
Jump
bound, leap, soar, spring, vault
Fall
drop, tumble, descend, reduce, plunge, collapse, lower, decrease
Turn
pivot, spin, swivel, rotate, whirl
Twist
corkscrew
Contract
shrink, shrivel, dwindle, collapse, melt, sink, lower, bend, crumple, squeeze, close, perch, wither
Expand
inflate, grow, expand, swell, spread, extend, explode, stretch, rise, open
Vibratory
quiver, tremble, shake, wiggle, twitch, flap, shiver, wobble, jerk
Percussive
stamp, jab, flick, punch, kick
Action words can also be divided into locomotor (movements that travel from one location to another) and non-locomotor (movements that do not travel).
Locomotor
Non-locomotor
run, skip, slide, roll, dart, gallop, creep, float, flee, leap
twist, spin, swivel, rotate, grow, bend, melt, stretch, balance, hold, pause, settle, shake
Questions to Guide Exploration
The following is a short list of questions that teachers can use to stimulate student ideas about actions:
Ask students to brainstorm a list of action words. Have students categorize the words into actions that suggest turning, travelling, jumping, falling, expanding, contracting, stopping, and so on. Display.
Select words from different categories to explore through movement. Have students order the words 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. Motif at a Glance compiled by The Language of Dance Centre can be used as a reference. Consult Arts Education: A Bibliography for the Elementary Level (2003) for ordering information .
Sample Motif Symbols
To the right is an example of a dance phrase written in motif description. The phrase reads (from the bottom up) as: travel, fall, twist left, jump, pause/stillness. Review motif symbols with the students. Choose three or four symbols to explore; for example:
Encourage students to explore the symbols using different body parts, body bases, space pathways, and movement qualities. Read poems that have action words. Write a classroom “action poem”. Have the students explore the action words through movement. Encourage the students to explore the action words using different body parts, body bases, pathways, and movement qualities. (Possible resource: Adventures in Creative Movement Activities by Marcia L. Lloyd.) Have students practise different ways of being airborne in different shapes (e.g., legs bent behind them, curled over, legs and arms stretched out). Have students contrast the airborne actions with other actions. Review the Red River Jig (Métis). Note that students create and combine their own jigging steps in this dance. (See Métis Dances Kit , Saskatchewan Education.) |
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2. Body
Definition: The body is the instrument in dance. Just as a painter paints with a brush, in dance it is through the body that movements appear.
Ways to Describe Body
Body parts head, arms, hands, legs, feet, torso, elbows, wrists, shoulders, hips, knees, ankle, chest, fingers, stomach Body zones body areas of front, back, left side, right side, upper half, lower half Body bases whatever supports the rest of the body (e.g., when standing ¾ the feet; when kneeling ¾ the knees)
Questions to Guide Exploration
The following is a short list of questions that teachers can use to stimulate student ideas about body:
Activities to Explore Body
Review with students the definition of kinesthetic sensations. Kinesthetic sensations are the sensations students feel when moving. Explain to students that dancers remember their kinesthetic sensations in order to become more skilful. Dancers remember how their muscles feel when doing something successfully in order to do it in the same way again. (See Adventures in Creative Movement Activities by Marcia L. Lloyd.)
Discuss with students the importance of correct body alignment in dance. Explain to students that correct body alignment helps prevent injuries to the body. Have students practise walking, bending, and jumping with an awareness of correct alignment. Coach students to have relaxed shoulders, stretched waists, lifted heads, ribs over the pelvis (not in front or behind), and knees over the middle toes.
Have students do exercises to increase body strength and flexibility. For example, practise stretches such as touching the toes and reaching toward the ceiling. As well, students can do simple technique exercises such as pli é (bending of the knees) and tondue (extension of the leg in front, behind, and to the side of the body).
Explore “mixing up” the body zones. For example, reach the right shoulder across to the left side or reach the left leg across to the right side. Explore with different ways of balancing and travelling; for example:
3. Dynamics
Definition: Dynamics is how the body moves. Dynamics give dance its expressiveness.
Ways to Describe Dynamics
Duration
The length of time needed to do a movement. Duration is on a continuum of very short to very long .
Effort *
Weight
The muscular tension used to move, also known as energy.
Strong and light. For example, a clenched fist or a relaxed palm.
Space
How the movement or gesture is focused.
Direct and indirect. For example, three jabs straight forward or arms flailing randomly.
Time
How long it takes to complete a movement.
Sudden and sustained. For example, a quick jab or a slow reach.
Flow
The degree of control over the movement.
Free and bound. For example, a fast spin or a slow walk.
Even rhythm
Movements of equal duration.
Walk, run, march, hop.
Uneven rhythm
Movements of unequal duration.
Skip, gallop, slide.
Speed
Velocity of movements. Speed is on a continuum of very slow to very fast .
Time signature
A symbol that denotes a metric or measured rhythm (e.g., 3/4 or 4/4).
* Effort is one section of Laban's Movement Analysis. It is developmentally appropriate to have young students work on only one aspect at a time. Gradually, students will be able to incorporate two or three of the sections. For example, students could create a movement that is sudden, free, and light. Effort is relative and is on a continuum. One movement may seem strong; however, when it is compared to another stronger movement, it will seem lighter.
Questions to Guide Exploration
The following is a short list of questions that teachers can use to stimulate student ideas about dynamics:
Activities to Explore Dynamics
Explain to students that duration is on a continuum of long to short, and that speed is on a continuum of slow to fast. Have students try sensing various durations of time while moving with various speeds. Ask, for example, “Can you move very quickly and stop when you think half a minute has gone by?” Vary the duration and speed; move slowly for half a minute, quickly for ten seconds, slowly for ten seconds, and so on. Discuss. (Students may have difficulty determining durations. Do not worry. The purpose here is to increase students' sense and awareness of the duration.)
Have students record a collage of long and short sounds heard in their classroom or outside (e.g., a ticking clock, murmur of talking, a loud bang, a car horn). So that the students become familiar with it, listen to the sound collage several times. Explore movements of various durations and speeds to accompany the sound collage.
Have students move “as if”. For example, to explore “light” movement, ask students to move as if they are on a cloud or as if they are a leaf floating in the wind. To explore “sudden” movement, ask students to move across the floor as if they are trying to keep off bugs that seem to be everywhere.
4. Relationships
Definition: Relationships describe where a person is positioned compared to where other people or things are in the space.
Ways to Describe Relationships
Before
Over
Through
Far
Outside
After
Above
Opposite
Inside
Leading
Along
Between
Meeting
On
Toward
Among
Parting
Together
Off
Under
Below
Behind
Passing
Beside
Upon
Near
Next to
Surround
Apart
Against
Across
Beyond
Connecting
Down
Follow
Questions to Guide Exploration
The following is a short list of questions that teachers can use to stimulate student ideas about relationships:
Activities to Explore Relationships
Explore relationships in groups of three or four students. Explore a few relationship ideas at a time; for example:
In partners or trios, have students explore moving in unison and canon. Have students do a favorite dance phrase in these two ways. (Unison is doing the same movement at the same time. Canon is doing the same movement at different times, like a round in music.)
Review “La Danse du Crochet” (Métis). Have students identify the different relationships in the dance. (See Métis Dances Kit , Saskatchewan Education.)
Learn dances such as the “Hora” (Israeli) or “Alunilul” (Romanian). Have students identify the different relationships in the dance. (See Children's Folk Dances by Georgiana Stewart, audio recording; A Multicultural Folk Dance Treasure Chest, kit by Christy Lane .)
5. Space
Definition: Space is where the body moves. As dancers move through space, their bodies create patterns on the floor and in the air. These spatial designs are an integral part of dance, giving dancers a purposeful reason for moving.
Ways to describe Space
General space The dance area.
Near-far, left-right.
Personal space The space reached while stationary. Directions Forward, backward, sideways, upward, downward, or diagonal. Focus Where the eyes or the intention of the movement is directed. Levels High, middle, low, or deep. Pathways Patterns or designs made in the air or on the floor by the person's movements; pathways appear as straight lines, curved lines, or combinations of straight and curved lines. Shape The design of the body's position; how it takes up space. Size The magnitude of the body shape or movement; size is on a continuum of small to large. Spatial Actions Bodily action and feeling of moving up, down, across; become small or big. Spatial Awareness Knowing where one is in space; knowing where one is in relation to others in the space.
Questions to Guide Exploration
Teacher note: It is important that students explore movement without being told exactly what to do. They do, however, need guidance to focus their creativity. The following is a short list of questions that teachers can use to stimulate student ideas about space:
Activities to Explore Space
Directions and Levels
Review with students the concepts of directions and levels. Usually people move in the same directions and at the same levels. To create excitement in dance choreographers try to do the unexpected: to move in unusual directions and at different levels. Then dance becomes interesting for the dancers and the audience.
Explore action words that suggest different levels (e.g., slither, hover, plunge, toss). Have the students explore the words using different directions, travelling and on the spot.
Have the students imagine a wind is blowing against them. The students indicate by their movements the direction from which the wind is coming. Encourage students to explore different levels, imagining they are like a piece of paper being blown up and down. Have students continue to explore this idea by “gluing” a body part (other than the feet) to the floor. Have them see how far and in how many directions they can go. Explore. Encourage students' further exploration by using cues such as, “You are no longer stuck, but you have no feet” or “You can move in any direction. How would you move?”
Focus
Review with students the importance of focus in dance, or where they direct their gaze. Discuss how a change of focus can change the expression of the movement. Have students demonstrate. For example, have two students walk by each other looking downward, then at each other. Discuss. Have students try other ways of exploring the importance of focus.
Have students think of words or phrases that describe looking (e.g., gazing at the stars, eyes down, staring). Explore the words or phrases one at a time, and in a variety of ways.
Pathways
Have students look at a variety of containers such as boxes and balls. Explain to students that the containers each enclose a space. Look at sculptures. They, too, define space. They carve space into volumes. Explain to students that, in dance, bodies sculpt the dance space. As the bodies move, the volumes appear and disappear. They are not seen in a single glance. They are developed over time and remembered. Have students practise carving volumes with their arms like artists sculpting the space as if it were clay. Discuss.
Explore movements that carve space into volumes. For example, ask students to trace the shape of an ice cream cone with one arm; run sideways to carve a large cone shape; or carve a spiral in a circle around each other.
Encourage students to use all the surfaces of their bodies. Ask, “How can you carve a big circle with your back? Your arms? What body part is leading as you carve the space? Are you carving a square? A circle? Can you carve the area around you without travelling? Can you use your legs to carve?”
Practise using straight, curved, and combinations of the two pathways to cross the room. Discuss how students might show different ideas. For example, a straight pathway may mean someone is in a hurry, while a curved pathway might mean a person is just strolling along through a park.
Shape and Size
Review symmetry and asymmetry with the students. Show examples, such as pictures, paper cut-outs, and art works. Explain that, in dance, the body can have a symmetrical shape or an asymmetrical shape. Have students demonstrate. Discuss the feelings of the two kinds of shapes with the students. (Symmetrical shapes usually have a stable quality. Asymmetrical shapes usually have an unbalanced quality.)
Have partners take turns sculpting each other into symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes.
Encourage students to sculpt shapes of different sizes. Vary the body parts used to sculpt (e.g., heads, elbows, and knees). Memorize three of the sculpted shapes. Have the partners arrange their shapes next to or far away from each other. Explore different ways of moving from one shape to the next, quickly and slowly.
Explore symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes of different sizes. How do students feel when they are in their various shapes? Explore different ways of moving from one shape to another.
Dance-making lessons require students to be active learners. Students are experiencing, gaining knowledge, experimenting, and facilitating at the same time. Often there is a social dimension where students are working with partners or in groups. To facilitate students' learning in the dance-making lesson, teachers need to be interactive – constantly coaching, guiding, and discussing with the students. Following are tips to help teachers:
When grouping students in dance-making activities, it is important not to differentiate based on friendships or gender. Girls may create dances with other girls, boys with boys, or girls with boys. Students will gradually adjust to random grouping and partnering.
Some people hold an outdated misconception that dancing is primarily of interest to girls. Be aware that this stereotype may still exist and plan lessons and activities that take into consideration the particular interests of both genders. If boys are hesitant to participate fully in dance-making activities, it is helpful to include topics and actions that boys associate with male interests and athletic skills to encourage boys to develop a respect for the demands of dance. Strong dynamic movements drawn from natural play, gymnastics, sports, action heroes, fantasy, and popular culture are often appealing to both boys and girls.
A climate of respect for the art form, its technical skills, and physical demands needs to be encouraged and promoted in the school, home, and community. Teachers may want to send information home to explain dance objectives to parents to dispel possible misconceptions. A video from Arts Education: A Bibliography for the Elementary Level (2003) , such as Vantaa from the Dance and the Child International Conference, may be shown to students and parents as one example of how boys of all ages can create and dance together. Other videos with dancers of both genders are listed in the arts education bibliographies and annual updates. More experienced students who have attained self-confidence in dance may decide to show their work to parents and community members, which may help to reinforce the many benefits of dance for boys and girls.
In addition to dance-making lessons that dispel gender stereotypes, it is important for students to see live or videotaped examples of male and female dancers in powerful and expressive roles. Students should also see both genders engaged in different dance styles (e.g., hip hop, powwow, street dancing, Ukrainian dancing, ballet, and jazz).
Accompanying students in their dance helps motivate them to move. The following section discusses three methods of accompaniment: percussion instruments, music, and student-created accompaniment.
Percussion instruments are well-suited to the dance-making lesson. The teacher can stimulate the students to move by using a variety of instruments, and by adapting the tempo and accents to suit the students' movement explorations.
The following are some examples of how percussion instruments can be used.
Music is an effective way to motivate students to move. Music can be used as background to enhance movement that has been already structured, or the movement can be sequenced according to the musical structure. If music is to be used to create a mood or an atmosphere, simply put the music on and let it play. If music is being used for a more structured purpose, then it must be analyzed. Teachers need to identify the time signature, the tempo, and the number of beats in a musical phrase.
Once the music is analyzed, the teacher can set the dance tasks, keeping in mind the musical structure. For example, if the music has a 4/4 time signature and the lesson concept is “directions in space”, the task might state that the students are to travel in a straight line, changing directions every eight beats. When introducing music to the students, begin by having them listen to the beat of the music.
Selecting music is usually a matter of personal preference. The following provides some guidance:
Caution: Keep in mind that some dance educators feel that music should be used sparingly. They claim that music tends to structure movement, and when students are involved in finding their own unique solution to a problem, their breadth of discovery may be limited by the imposition of a metric rhythm. Also, beginning students of dance tend to let music dictate their quality of movement instead of making their own choices as to the quality of movement .
There may be times when students choose to accompany their dances with vocal sounds, body percussion, or students' own soundscapes or musical compositions. Consult the music section of this curriculum guide for instructions on Planning for Composing in the Classroom (page 171).
In cultures past and present, dance has been a means of expressing emotions, ideas, and customs that have significance in the daily lives and history of people. The dances express themes such as work and conflict. They were, and in some cases still are, closely related to a people's religion, ceremonies, spirituality, rituals, and celebrations. The study of these dances affords a glimpse into a people and their way of life. It is a way of examining a people's values and beliefs.
It is not intended that studying social and cultural dances should be only an historical investigation. Dance exists today as valid expressions of a people. In fact, though altered through time, many of the current dances retain vestiges of the past. Therefore, learning about social and cultural dances includes studying the historical and present day aspects of the culture or society. In addition, students should examine how these dances may reflect the culture or society, and finally, students should experience the dances. As students actively participate in exploring the culture or society, they gain new insights and come to appreciate the significance of the dances in an authentic manner.
Depending on the students' levels and abilities, the following topics can be considered by the teacher when planning activities to explore the dances of various cultures and societies:
As in dance-making lessons, teaching a set dance, such as a cultural or social dance, requires teachers to plan warm-up and cool-down activities. In this case though, the teacher may wish to use steps of the dance as the basis of the warm-up activities. In this way, the teacher can develop the skills the students will be using later in the dance lesson. The following tips will help in teaching a set dance:
Teacher Information:
Please refer to Arts Education: A Bibliography for the Elementary Level (2003) for a listing of resources that contain information and instruction for a variety of set dances.
Occasionally there may be opportunities for students to work with a guest choreographer or dancer in the school or community. More experienced students may also have a chance to work as choreographers themselves, creating dances for their classmates or younger students. Teachers are encouraged to provide these experiences to their students whenever possible.
When working with guest choreographers and dancers, it is important that teachers:
Sample Checklist for Planning a Dance Mini-Unit
Sample Planning Form for a Dance Lesson
