Unit One: From Source to Expression

Unit One is designed to develop students' understanding of processes used to transform individual experiences and ideas into dances. In this unit, students will extend their choreographic abilities. They will generate, explore, develop and form their own ideas into artistic expressions.

Suggested Activities	Possible Resources
Talking About Dance The students will: become aware of dance issues. Teacher Information Teachers might be aware of issues they would like students to discuss at the beginning of the school year. Otherwise, the following suggested activity could be introduced at any time, depending on the issues the students suggest.	Note: All resources listed in this column appear in Arts Education: A Bibliography for Grades 6 to 8, 1994. Citations appear in full in the bibliography, alphabetized by title.
Ask students what issues they can think of related to dance. For example, many dancers are concerned with injury prevention and diet. Discuss these issues and why they concern dancers. What do dancers do to prevent and care for injuries? What should be included in a healthy diet for dancers? Have students consider and act upon what they can do to prevent injuries and maintain a healthy diet.	Resource materials on issues in dance, found in newspaper articles, magazines such as Footnotes, Dance Connection, books such as What is Dance? Resource materials on injury prevention and diet such as Bend and Stretch, Dance Technique for Children, The Dancer Prepares, Sport Stretch
Choreography Is A Process The students will: reflect on and discuss their own work. Review with students the meaning of choreography and choreographer. Explain that not all dances are choreographed prior to performance. Some dances are improvised or created on the spot. For example, some post modern dancers sequence their movements while presenting or performing the dance. This is also true of some pow wow dancers. Ask students to think of dances they have choreographed in the past. What did they do to create their dances? Were they always fully formed before being presented? Explain that when people create dances they use processes or methods. Make connections between the processes students use for dance-making and expressive writing. For example, in both writing and dance-making, changing or revising the work is part of the process. Tell students that they will be focusing on the process of creating dances in this unit. Choreographers Begin With Intentions The students will: recognize that choreographers create dances for a variety of reasons attempt to identify the inspirations or starting-points for various choreographers' work recognize that dances can be inspired in many ways discover a variety of sources of inspiration for dance compositions.
Explain that choreographers have intentions or starting-points when they create dances. For example, they might have an idea they want to convey to an audience or an idea they want to explore in order to arrive at a new understanding. Discuss with students that there are many possible sources of inspiration for dances: personal experiences, cultural and societal influences, fantasy, memories, feelings, dreams, emotions, literature, music, sculpture, movement itself, and so on. Discuss some ideas used as inspiration for dances the students have seen. Students can find this information in reference books or videos about choreographers, or dancers and their work.	Resources on finding starting-points for dance, such as Sources of Dance (video) Reference books about choreographers and their work, such as People Who Dance, The Modern Dance, First Remy Charlip Reader Videos about choreographers and their work, such as Dancemakers Series, Dance Alive: Wisdom Keepers, Behind the Scenes with David Parsons
Have students suggest ideas they would find interesting to use as starting-points for creating dances. Brainstorm a list to post on the bulletin board. Add ideas to the list throughout the year. The students will: keep an ongoing record of ideas for their own dance compositions. Often, choreographers keep journals to record their ideas before and during the process of creating their dances. Discuss with students what sorts of things could be included in their dance portfolios to support their dance-making. For example, entries could include students' observations about themselves and their world, their ideas for dances, documentation of their dances and the processes they used to create them, reflection on their dance experiences, ideas about dance in general, etc. On an ongoing basis, have students keep dance portfolios. Have students reflect on where their ideas for starting-points recorded in their portfolios came from. For further information on developing dance portfolios, see "Instructional Guidelines for Grade Six". Students Developing Their Own Voice Teacher Information Activities on the elements of dance are best taught in a context. Integrate these suggested activities on the elements of dance with other suggested activities. The students will: extend their understanding of the elements of dance through movement exploration and analysis become familiar with ways the elements can be used to affect expression use dance terminology when reflecting on and discussing their dance experiences. Note: Teachers will need to derive further learning objectives specific to the elements of dance based on the movement explorations in which the students are engaged. For information on the elements and middle years students, please see Appendix A. Discuss that to use dance for expression, a "voice" must be developed. Explain to students that by exploring the elements of dance, they are expanding and developing their personal movement vocabulary and learning about the language of dance. In this way, students are developing their dance voice.
Have students expand and develop their movement vocabulary by creating short dance studies exploring the elements of dance. For example, students could explore relationship concepts such as mirroring, moving in reaction to a partner or moving in relation to an object. After initial exploration, have students select and sequence some of the movements they explored to create dance phrases.	Reference books on teaching dance, such as Modern Dance: Building and Teaching Lessons, The Dancer Prepares, Dancing to Learn, Handbook for Dance in Education, Dance for Young Children
Choreographers Transform Ideas into Movements The students will: increase their awareness and understanding of dances and dance artists, male and female, in Saskatchewan, Canada and beyond reflect on how the elements of dance and principles of composition are used in their own dance compositions and in the dances of others make connections between their own work and the work of various choreographers perceive, describe, analyse, interpret and make informed judgments about dance presentations, using an increasingly appropriate vocabulary demonstrate their comprehension of dance concepts and other aspects of dance by supporting their opinions of dance presentations (live or recorded).
Examine closely the work of an individual choreographer. Use a process such as "Responding to Dance Presentations", included in this curriculum, to guide students. Discuss how students think the movements in the dance helped convey the choreographer's intentions.	Dance presentations, such as Dancemakers Series, Blue Snake, Behind the Scenes with David Parsons
Have students discuss some of the ways they have, in the past, transformed starting-points into movements. Discuss with students various processes choreographers use to transform ideas into movements. For example, some choreographers: intuitively develop the movements they will use in their dance through improvisation consciously apply their understanding of the elements of dance before and during improvisation when developing their movement vocabulary adjust and adapt the movement vocabulary of the dance form within which they are working; for example, choreographers of ballet use ballet steps.
Show students examples of various ballets. Using a process such as "Responding to Dance Presentations", have students observe how choreographers of ballets use many of the same steps, but they use them in different ways. Ask students to discuss why, even though the steps are similar, each dance is a unique expression of the choreographer. Have students look at pow wow dances. Compare similarities and differences among the steps used by various pow wow dancers in the Grass or Jingle Dress dance, for example. How do the dancers maintain their uniqueness?	Excerpts of various ballets seen in videos, such as Dancemakers Series: Canciones, First Stop China, Bold Steps, Nutcracker, Bujones: In His Image, Baryshnikov: The Dancer and the Dance. Also, see videos from Dance Saskatchewan, Inc. Pow wow dance presentations, such as: Pow Wow, Dance Alive: Wisdom Keepers, Dances of the Northern Plains
Students Transform Ideas Into Movements Teacher Information Asking students to agree on an idea for a dance composition enables the teacher to guide the class in its improvisations and dance explorations. However, teachers may find their students are able to develop their dance ideas independently with little guidance from the teacher. In this case, it is not necessary for the class to agree on one idea. The students will: use starting-points as inspiration for improvisation and movement exploration begin to gain understanding about the discovery, improvisation, exploration and development of movements apply knowledge of the elements of dance in all their dance experiences.
Ask students to reflect on the ideas for dance compositions they recorded in their portfolios. Have students select a few ideas they would like to explore further. Discuss the ideas and, for each lesson, select one or two ideas for exploration. Have students explore ways of transforming the selected starting- points into movements. Guide students to use various approaches.	Reference books on teaching dance, such as Modern Dance: Building and Teaching Lessons, The Dancer Prepares, Dancing to Learn, Dance for Young Children Students' dance portfolios
The following examples describe possible ways of exploring and transforming starting-points into movements. For detailed information on dance-making lessons, see "Planning for Students' Dance-making", included in this curriculum guide. Example 1: Applying Understanding of the Elements of Dance Have students make a concept map or web of their topic in relation to the dance elements. Encourage students by asking questions related to the dance elements. For example, an idea such as "competition" could suggest movements such as struggling, sprinting (actions), sudden or strong movements (dynamics), working with a partner (relationships), etc. Have students explore their movement ideas. Encourage students to explore each idea fully by asking questions such as, "Could you do that with your arms instead of your legs? Backwards? With more strength or more lightly?"
Have the students select their movements to create a short dance study. Accompany the students in their work with percussion instruments or music. Show the dance studies or record the studies on video for later viewing. Describe, discuss and analyse the dance studies. Have students reflect on the connections between the studies and the starting-points. See "Adapting Responding to Dance Presentations for the Discussion of Student Work", included in this curriculum guide.	Accompaniment such as percussion instruments or music Video recording equipment
Example 2: Using Intuition Have students improvise, freely responding and reacting to their starting-points. Use music or percussions instruments to accompany the students. Encourage students to fully explore their responses and reactions to the initial ideas. Guide students by setting structures for their improvisations to focus them in their tasks. Have students select their movements to create a short dance study. Have students show their dance studies, or record the studies on video for later viewing. Describe and discuss the dance studies. Include in the discussions student analysis of what they did to develop their movements. Have students reflect on the connections between the studies and their starting-points.	Reference books on dance improvisation, such as Choreography: A Basic Approach Using Improvisation, Creating Through Dance, The Intimate Act of Choreography, Modern Dance: Building and Teaching Lessons Accompaniment such as percussions instruments or music Video recording equipment
Students Learning About Choreographic Form and Principles of Composition Teacher Information Activities on choreographic form and the principles of composition are best taught within another context. Integrate these suggested activities on the principles and form with other suggested activities. Activities on form and principles can be included in all activities in which the students are sequencing movements. The students will: become familiar with the principles of composition and begin to apply their knowledge of the principles in all their dance experiences reflect on and discuss their own and their peers' work while valuing the work as expressions of unique experiences become familiar with a variety of choreographic forms use ongoing reflection, decision-making and movement problem-solving to develop, sequence and refine their dance compositions throughout their dance-making process. Note: For the following suggested activities, teachers will need to derive further learning objectives specific to the principles of composition and dance elements. The choice will depend on the movement explorations in which the students are engaged. More specific learning objectives are stated for each principle of composition in Foundational Objective #2. For information on the elements and middle years students, please see Appendix A. Introduce students to the composition principles of contrast, repetition, sequencing and development, transition, unity and variety. Inform students that the principles are devices which choreographers use to sequence their movements into dances. Make connections between principles of composition in dance and composition in the literary arts.
Have students create short dance studies exploring the principles of composition. For example, to explore variety, have students use movements with various aspects of: actions -- travelling, non-locomotor, turning, falling, jumping, etc. space -- large, small, curved, straight, zigzag, frontwards, backwards, etc. dynamics -- fast, slow, even and uneven rhythms, a lot or a little energy, strong, light, etc. body -- whole body, using various body parts, etc. relationships -- unison, near, far, meeting, etc. Students can sequence the various movements into dance phrases of various lengths. Guide students as they reflect on their own and their peers' dance studies. Review with students the choreographic forms of binary (AB), ternary (ABA), chance and narrative. Introduce students to other choreographic forms such as collage (unifies fragments into a whole) and organic (grows naturally out of itself). Explain that when choreographers create dances, they do not always set out to create a dance with a specific form. Sometimes the form of the dance evolves from the choreographer's ideas and the ways they develop their ideas. However, in order to learn about form, it is helpful to create dance studies with a specific form.	Reference books on choreography, such as Choreography: A Basic Approach Using Improvisation, The Intimate Act of Choreography, Modern Dance: Building and Teaching Lessons, The Art of Making Dances, Form Without Formula, Creating Through Dance, A Handbook for Dance in Education
Have students create dance studies exploring various choreographic forms. For example, use music as the basis for dance studies. Select music which has an AB form or music which is composed through chance. Have students improvise to the music to create a repertoire of movements they would like to develop for their dance study. Sequence the movements to reflect the structure or form of the musical selection. Guide students as they reflect on their own and their peers' studies. Teacher Information Cultural dances often have AB form; for example, The Rabbit Dance (Métis). Students Putting It All Together Teacher Information This next suggested activity is the same for grades six and seven. The learning objectives and the students' ideas will differ at each grade level. The purpose of this activity is to give students an opportunity to apply what they have learned about choreography in this unit to their own dance creations. The students will: express themselves through their dance compositions discover a variety of sources of inspiration for dance compositions use ongoing reflection, decision-making and movement problem-solving to develop, sequence and refine their dance compositions throughout their dance-making process apply knowledge of the elements of dance in all their dance experiences become familiar with the principles of composition and begin to apply their knowledge of the principles in all their dance experiences reflect on and discuss their own and their peers' work while valuing the work as expressions of unique experiences.	Musical selections with various forms (such as AB form or music which has been composed through chance), found in music series such as Canada Is ... Music 7 - 8
Have small groups of three to five students create a dance composition. The group can select a starting-point from the ideas posted earlier in the unit. Assist the students as they generate, develop and sequence their dance compositions. If the students want music, ask them to select or create music to accompany their studies. See "Creating Sound Compositions in the Classroom", included in the Music section of this curriculum guide. Have students record their choreographic experiences in their dance portfolios.	Musical selections chosen or created by the students
Ask students to show their final dance compositions, or record the compositions on video for later viewing. Describe, discuss and analyse the compositions, focusing particularly on the principles of composition and form. Include in the discussions student analysis of what they did to create their studies, from exploration and development to sequencing the movements into a form. See "Adapting Responding to Dance Presentations for the Discussion of Student Work" , included in this curriculum guide.	Video recording equipment