The following steps outline ways teachers can plan lessons and assist students in dance-making, beginning with a theme, idea or movement itself. The teacher must keep the foundational objectives in mind while planning. The steps allow a variety of instructional methods to be incorporated; for example, brainstorming, discussion, co-operative learning groups, problem-solving, demonstration, concept mapping, reflective discussion, synectics, focused imaging, and so on.
The following planning process is not the only way to plan and assist students' dance-making. Some teachers may already have their own ways of planning which they prefer. The teacher should include the students in the planning, as appropriate. Teachers may find that individuals or groups of students with experience in dance-making will be able to use the following steps independently with little guidance from the teacher.
The steps show how teachers and students can develop themes and ideas in dance. The key is for the teacher and/or students to be familiar with the dance elements (which are the language of dance) and to ask questions which encourage full exploration of dance concepts. The steps also show how teachers and students can use movements as a starting-point (right-hand column), rather than a theme or idea (left-hand column).
Steps One to Four focus on planning for dance-making. Step Five is included to help teachers structure the dance-making lesson.
At first, teachers and/or students may wish to closely follow the steps of "Planning for Students' Dance-making." However, strictly following these steps may inhibit either the teachers' or students' intuitions and inspirations so valued in the creative process. Use the steps as a guide and explore any diversions which might arise.
|
Starting with Themes or Ideas Ideas to inspire dance-making can come from many sources: personal experiences and feelings, the environment, observation, the imagination, memories, current affairs, the other arts strands, and so on. Not all themes or ideas lend themselves to movement. Teachers and students should look for themes or ideas that have images suggesting movement. It should be noted that some themes or ideas might not seem to have potential for movement at first glance but may prove stimulating upon reflection and discussion. With a little experience, teachers and students will soon discover which themes or ideas inspire movement and are easily explored in dance. |
Starting with Movements
Ideas for dances need not begin with an external idea or
theme. Some
choreographers approach dance in a more formalistic way by
manipulating
and exploring movement itself. In this case, the
choreographers' focus
is the elements and structures of dance. For example,
instead of
creating a dance using a theme such as "the
environment", the
choreographer might begin with a movement idea, such as
"energy used to
resist gravity."
|
|
Teacher Information The dance elements are the language of dance. For more information on the elements and on the principles of composition, see the Appendix at the end of the dance curriculum guide. |
|
Starting with a Theme or Idea If the teacher and/or students selected the starting-point of "the environment", for example, they would begin by brainstorming ideas about the environment. The Environment
|
Starting with Movement
When starting with movement, this step is usually omitted and planning would begin with Step Three. However, the teacher and students might wish to begin with a discussion about the starting-point. For example, if the teacher and/or students selected the starting-point of "energy used to resist gravity", they might begin with a discussion on gravity. |
|
Starting with a Theme or Idea
Select one or two words from the brainstorming list. The teacher and/or students can then ask questions in order to make concept maps or webs of possible movements for further exploration over the next few lessons. The questions should ask students to associate core characteristics of the theme or idea with concepts related to the dance elements: actions, body, dynamics, relationships and space. In doing this, students will be encouraged to go beyond mimicry in their movement explorations. For example, if the theme is "the environment" and the teacher/students selected "endangered species" and "protection", they would then brainstorm action, body, dynamic, relationship and space concepts associated with these words. Students could respond to questions such as: What actions does the term endangered species make you think of? How do you think you would do the actions (dynamics)? Etc. Teachers should note that students may not associate every element with a particular idea or theme. Although all elements are present, some elements may predominate for some themes. Sample concept maps follow below.
|
Starting with Movement
When using movement as inspiration for dance-making, teachers and students may still choose to make concept maps or webs of possible movements to explore over the next few lessons. For example, if the teacher and/or students selected "energy used to resist gravity", they would then brainstorm movement ideas from that concept. Two sample concept maps follow in this column.
|
Over the next few lessons students would go on to improvise, explore, develop and further refine their movements, working from the suggestions on the concept maps.
|
Planning from a Theme or Idea The learning objectives focusing on the element of "dynamics" might be particularly appropriate for the theme "endangered species". The teacher might also decide to incorporate objectives focusing on the composition principle "climax and resolution". Teachers may find other elements and principles which work just as well and would then select other learning objectives. |
Planning from Movements The learning objectives focusing on the elements of dynamics and actions might be particularly appropriate for the concept map of "energy used to resist gravity." Teachers may find other elements and principles which work just as well and would then select other learning objectives.
|
Before structuring the lesson, teachers might want to step back and consider the following:
|
The Warm-up Exploration and Development Sequencing the Dance Phrase The Cool-down Time for Reflection |
1. The Warm-up
The warm-up uses activities to:
2. Exploration and Development
In this part of the lesson the students will explore their starting-points based on the concept maps. Students should be encouraged to improvise, experiment with and create their own movements in response to the tasks set by the teacher and/or students. The teacher acts as a guide and observer, encouraging the students' development of the movements, ensuring that a movement is fully experienced, making suggestions and responding to what the students do.
3. Sequencing
The movements that the students explored and developed will now be ordered and refined into dance phrases and compositions. Not all the movements will be used, just the ones that best convey the students' intentions. Students should consider each movement and ensure that it contributes to the whole dance composition. When sequencing movements and dance phrases, the students should be encouraged to use their understanding of the principles of composition. 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 should 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 should occur throughout the lesson. Students should be given time to think about their own work, clarify their intentions, refine their work and decide if they are satisfied with their work. Do they find what they do is interesting to them? Do they think their expressions are clear to others? If not, how could they make their dance expression more interesting for themselves or clearer to others?
At the end of the dance lesson, students should show their work to each other. They should be given the opportunity to look at, describe and discuss their peers' work. This can be done with half the class watching the other half, with small groups demonstrating to the class, with partners demonstrating to each other, etc.
|
Caution To maintain objectivity, keep the students' comments to observations about the movement itself and discourage comments which 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 Dance Presentations".) |
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 creative dance lesson, teachers will need to be interactive -- constantly coaching, guiding and discussing with the students. Following are tips that will help the teacher. *
* "Tips for Teaching the
Dance-making
Lesson" was adapted from Physical
Education Elementary School Dance and
Rhythmical Activities, A Teacher
Handbook for Kindergarten, Division I and II,
Saskatchewan Education, 1981.
Accompaniment
Accompanying students in their dance will help motivate
them to move.
The following discusses two methods of accompaniment:
percussion
instruments and music. *
The following are some examples of how percussion instruments can be used:
Once the music is analysed, 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, have them begin by listening to the beat of the music.
Selecting Music
Selecting music is usually a matter of personal preference. The following will provide some guidance:
Records, Tapes and Compact Discs
Records, tapes or compact discs can be used in the dance lesson. Records allow teachers to find quickly a musical selection, but they tend to scratch easily. Tapes are more durable than records, but finding musical selections can be time consuming. (When using tapes, cue the tape to the musical selection before the lesson and use only one music selection on a cassette in one lesson. Use the tape counter to easily rewind to the chosen spot.) Compact discs are probably the best. They scratch less easily than records and musical selections can be cued to play immediately.
|
Caution Teachers should 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 qualities they desire. |
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, examining how these dances may reflect the culture or society and, finally, experiencing 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 the spirit intended.
Depending on the students' levels and abilities, the following list of suggestions can be considered by the teacher when planning activities exploring the dances of various cultures and societies:
1. Dances can be broken down into two parts: the steps of the dance or the actual movements made, and the floor pattern or the pathway made when the dancers move. Begin by teaching the steps of the dance. Each step is described and demonstrated separately. The steps are done slowly at first without the music, and then at the proper tempo.
2. Teach one part of the basic step pattern at a time. When two parts have been learned, combine them in order to establish continuity of the dance.
3. The floor pattern is explained next. The dancers walk through the floor pattern. Then the step pattern and the floor pattern are combined; first without music, then with music. Remember that not all dances have a set floor pattern.
4. The whole dance is done to music. Repeat the dance several times in order that all students can be more fluent in the dance and so they can enjoy it.
* "Teaching a Set Dance" was adapted from the following two sources: From Folk Dance to Disco Dances, A Teacher Handbook for Divisions II, III and IV, Saskatchewan Education, 1980; and Physical Education: Elementary School Dance and Rhythmical Activities, A Teacher Handbook for Kindergarten, Division I and II, Saskatchewan Education, 1981.
In addition, the following tips will help the class run smoothly:
|
Use "key" or one-syllable words to cue the steps (walks,
hops, stamps,
etc.) and directional changes (sideways, forwards,
backwards, right,
left), and to provide musical alertness for beginning
(ready).
Verbalization in this manner helps students keep the main
rhythmic
pattern and encourages them to gain a sense of the
whole.
Overlook small errors in favour of establishing a movement sense for the dance itself -- its transitions, its vigour and uniqueness.
Encourage the students to identify the musical phrases in the dance. Most traditional dances are phrased similarly to the music. Movement memory rarely fails when one is familiar with the accents and general qualities of the music.
Encourage vigorous activity so that students become involved in physical activity and have little time to worry who they are with.
Encourage opportunities for solo, line, circle, scatter or group formations of three and four. This reduces the thinking that one must have a partner to dance.
Restrict choice when partners are needed (ask students to face the person standing opposite them, the person closest to them, etc.).
Encourage frequent and rapid changes of partners.
|
