Dance Term 4 | Stage 3 | Creative Arts

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Summary
In Stage 3, students explain how the elements of dance, choreographic devices and production elements communicate meaning in dances they make, perform and view. They describe
characteristics of dances from different social, historical and cultural contexts that influence their dance making. Students structure movements in dance sequences and use the elements of
dance and choreographic devices to make dances that communicate meaning. They work collaboratively to perform dances for audiences, demonstrating technical and expressive skills.

Outcomes Assessment overview

Creative Arts K-6

- Self and peer assessment
- Peer feedback sheets (two stars and a wish) and discussion
› CA-DAS3.1 performs and interprets dances from particular contexts, using a wide range of - Teacher observations during lessons
movement skills and appropriate expressive qualities - Anecdotal notes
› CA-DAS3.2 explores, selects, organises and refines movement using the elements of dance - Reflection on learning at the end of each lesson
to communicate intent
- Summative assessment: students choreograph a dance in groups of 2-3 and perform for the
› CA-DAS3.3 the student discusses and interprets the relationship between content, meaning class. All the elements of dance must be included in this performance.
and context of their own dances and others’ dances.

Content Teaching, learning and assessment Resources

LESSON ONE Introduction to unit: - Elements of dance poster/ mind
Focus element of Examine what students already know about dance by discussing the following questions: map
dance: Action and
Body - What are some different types/ forms of dance? - Warm up music should consist of
different tempos. ‘Putumayo
- Why might people dance? Presents’ CD’s are great and can be
found on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/results?
- How do people use dance to express themselves?
search_query=+putumayo+presents
https://www.youtube.com/results?
- Why is dance important to so many cultures around the world? search_query=+putumayo+presents

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Content Teaching, learning and assessment Resources
- Attraction- Shadow Theatre Group.
- What are the main elements of dance? – Show students a mind map of the elements of dance and briefly discuss https://www.youtube.com/watch?
them, explaining to students that they will be learning about all these elements of dance throughout this unit. v=wEMAVott-mw
Explain:
 Body is the instrument of dance - Gesture Dance - research project -
 Action refers to what is occurring Zornitsa Stoyanova
 Dynamics (or energy) refers to the quality or how it is happening https://www.youtube.com/watch?
 Time refers to when is it happening v=G-7uzq_YD_Y
 Space refers to where is it occurring
 Relationships refers to with or who aspects of the dance

The elements explained further:

Teacher Notes
Body - is the instrument of Non-locomotor (axial): Stretch, bend, twist, turn, rise, fall, swing, rock, tip, shake, suspend
dance. Locomotor (traveling): Slide, walk, hop, somersault, run, skip, jump, do-si-do, leap, roll, crawl,
gallop, chainé turns
Elements of Dance
Time - Defines when one Duration (short/long): Length of movement Tempo (fast/slow): Speed of movement Metric
moves rhythm: Grouping of beats in recurring pattern.
Space - Defines where one Active space, positive space, negative space, planes, pathways, general space, personal space
moves and performance space
Action/ Shape - The form Size: Large, small, narrow, wide Level: High, medium, low Place: On the spot (personal space),
of the body through the space (general space), upstage/downstage, stage right/left (specific space)
Direction: Forward, backward, sideways, diagonal, right, left Orientation:
Facing front, back, side, etc. Pathway: Curved, straight
Dynamics/ Energy - Defines how one moves. Characteristics of a movement. The degree of energy, intensity, or
Defines how one moves. power in the execution of movements. Quality: Flowing, tight, loose, sharp, swinging, swaying,
suspended, collapsed, smooth Attack: Sharp/smooth Sudden/sustained
Relationship - Defines the Spatial Relationships: In fro nt, beside, behind, over, under, alone/connected, near/far,
relationship of the formations Timing Relationships: Before, after, unison, canon, sooner than, faster than.
dancers.

Warm up exercises (these warm ups are to be used at the beginning of each lesson in this unit- you don’t have to do ALL of

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Content Teaching, learning and assessment Resources
them in every lesson, just pick and choose which one you want to do at the start of each lesson)

1. Ask students why it is important that we warm up each time before dancing. Brainstorm what can happen if we don’t and
Moving in the space how we can benefit if we do. Have students spread out and explain that we all have an imaginary bubble surrounding each of
with body awareness. our bodies. This bubble shouldn’t be touched by anyone else so we need to stay far enough away so they don’t burst.

2. Ask the students to move forwards, backwards and sideways in space- reminding them of their bubbles.
Have students continue moving while integrating different levels –Teacher: ‘See how low to the ground you can get while still
moving, get to your lowest level’. ‘Let’s come up a little bit now so we are on a medium level’ ‘Now let’s get right up on our
tippy toes with our hands up and move as high as we can’. Vary the movement and add in different tempos as they are
moving. Call out ‘slow motion’, ‘medium’ and ‘fast forward’ etc. Teacher may need to call out ‘freeze’ in between each change
so all students can hear.

3. Teacher, “You are going to be late for a bus. How do you move?”, “You are going to a concert of your favourite band”,
“Going to school for naplan”, “Meeting up for a game of footy”, and add in any things that relate directly to their students.
Discuss the different intentions for each movement.

4. Direct students to make a circle. Start from your head and move down your body isolating and warming up each part. Have
Students view and students brainstorm how they could warm up each body part and construct a class warm up for each of the following lessons.
explore different Example- Slow head circles, Shoulders up and down/ circles forwards and backwards, arms out to the side for small circles
shapes they can make growing bigger and bigger, Hips (pretend they have a hula hoop around their waists), knee bends, tippie toes around in the
using their bodies and circle. Ask students to glue their feet to the floor and move only the top half of their body.
how they can use
them to tell the - Explain to students that you can say something or give a message to people through dance without speaking. Watch You
audience something. Tube video ‘Attraction- Shadow Theatre Group’ and have students discuss the story/message being told and how they did it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEMAVott-mw

Viewing and - Explain that the dancers had to use many different shapes with different body parts to make it visible to the audience, but it
Responding. is not always that clear.

- Explain to students that today’s lesson will focus on the dance elements of Action and Body. Explain that Action refers to
what is occurring and how you travel and move and the Body is used as an instrument of dance.

Moving with purpose. - Watch part of ‘Gestures dance’ and discuss the difference and what she could have been trying to say.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-7uzq_YD_Y

Viewing and Accumulation Circle- This game is a movement version of the memory game ‘shopping list’.
Responding. Around in a circle, moving in a clockwise direction one person begins with ‘I went shopping and I bought a (e.g. basketball).

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Content Teaching, learning and assessment Resources
This initiates a simple movement- e.g. bouncing a ball. The movement may take one or two counts to perform. All students
observe and repeat the movement and text at the same time. The student to the left says ‘I went shopping and I bought a
(e.g. bird) and does a simple movement. This is movement 2. All students repeat text and movement from the beginning. ‘I
went shopping and I bought a basketball and a bird (with the movements and the same time). See how far the students can
get around the circle before their memories lapse. The text may be cut out of this and the movement can create a sequence.
May be done in smaller groups/circles and then students can show other groups their sequences.

Warm Down- Teacher “Because we are nice and warm from all the dancing it is now time to do some stretches. This makes
sure we don’t get sore and gives our bodies time to cool down”. Have students stand back in their circle and give ideas on how
Reflection. they think they should stretch after dancing. Teacher “What part of your bodies feel like they need a stretch?”. Develop a
class warm down together.

Reflection: ‘What was your favourite part of the lesson today?’

“Did you really enjoy or really dislike any movements today?’
‘What would you do different next time?’

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