Dance a StoryThis is a process that we worked out in class for dancing a story. Sometimes it isn't enough to simply divide the class into groups and tell them to figure out a way to dance a given story. The process outlined below gives more parameters and direction in order to identify the main story elements while exploring some dance elements in more depth.
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Step 1: Choose a story
This could be a folk tale, a personal story, or a story from children's literature (a short story or a chapter from a larger work). For purposes of arts integration, use stories that the children are encountering elsewhere in the curriculum.
Step 2: Create a storyboard
Discuss, in small groups or as a class, what the main parts of the story are. These are the big ideas that cannot be left out — the parts that really carry the story. Five is an optimal number of frames for this activity. Make drawings or write brief notes to show what is happening in each of the major parts of the story. For example, one of the university students suggested The Lion King. The frames in the storyboard included "Simba is born," "his Dad is murdered," "Simba runs away," "he chills with his friends," "he returns and fights."
Step 3: Create poses for each frame
Create freeze frames, poses, of statues for each frame in the storyboard. How could the body be posed to best capture the essence of that specific part of the story? For this portion of the experience today, we had one person be the statue and another be the artist who gently moved the statue into position. We discussed the use of space and tried to find some variation (high, middle, low, wide, narrow). You could also discuss energy and adjectives in conjunction with the poses.
Step 4: Create transitions between poses
Explore ways to transition from one pose to the next. Think of variations in time (slow, fast, increasing or decreasing speed, duration), energy, and space for an interesting transition.
Step 5: Put it all together
Perform all poses and transitions in order as a group. Discuss ways to improve the performance. Be sure to maintain composure throughout with a clear beginning and end. For variety, add musical instruments to accompany the performance. Today, after each group performed their story, we had the rest of the class guess what story it was. All were able to guess with only one group having to perform their twice. You could also record the performances so the children could watch themselves, providing an opportunity for self-assessment as well as positive reinforcement.
This could be a folk tale, a personal story, or a story from children's literature (a short story or a chapter from a larger work). For purposes of arts integration, use stories that the children are encountering elsewhere in the curriculum.
Step 2: Create a storyboard
Discuss, in small groups or as a class, what the main parts of the story are. These are the big ideas that cannot be left out — the parts that really carry the story. Five is an optimal number of frames for this activity. Make drawings or write brief notes to show what is happening in each of the major parts of the story. For example, one of the university students suggested The Lion King. The frames in the storyboard included "Simba is born," "his Dad is murdered," "Simba runs away," "he chills with his friends," "he returns and fights."
Step 3: Create poses for each frame
Create freeze frames, poses, of statues for each frame in the storyboard. How could the body be posed to best capture the essence of that specific part of the story? For this portion of the experience today, we had one person be the statue and another be the artist who gently moved the statue into position. We discussed the use of space and tried to find some variation (high, middle, low, wide, narrow). You could also discuss energy and adjectives in conjunction with the poses.
Step 4: Create transitions between poses
Explore ways to transition from one pose to the next. Think of variations in time (slow, fast, increasing or decreasing speed, duration), energy, and space for an interesting transition.
Step 5: Put it all together
Perform all poses and transitions in order as a group. Discuss ways to improve the performance. Be sure to maintain composure throughout with a clear beginning and end. For variety, add musical instruments to accompany the performance. Today, after each group performed their story, we had the rest of the class guess what story it was. All were able to guess with only one group having to perform their twice. You could also record the performances so the children could watch themselves, providing an opportunity for self-assessment as well as positive reinforcement.