Dance

Dance Experiences

Photo credit: MiikaS on Visualhunt / CC BY-SA

Freeze Dance

This fun and engaging activity can serve as the basis for exploring all elements of dance (time, space, energy, body). Movement is vital to human well-being. Children naturally enjoy moving to the music and freezing when the music stops. Use recordings or a simple beat on a percussion instrument.

Photo credit: elPadawan via Visualhunt / CC BY-SA

Dance a Story

Here's a systematic approach to developing a dance to tell a story. It is just one possibility among many to help children identify the main points in a story, develop frozen poses for each frame, and create transitions between the frames. Put it all together for a creative movement performance.

Photo credit: RadamesM via Visualhunt / CC BY-SA

Folk Dance

Folk dancing is an essential part of social studies and the general development of movement and social skills It also gives opportunities for the development of spatial reasoning.

Photo via Visualhunt

Mirror Movement

Develop movement, creativity, flexibility, and concentration skills through mirror movement. These activities are also an effective means for teaching and exploring symmetry.

Photo credit: A Health Blog via Visualhunt / CC BY-SA

Brain "Breaks"

These engaging and motivating movement activities actually energize the brain rather than giving it a rest. Use them to provide a quick change of pace from extended periods of sitting. Children come back to other activities "ready to learn."

Photo credit: woodleywonderworks via Visualhunt / CC BY-SA

Focus Activities

Movement is the perfect way to focus a class at the beginning of a lesson and during or following complex activities. Keep the movements interesting and creative. This is also a great opportunity to let students practice leading.

Photo credit: Joe Shlabotnik on VisualHunt.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Moving with Props

Use props to add interest to movement activities and to make specific ties to other curriculum areas. The possibilities are endless: scarves, hulla hoops, pool noodles, balls, a parachute, pieces of paper, balloons...

Photo by Slava Bowman on Unsplash

Line Dances

Line dances can be found in a variety of musical styles from hip-hop to country. And each line dance typically has multiple tutorials on Youtube. Children can also make up their own line dances.

Photo credit: ac4lt on Visual hunt / CC BY-NC-ND

Choreography

Creative dance sequences can be thought of as series of ideas, steps in a process, or events expressed creatively through movement. Integration possibilities are infinite. Choreography is process of creatively developing these sequences.

Photo credit: Ahd Photography on VisualHunt / CC BY-NC

Improvisation

Improvisation in dance refers to developing movements and sequences "on the spot." However, using specific parameters (particular types of movement and variety of stimuli) can help avoid making people feel "on the spot."