WorlDanceAround

Ages 4th & 5th Grades

Mission Statement:

As parents, teachers and observers, we all know that communication is fundamental; with good communication skills you will succeed in life. A child needs to express their ideas in different ways than elders and the primary goal of creative dance is to develop those communication skills. First, by learning the elements of dance -space, force and time- a child can build up his cognitive, psychomotor and affective development. Second, to encourage children reaching beyond the conventional response, they can discover a great deal about their bodies, minds, language, thought, imagination and ideas through creative dance. Third, engaging the mind, body and soul while creating becomes holistic when one start moving freely. All these facts play an important role in life building self-image, self-awareness, self-direction, self-knowledge, and self-identification. In creative dance class, students explore dance elements and perform dance movements using skills, vocabulary, and language of dance. I encourage looking behind the actual movements and understand why creative dance is vital to children.

General Concept:

- Dance helps learning to work individually, in partners and in groups VPA standard Historical/Cultural context, Creative expression
- Dance is a way to communicate VPA standard: Creative expression
- Dance is fun for everyone VPA Standard: Historical/Cultural context
- Using the imagination develops creativity and promotes artistic growth
- The vocabulary/content of dance includes the basic dance/movement elements:
VPA Standards: Artistic perception; Creative expression
Use of the body and its actions
Use of time
Use of space
Use of effort
….and the interrelationship between these elements to create expression

Unit concept:

- Primary focus is on the learning experience through tempo.
- This learning experience emphasizes spatial and body awareness.
- Structured movement allow students to create and coordinate movements
- Use of a accompanist enhance creativity and movement expression
- Gain awareness of their own organic rhythm
- Stomping and clapping helps gain body awareness
- Learning how to focus on their own rhythmic pattern while other patterns are occurring at the same time.

Goals:

As a result of participating in this learning experience, children will improve their ability to
- Dance individually and in small groups
- Listen to different tempo (slow, fast, smooth, sharp)
- Coordinate rhythm of the music and the body
- Expand their sense of rhythm by using different tempo
- To compose their own rhythmic patterns
- Memorize skills and movements
- Build their self-esteem, self-determination
- Share with others

Equipment needed: Talking drum, nametag and the accompanist

Description:

1) Introduction: 5min
Introduce yourself after seating them in a circle. Introduce the accompanist and explain how he will be helping playing different rhythms and tempos throughout the class. Review the rules. Review the concept of rhythm and its definition. Rhythm is essential in music and dance. If you don’t have rhythm, your instrument won’t sound really good or your dance won’t look good. Rhythm is the whole feeling of movement in music. David will demonstrate different tempo (slow, light, syncopated). Ask them what they hear, the quality of the music, how would they define it.
Today, we’re going to work on sequences. On Wednesday, they were introduced to different rhythm; today they will be working on sequences using the same pattern of rhythm and different tempo.

2) Warm up: 5 min
We want the kids to form a big circle around the room. David will play music, when he stops, the kids will freeze like a statue. Explain the meaning of a circle in different cultures. In Hip Hop, a circle is called a cipher. People get together and perform for each other dancing or spoken word ( Mcing). In most traditional cultures people celebrate rituals and ceremonies in circles. It symbolizes the circle of life, the shape of the sun and the moon.
David will set a tempo and we’ll continue with the warm up using clapping hands, tapping the body and stomping. Go over skipping, hoping and spinning with different tempo that I will tell the accompanist to play.
Review concept of positive and negative space around their body. Grab the negative space around you by clapping. Feel the positive space by tapping on the body and stomping.

3) In the center: 10min
We want the kids to spread out. David plays when he stops, they freeze.

Work on three sequences:
1) step step step clap ( to the right then left)
2) Spin, go down/ spin reach up
3) skip clap skip clap/ skip clap skip clap

Is there different ways to perform the same sequence on a tempo? Try out.
After learning the three sequences, David will be playing a beat. They have to perform the three sequences in any order and they can repeat them but can’t improvise yet. David plays 6.8 slow then faster. Remind them how important it is to listen to the music.
Next exercise, they have to make up a sequence in 1.8. Review how positive and negative space is important for visual. After practicing it, David will be playing a faster beat to perform the four sequences one after another. (4.8)Then, perform the four sequences with improvisation in any order with repetition. (8.8)

4) Four groups: 5 min
Separate the class in four groups. Ask each group to create two sequences tapping the body, clapping the hands and stomping with the feet.(2.8) Give them one minute to make two sequences with David Playing, then practice it slowly and faster. Is there another way to perform the same sequence? Try out
Form a circle and ask each group to perform it in the circle.
The second time, they will be improvising after performing the sequence until the music stops.

6) Closing circle: 5min
Feedback from the students:
How is everybody feeling?
What was your favorite activity?
What was challenging?
What was the hardest exercise? Give remarks as how rhythm is an integral part of life. Your daily routine has rhythm. Often when your rhythm is interrupted, accelerated or slower, it creates problems. Making sure you are on rhythm with homework, parents and activities is important. Thank them for the class.
Line them up to leave class


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				Creative Dance Ages 4th & 5th Grades Mission Statement: As parents, teachers and observers, we all know that communication is fundamental; with good communication skills you will succeed in life. A child needs to express their ideas in different ways than elders and the primary goal of creative dance is to develop those communication skills. First, by learning the elements of dance -space, force and time- a child can build up his cognitive, psychomotor and affective development. Second, to encourage children reaching beyond the conventional response, they can discover a great deal about their bodies, minds, language, thought, imagination and ideas through creative dance. Third, engaging the mind, body and soul while creating becomes holistic when one start moving freely. All these facts play an important role in life building self-image, self-awareness, self-direction, self-knowledge, and self-identification. In creative dance class, students explore dance elements and perform dance movements using skills, vocabulary, and language of dance. I encourage looking behind the actual movements and understand why creative dance is vital to children. General Concept: - Dance helps learning to work individually, in partners and in groups VPA standard Historical/Cultural context, Creative expression - Dance is a way to communicate VPA standard: Creative expression - Dance is fun for everyone VPA Standard: Historical/Cultural context - Using the imagination develops creativity and promotes artistic growth - The vocabulary/content of dance includes the basic dance/movement elements: VPA Standards: Artistic perception; Creative expression Use of the body and its actions Use of time Use of space Use of effort ….and the interrelationship between these elements to create expression Unit concept: - Primary focus is on the learning experience through tempo. - This learning experience emphasizes spatial and body awareness. - Structured movement allow students to create and coordinate movements - Use of a accompanist enhance creativity and movement expression - Gain awareness of their own organic rhythm - Stomping and clapping helps gain body awareness - Learning how to focus on their own rhythmic pattern while other patterns are occurring at the same time. Goals: As a result of participating in this learning experience, children will improve their ability to - Dance individually and in small groups - Listen to different tempo (slow, fast, smooth, sharp) - Coordinate rhythm of the music and the body - Expand their sense of rhythm by using different tempo - To compose their own rhythmic patterns - Memorize skills and movements - Build their self-esteem, self-determination - Share with others Equipment needed: Talking drum, nametag and the accompanist Description: 1) Introduction: 5min Introduce yourself after seating them in a circle. Introduce the accompanist and explain how he will be helping playing different rhythms and tempos throughout the class. Review the rules. Review the concept of rhythm and its definition. Rhythm is essential in music and dance. If you don’t have rhythm, your instrument won’t sound really good or your dance won’t look good. Rhythm is the whole feeling of movement in music. David will demonstrate different tempo (slow, light, syncopated). Ask them what they hear, the quality of the music, how would they define it. Today, we’re going to work on sequences. On Wednesday, they were introduced to different rhythm; today they will be working on sequences using the same pattern of rhythm and different tempo. 2) Warm up: 5 min We want the kids to form a big circle around the room. David will play music, when he stops, the kids will freeze like a statue. Explain the meaning of a circle in different cultures. In Hip Hop, a circle is called a cipher. People get together and perform for each other dancing or spoken word ( Mcing). In most traditional cultures people celebrate rituals and ceremonies in circles. It symbolizes the circle of life, the shape of the sun and the moon. David will set a tempo and we’ll continue with the warm up using clapping hands, tapping the body and stomping. Go over skipping, hoping and spinning with different tempo that I will tell the accompanist to play. Review concept of positive and negative space around their body. Grab the negative space around you by clapping. Feel the positive space by tapping on the body and stomping. 3) In the center: 10min We want the kids to spread out. David plays when he stops, they freeze. Work on three sequences: 1) step step step clap ( to the right then left) 2) Spin, go down/ spin reach up 3) skip clap skip clap/ skip clap skip clap Is there different ways to perform the same sequence on a tempo? Try out. After learning the three sequences, David will be playing a beat. They have to perform the three sequences in any order and they can repeat them but can’t improvise yet. David plays 6.8 slow then faster. Remind them how important it is to listen to the music. Next exercise, they have to make up a sequence in 1.8. Review how positive and negative space is important for visual. After practicing it, David will be playing a faster beat to perform the four sequences one after another. (4.8)Then, perform the four sequences with improvisation in any order with repetition. (8.8) 4) Four groups: 5 min Separate the class in four groups. Ask each group to create two sequences tapping the body, clapping the hands and stomping with the feet.(2.8) Give them one minute to make two sequences with David Playing, then practice it slowly and faster. Is there another way to perform the same sequence? Try out Form a circle and ask each group to perform it in the circle. The second time, they will be improvising after performing the sequence until the music stops. 6) Closing circle: 5min Feedback from the students: How is everybody feeling? What was your favorite activity? What was challenging? What was the hardest exercise? Give remarks as how rhythm is an integral part of life. Your daily routine has rhythm. Often when your rhythm is interrupted, accelerated or slower, it creates problems. Making sure you are on rhythm with homework, parents and activities is important. Thank them for the class. Line them up to leave class