Planning a Dance Lesson
When planning a dance lesson, think carefully about the learning intent of your students. Make sure that the learning objectives align with the dance curriculum. For primary-level dance classes, focus on one or two elements of dance, teaching these elements from multiple perspectives. Secondary-level classrooms can focus on a variety of elements.
Before starting a dance lesson, warm-up the class. Break the lesson up into manageable chunks, allowing students to repeat movements until they have mastered them. Use visual cues or videos to help your students learn the choreography. For example, if your students want to learn how to dance an old story, you can link the choreography to the story.
Another idea is to teach children the history of dance. Some of the earliest evidence of dance can be found in cave paintings in India. These paintings depict religious rites, communal drinking, childbirth, and burials, as well as dancing. Children can also learn how to dance the movements of the stars and planets.
As students begin the lesson, divide them into groups of three to five. They should collaborate to create a dance that applies the concepts taught in the lesson. The dance should start in a shape, end in a shape, and include the three concepts discussed during the lesson. The dance should include interesting formations, different energy qualities, and solo or partner work. Students will then perform their dance for the class to demonstrate their learning.