BC Education -Fine Arts K to 7

Dance is the art of gesture and movement. It transforms images, ideas, and feelings into sequences that are personally and socially significant. Dance organizes physical energy within time and space, and may draw from the power of music, literature, drama, and the visual arts. It is a natural means of communication and expression that integrates movement, feeling, and intellect.

Dance embraces movement, creation, and performance and demands our personal best. It stretches the limits of our physical ability, of our expressiveness, and of the human spirit. An appreciation of dance also provides a context for understanding the world and contributes to a vibrant culture.

Dance education provides students with opportunities to experience, understand, and value the language and art of dance. As dance uses movement in a unique way, it provides an exciting impetus for learning in other curricular areas. An education in dance provides students with opportunities to:

appreciate the aesthetic inherent in dance

develop critical-thinking skills through the creative process of dance

communicate information, ideas, understanding, and emotions

develop self-motivation and enhance self-esteem through participation

appreciate the role of dance in the community

acquire skills and attitudes for lifelong involvement in dance (careers, recreation)

strive for physical well-being by developing their bodies

develop qualities of co-operation and respect for others through a knowledge and understanding of dance in various cultures

The Dance K to 7 curriculum develops the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that form the basis for dance education from Kindergarten to Grade 12. This IRP has been designed to make dance accessible to all students while encouraging the aesthetic, physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and career development of each individual.

Curriculum Organizers

The prescribed learning outcomes for Dance K to 7 are grouped under the following interrelated curriculum organizers:

Elements of Movement

Creation and Composition

Presentation and Performance

Dance and Society

Elements of Movement

The elements of movement--body, space, time, dynamics, and relationship--are fundamental to the art of dance. Any movement involves aspects of several elements, but one or more can be emphasized according to the dancer's purpose. The number of ways in which these elements can be combined is virtually endless. Students at all levels, from Kindergarten to Grade 12, work with the elements of movement, using them with increasing degrees of refinement and complexity as they gain experience and maturity.

In the elementary years, students need to develop open and sensitive attitudes toward the body in order to learn to relax and concentrate on movement naturally and successfully. By engaging in a variety of movement challenges, students acquire muscle memory and understand how their bodies react to the array of demands placed upon them.

Creation and Composition

Dance is developed through the creative process of exploration, selection, combination, refinement, and reflection. This process requires a nurturing environment that encourages risk taking. The study and practice of dance composition also provide students with the essential building blocks that support lifelong interest in, appreciation of, and curiosity about dance.

By engaging in a variety of movement exploration activities, students at the elementary level learn what movements and sequences are possible, and how individual elements contribute to the overall dance. Students' early creation explorations should take place within a structured environment, guided by teacher modelling. As they gain confidence and skill in creating, they are better able to express and communicate spontaneously and imaginatively through dance.

Presentation and Performance

By working toward informal presentation and more formal performance, students recognize and develop both aesthetic and social values. They learn that there is a dynamic interaction between process and product. By studying dance as both performers and audience members, students also learn appropriate behaviour and gain the sensitivity essential for developing the performer-to-audience relationship and a lifelong appreciation of dance.

Students at the early elementary level in particular may need a great deal of encouragement and support from their teachers in order to take risks and try new experiences. At the same time, students at this age enjoy relating to their peers and working with them in group situations.

Dance and Society

People dance for many reasons and in all stages of life. Dance provides opportunities for students to gain an understanding of people and a respect for diverse cultures. A balanced dance program should draw on our cultural and historical wealth.

History influences dance, and dance reflects history. Dance contributes not only to the development of self, but also to the development of society. When examined within the context of present-day events in the local and global community, dance becomes personally relevant for all students.

In the elementary years, dance should relate to students' own lives. Students need to be encouraged to describe, discuss, reflect, and analyse movement based on their own experiences; this can serve as a starting point for responding to their own work in dance and that of others. Students also learn to formulate personal preferences in dance, as well as the ability to explain these preferences with appropriate references to form, style, structure, and meaning.

Dance Kindergarten to Grade 12 Objectives

The prescribed learning outcomes for all dance curricula have been developed to address the objectives for learning in dance from Kindergarten to Grade 12. The Dance Kindergarten to Grade 12 Objectives chart shows the relationship of these objectives to the curriculum organizers. Instruction and assessment should address these objectives at each grade level.

Revised: July 8, 1998

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