Dance Kindergarten to Grade 12 Objectives
| Organizer | Objective
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| Elements of Movement | Students use the elements of movement (body, space, time, dynamics, and relationship) with increasing degrees of refinement, complexity, and variety.
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| Creation and Composition | Students use the creative process of exploration, selection, combination, refinement, and reflection to compose movement sequences and dances.
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| Presentation and Performance | Students participate in the presentation and performance of dance.
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| Dance and Society | Students demonstrate a growing awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the history, diversity, roles, and influences of dance within society.
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Classroom Considerations
The success of a dance program depends on establishing a relaxed but regulated atmosphere. By fostering an environment of both structure and enjoyment, teachers will ensure a classroom atmosphere in which students feel safe and comfortable to learn and create. Specifically, teachers can facilitate this kind of environment by working with students to establish guidelines and routines.
Determine the purpose of each lesson and exercise. All students in the class should know why a particular activity or game is being used and should be aware of the goals of the program.
Develop routines for beginning and ending lessons (e.g., warmup, cooldown).
Establish methods for getting students' attention (e.g., key word, arm signal).
Form partners, groups, or working buddies, and make transitions between groupings.
(Be aware of cultural taboos and personal discomfort with boy and girl partnerships and touching.)
Consider noise management and productive sound issues, and the effect of selections and playing of music (including consideration of more than one piece of music playing at the same time).
Wear clothing and footwear appropriate for the given activity.
Ensure safe use of personal and general space.
Distribute and collect tools, materials, props, and instruments.
Ensure that all students are engaged in some way at all times (e.g., when students are acting as audience members, provide a structure for response).
Determine appropriateness of artistic choices (e.g., for music, movement content, props, costumes).
Provide constructive criticism and respect the contributions of others.
Although some components of the curriculum can take place in regular classrooms, dance requires some special facility considerations. When choosing or designing a facility for teaching dance, consider the following questions:
Is the space open and unobstructed (including a high enough ceiling)?
Is there adequate lighting, heating, and ventilation?
Does the facility have a resilient, easily cleaned floor?
Are there mirrors with curtains?
Do you have access to video equipment and an adequate sound system with remote control?
Do you have access to storage (for equipment, costumes, music)?
Do you have access to simple props to enhance choreography and to inspire movement (e.g., hats, ribbons, hoops, umbrellas, masks, balloons, ropes)?
Do you have access to traditional and found instruments as stimulus for movement?
Some teachers might want to include an emphasis on multimedia performances. Those who are unable to purchase all the required supplies may be able to access specialized equipment from other schools in the district (e.g., high-school fine arts, technology education, or business education departments), as well as from local colleges, television and radio stations, studios, and businesses. This equipment includes:
video recording equipment (camera
and batteries, VCR, lighting kits,
tripods, filters)
video editing systems (mixer, titler, edit controller)
still cameras with lenses, flash
equipment, and filters
computers with imaging, multimedia presentation, and animation capabilities (including Internet access, CD-ROM, video capability, MIDI capability, digital camera, scanners, colour printers)
appropriate software
sound production and mixing equipment (tape decks, CD players, microphones and amplifiers, headphones, mixing board, synthesizers, piano, percussion instruments)
Safety Considerations
To ensure a safe learning environment, teachers should address the following questions prior to, during, and after an activity has taken place:
Are students aware of established rules and procedures for safety (e.g., moving in the designated space with control and respect for others, hearing conservation, health procedures when sharing costumes or instruments)?
Is the activity suitable to each student's interest, confidence, ability, and physical condition?
Has the instruction been sequenced progressively to ensure safety?
Are students being properly supervised?
Have students been given specific instruction about how to use the facilities, equipment, and their bodies appropriately (e.g., safe use of apparatus, proper warmup and cooldown)? Do they fully understand the instructions?
Are the facilities and equipment
suitable and in good repair?
Are students wearing clothing and footwear appropriate for the activity?
In addition to physical safety, teachers should consider the emotional safety of students when planning a dance program. Be sensitive to individual students, be prepared to respond to unique situations, and develop creative strategies to deal with rivalry, stress, fear of failure, stage fright, and so on. As well, be aware of activities that may cause emotional or psychological stress for individual students (e.g., blindfolding, working in closed environments, solo performance, body contact), and be prepared to offer alternative strategies as necessary.
© Copyright 1998 All Rights Reserved. Curriculum Branch.
Maintained by: Fine Arts Coordinator
Revised: July 8, 1998
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