Tag Archives: elements of dance

Ease on Down the Road

April 19, 2025 – 1:14 pm

Debbie Gresham, Dance, Bradley Middle School

Click on the arrow to read the Synopsis.

Synopsis: My unit will focus on the elements of dance vocabulary and how these elements can be used to choreograph movement to the music from The Wiz. My focus will be on literary themes from both the movie, The Wiz and the MGM movie, The Wizard of Oz, and the relationships these stories have with the dance elements of time, space, energy, and relationships of the main characters.

Part one of the unit will focus on choreography and the movement of individuals within the dance space. I will focus specifically on pathways, gestures, and pedestrian movements.

Part two of the unit will focus on the vocabulary of time, space, energy, relationships, shapes, levels, pathways, directions, transitions, tempo, rhythms, speed, locomotor and non-locomotor movement, and pedestrian movement.

Part three will focus on the choreographic themes of Accumulation and Chance. Accumulation will involve adding movements when each character is introduced. Chance will occur as students roll the dice to see what order the movements are performed in. Students will also explore the performance elements of stage space, props, sets and use of costumes.

Part four will include a career project focusing on the relation to dance, theatre, music, and film.

Tags and pedestrian movement, body, directions, elements of dance, Energy, gestures, levels, locomotor movements, non-locomotor movements, pathways, relationships, rhythms, shapes, Space, speed, tempo, time, transitions | Permalink | Comments Off

2022 Vol 7: Moving to Learn

Displaying Understanding Through Dance Integration: Connecting the Mind and Body in the ELA Classroom

April 19, 2025 – 11:03 am

Danica Wolfe, 5th Grade, Oakhurst STEAM Academy

Curriculum Unit (PDF)

Click on the arrow to read the Synopsis.

Synopsis: The goal of this unit is to teach 5th grade students the basics of dance elements and sequenced movement series so that they can create a dance that reflects their understanding and analysis of a fictional character in a class novel study. Over the course of the first five lessons, students will learn about the elements of body shape, action, space, time, energy. They will also learn how to sequence short series of movements. The next six lessons ask students to apply their knowledge of creative dance sequences to generate series of movements that reflect their understanding of a character’s perspective in a particular event in a literary plotline. These lessons coincide with the 5th grade literacy curriculum for our district. The final three lessons allow students to put finishing touches on their efforts by identifying music that fits their piece, putting on a performance for their peers, and reflecting on their learning through dance integration. This unit also serves as a starting point for teachers to build their capacity to use dance in the literacy classroom as a strategy to make comprehension of text visible through embodiment. The instructional strategies included in this unit would be useful in any literacy classroom and can be modified to meet the needs of a variety of ages and units of instruction.

Tags action, body, Character Analysis, character development, Dance, elements of dance, embodied cognition, emotions, Energy, esperanza rising, literacy, mind-body connection, movement, performance, Space, time, Vocabulary | Permalink | Comments Off

2022 Vol 3: Understanding the Science of Light

Light Up the Stage

April 19, 2025 – 9:01 am

Debbie Gresham, Dance, Bradley Middle School

Curriculum Unit (PDF)

Click on the arrow to read the Synopsis.

Synopsis: This curriculum unit focuses on the relationships between the vocabulary of the science of light and the vocabulary of dance elements and composition. The unit explores how to embody the science vocabulary through movement exploration. Students will learn how color and light affect dance performances and the choreographer’s purpose and intent for a particular piece. In the unit, the students will explore the elements of dance, learn, and implement specific dance vocabulary and use choreographic principles. structures and concepts. The students will explore improvisational skills to develop their phrases. Students will work cooperatively in groups and make decisions as a cohesive team. The students will be immersed in the choreographic process and will make contributions to a dance piece that will be performed in the dance concert. In this unit, students will partner a dance term with a science of light term to create their phrases. This unit supports students’ understanding of the various perspectives through which dance can be appreciated in the context of time, space, energy, body, and relationships. This unit focuses on using a variety of thinking skills to analyze and evaluate dance. Specifically, this unit includes a lesson on how to analyze the relationship between dance elements when observing dance and how to interpret the meanings of dances created by their peers.