Browse Standards

Accurately demonstrate eight basic locomotor movements (walk, run, hop, jump, leap, gallop, slide, and skip) and non-locomotor movements (bend, twist, stretch, and swing).

1. Employ the eight basic locomotor movements and at least eight non-locomotor movements (axial) and various shapes, in a pattern which incorporates the six body directions, low, middle, and high space, diagonal lines and turning exercises along straight, curved and zigzag pathways.

2. Students with limited movement capabilities should be encouraged to learn movements within the range of their abilities.

Show the concepts of personal space and general space, working alone, with a partner, and in a group.

1. Illustrate through movement and maintain personal space, general space, working space, working alone, with a partner and in a group.

2. Articulate the underlying principles and perform with confidence the following movement skills: alignment, balance, initiation of movement, articulation, weight shift, elevation/landing and fall/recovery.

Distinguish between actions and elements in performing and observing movement.

1. Articulate the underlying principles and perform with confidence the following movement skills: alignment, balance, initiation of movement, articulation, weight shift, elevation/landing and fall/recovery.

2. Identify and list the actions (movement skills) and the elements (space, time with force/energy) of several observed dance phrases. Distinguish and explain through movement the difference between actions and elements of dance.

Demonstrate kinesthetic (sensory) awareness, focus and concentration, and accuracy in moving various musical rhythms.

1. Perform A1 and B1 above while demonstrating kinesthetic awareness, focus and concentration while applying various musical rhythms.

2. Perform the dance concepts with increasing kinesthetic awareness, concentration and focus to a wide variety of musical rhythm with confidence.

Know basic dance steps, positions and patterns.

1. Accurately identify and demonstrate basic dance steps, positions and patterns, action/elements from one or more differing styles or traditions of dance which include a demonstration of a range of dynamics/ movement qualities.

2. Students with limited movement capabilities should be encouraged to learn movements within the range of their abilities.

Demonstrate and understand a wide range of movement skills and their underlying principles.

Know how rhythms can be expressed in movement.

Demonstrate increasing kinesthetic (sensory) awareness, concentration, and focus.

Demonstrate how movement choices communicate abstract ideas in dance.

1. Compare and contrast social rules and roles of the culture studied with the student?s own culture:

a. Research, write, and illustrate a mural called "What is a culture?" including: events, ceremonies, value/systems - definitions of justice, beliefs and attitudes regarding nature, role of women, money and other technologies, elders, children.

b. Research and debate the future development of linguistic, gestural, and/or other behavioral taboos in the language and cmovement choices communicate abstract ideas in dance.

2. Include all learners to the extent possible.

Communicate through dance a contemporary social theme.

1. Create a dance that effectively communicates a contemporary social theme.

Express an idea chosen from literature or current events through dance.

1. Create a dance/dance study based on literature or current events.

Explain how dance is different from other forms of human movement such as sports or everyday gestures.

Show the concepts of personal space and general space, working alone, with a partner, and in a group.

Distinguish between actions and elements in performing and observing movement.

1. Access, analyze, and synthesize information about a topic related to te phrases. Distinguish and explain through movement the difference between actions and elements of dance.

Demonstrate kinesthetic (sensory) awareness, focus and concentration, and accuracy in moving various musical rhythms.

1. Perform A1 and B1 above while demonstrating kinesthetic awareness, focus and concentration while applying various musical rhythms.

Know basic dance steps, positions and patterns.

1. Accurately identify and demonstrate basic dance steps, positions and patterns, action/elements from one or more differing styles or traditions of dance which include a demonstration of a range of dynamics/ movement qualities.

2. Students with limited movement capabilities should be encouraged to learn movements within the range of their abilities.

Demonstrate and understand a wide range of movement skills and their underlying principles.

1. Articulate the underlying principles and perform with confidence the following movement skills: alignment, balance, initiation of movement, articulation, weight shift, elevation/landing and fall/recovery.

Know how rhythms can be expressed in movement.

1. Perform the dance concepts with increasing kinesthetic awareness, concentration and focus to a wide variety of musical rhythm with confidence.

Demonstrate increasing kinesthetic (sensory) awareness, concentration, and focus.

1. Perform the dance concepts with increasing kinesthetic awareness, concentration and focus to a wide variety of musical rhythm with confidence.

Perform complex movement sequences from different dance styles or traditions consistently and reliably, with projection and artistic expression.

1. Build a dance vocabulary and technique that will allow students to remember extended movement sequences.

2. Create and perform extended movement sequences in a broad dynamic range within the range of all students and abilities.

3. Identify three styles of music and be able to accurately demonstrate timing and accents in the music.

4. Demonstrate projection while performing dance skills.

Explain and apply appropriate skeletal alignment.

1. Understand appropriate skeletal alignment.

2. Demonstrate body-part articulation, strength, agility, and coordination in locomotor and non-locomotion/axial movement.

Show technical refinement through self-evaluation and correction.

1. Demonstrate ability to respond to correction and work independently on movement problems.

2. Establish an unreadable problem - apply it in evaluating their own work, and that of others.

Explore and identify connections between dance and physical and health education.

1. Through active participation in a class discussion, diagram the parallels between healthy living, physical fitness and dance-ability. Name and record at least three personal goals to improve through healthy choices to achieve better health, fitness and enjoyment as dancers. Include all students to the extent possible.

Explore and identify ways in which dance integrates with and enhances the study of other subjects or content areas.

1. Through the dance concepts, explore and distinguish the connections between dance and various other disciplines. Create a dance project that clearly showcases at least one concept from another academic discipline.

Respond to dance through other art forms and explain the connections.

1. Through visual art, theater, and/or music, respond to a live dance performance or video-taped performance which reflects the parallels between the arts disciplines.

Create a dance project that reveals similarities and differences between the arts and other disciplines.

1. Create and perform movement studies which showcase the similarities and differences between the arts and other disciplines which include a focus on the shared/connected concepts (i.e., balance, shape, pattern, etc.).

Recognize concepts used by dance as well as by other disciplines within and outside of the fine arts.

1. Create and perform movement studies which showcase the similarities and differences between the arts and other disciplines which include a focus on the shared/connected concepts (i.e., balance, shape, pattern, etc.).

Explain strategies to prevent dance injuries and discuss effects of healthy choices on dance ability.

1. Through active class participation, list/record strategies to prevent dance injuries and ways to improve better health and fitness for increased dance-ability. Strategize in dance journal three or more personal goals to improve dance-ability and steps to obtain these goals. Be able to answer questions regarding preventing dance injuries.

Monitor personal progress, in dance, and discuss how lifestyle choices affect dancers.

1. Reflect upon their own progress and personal growth during their study of dance.

2. Effectively communicate how lifestyle choices affect the dancer.

Explore commonalties and differences among dance and other disciplines by creating projects that include dance and other disciplines.

1. Create an interdisciplinary project based on a theme identified by the student, including dance and two other disciplines.

2. Clearly identify commonalties and differences between dance and other disciplines with regard to fundamental concepts such as materials, elements, and ways of communicating meaning.

Recognize challenges facing professional performers in maintaining healthy lifestyles.

1. Describe healthy lifestyle choices which dancers can make.

Explore, discover, and realize multiple solutions to a given movement problem.

1. Through partner explorations (copying, leading and following/mirroring), experiment with various solutions to proposed movement problems. Compose two or more dance phrases which clearly demonstrate partner-oriented solutions to at least one stated problem/challenge.

Create phrases through improvisation, working alone, with a partner, and in a group.

Create dance sequences with a clearly defined beginning, middle and ending.

1. Create and diagram dance sequences with a clearly defined beginning, middle and ending to reveal a basic understanding of this choreographic structure of composition with and without rhythmic accompaniment.

Create a movement problem and demonstrate multiple solutions to the problem by applying the basic principles of dance.

1. Dancers, working alone, with partners, or in groups, create/propose/ record a movement problem and respond by demonstrating multiple solutions to the stated problem by applying the basic principles of dance. Actively discuss among themselves and with others which solution was most interesting and why. Document (in dance journal, bulletin board, etc.) the outcome of this work.

Work cooperatively with a partner to create visually interesting movement improvisations.

1. Successfully demonstrate working cooperatively with a partner by creating contrasting and complementary shapes and/or taking and supporting weight, movement improvisations which are visually interesting. Observe and actively discuss and/or document what principles created the most visually interesting performance using the dance vocabulary.

Work cooperatively in a small group to create choreography (creation of a structured dance sequence.)

1. Illustrate through the choreographic process (forms of AB, ABA, canon, call and response and/or narrative), the cooperative ability to work effectively in a small group. Group members provide feedback and record their personal responses to working in the group (in dance journal, etc.).

Develop and revise a dance over time.

1. Create a dance and revise it over time, articulating the reasons for their artistic decisions and what was lost and gained by those decisions.

Discuss and apply the choreographic principles and processes used in a variety of dance styles. Understand the use of improvisation to generate movement for choreography.

1. Use improvisation to generate movement for choreography.

2. Demonstrate understanding of structure or forms (such as palindrome, theme and variation, rondo, round, contemporary forms selected by the student) through brief dance studies.

Be able to recognize and imitate a choreographic style.

1. Choreograph a dance demonstrating an understanding of choreographic principles, processes, and structures based on a specific choreographic style.

2. Formulate and answer their own aesthetic questions (such as, 'What is it that makes a particular dance that dance before it becomes another dance?')

Use action and element vocabulary to discuss dance, and to identify examples from a short dance sequence.

1. Discuss/describe the dance concepts vocabulary in active group participation. Observe a short dance sequence (live or recorded) and individually list/name the key action and elements parts performed. Assemble the list to create the top three to five key concepts recorded/observed by the group. Include all students to the extent possible.

2. Observe, record and diagram two dances and decide how they are similar and different, using the dance vocabulary.

Present dances to peers and discuss their meanings with competence and confidence.

1. Present dances to peers with confidence and verbally identify and describe the action and elements concepts of the dance to illustrate the meanings to the observers. Observers respond verbally to the meanings of the dances using the dance concepts vocabulary.

Identify possible criteria for evaluating dance (such as skill of performers, originality, visual and/or emotional impact, variety and contrast).

1. Clearly list and identify ways to critique and evaluate dance performance, such as skill of performers, originality, visual, and/or emotional impact, variety and contrast, etc. Actively discuss and conclude as a group the aesthetic criteria to be used for class work critique which includes a commitment to utilizing the dance vocabulary. Post the positive criticism promise in classroom.

Demonstrate constructive criticism in discussions of dance performances.

Recognize and discuss a variety of rhythmic patterns, accents, and phrasing.

1. Include all students to the extent possible.

Interpret a dance based on personal experience.

1. Include all students to the extent possible.

Compare and contrast how meaning is communicated in dances.

Develop a set of aesthetic criteria for evaluating dances.

Explore folk dances from various local and world cultures and time periods.

1. Perform with confidence and competence at least one folk dance from another culture and at least one from an American historical folk dance. Include all learners to the extent possible.

Understand the effects that dance has had on cultures throughout time.

1. Accurately answer questions about dance in a particular culture and time period.

Perform and discuss folk and social dances from various local and world cultures and time periods.

1. Competently perform folk and social dances from various local and world cultures and time periods which reflect similarities and differences in steps and movement styles. Include all learners to the extent possible.

Demonstrate understanding in contemporary theatrical forms of dance.

1. Discuss contemporary theatrical forms of dance.

Understand the traditions and techniques of classical dance.

1. Discuss the teaching and techniques of classical dance.

Demonstrate knowledge of dance and dancers throughout history, including the 20th century.

1. Analyze historical and cultural images of the body in dance and compare these to images of the body in contemporary media.

Understand how lighting and costume can affect the meaning of dance.

1. Through class discussion, observing live and recorded dance and other resources, name the various ways in which technical lighting and costume design contribute to and enhance the meaning and/or design of a dance.

Describe the impact of video and film technology on the aesthetic experience and perception of dance.

1. Observe the same dance both live and videotaped. Compare/contrast/diagram the aesthetic impact of the two observations in an active class discussion which concludes in written responses.

Demonstrate how technology can reinforce, enhance, or alter dance ideas.

1. Demonstrate how technology includes access for all students, either in participation or through observation.

Discuss historical and contemporary images of the body and how these images have changed through the influence of contemporary media and technology.

Share work with parents, school, and community through informal dance performances.

1. Create a dance project to share with parents, school and/or community which reflect knowledge of at least three or more of the dance content standards (skill development, creative expression, academic connections, critical thinking skills, cultural/historical dance forms and technological aspects of dance education). Perform with confidence and competence to ensure a positive and successful experience for all.

Attend local dance performances and cultural festivals and demonstrate appropriate audience behavior.

1. Prepare for attendance at local dance performances and cultural festivals by discussing appropriate audience behaviors. List and describe activities which are appropriate of audience members and those which are not. Be able to distinguish between the behaviors through modeling. After the performance when re-grouped, evaluate themselves individually and as a class.

Explore and identify dance resources in the local community.

1. Locate dance resources in the community who may provide information and experiences to the group. Invite individuals to class and/or organize field trips to visit individuals in their facilities. Document these experiences and reflect upon the meaningful exchange of ideas. (What does the community offer in the arts/culture/dance and what can students offer to the arts/cultural/dance community?)

Participate in informal community showings or dance workshops while demonstrating appropriate audience and stage behavior.

Share dance abilities and knowledge with the community through formal and informal dance presentations.

1. Present a dance to a community audience.