History of Dance Teacher Resources

One, two, three. One, two, three. Invite your language learners to practice the steps for researching and presenting information. Each small group has the task of explaining one Latin dance in full detail.

Students watch a video of a performance choreographed by Paul Taylor. They research the Great Depression and issues facing teenagers today. They create a dance that shows a historic period of the United States.

What's more fun than an all night demon dance party? Kathakali, a type of Indian drama and dance, is the topic of an informational video. Viewers gain an understanding of the history behind the style, as well as witness examples of...

This four to five day mini dance unit has many components. Discussion on what makes a good dance partner, research on famous dancing pairs, as well as learning a choreographed piece in class. The class learns a short dance sequence and...

Just exactly what is social dancing? What does social dancing have to do with the African American community and African American history? The narrator of this short video explains how social dancing can support the culture of a...

How did the Charleston reflect the culture of the 1920s? To find the answer, class members are taught the dance, read an essay by Albert Haim entitled, “The Charleston in the 1920s: the Dance, the Composers, and the Recordings,” and...

Students perform square dancing steps. For this square dancing lesson, students view a video to learn the basic steps.  Students discuss the history of the dance and perform with partners. 

Zoe dances to stay healthy. She does ballet because when she dances she moves her whole body. Use this video to help incorporate a rhythmic movement through dancing into the daily routine of your primary learners.

A kid raps and dances with his family. He dances with his dad, mom, and little sister. This is a great way to introduce the idea of family dancing to your littlest learners. Have them draw or write a song about their families or plan a...

Exposing younger students to fine art enriches their learning experience and opens them up to a different mode of self-expression. Elmo and Zoe attend and narrate a ballet at the Dance Theater of Harlem. Show your class a similar ballet...

Murray visits an Irish step dancing school in this film. Learners will love talking about this interesting form of dancing. They can even give step dancing a try.

Believe it or not, ancient Romans had a sense of humor—although it may have been a bit absurd. The fifth video in the Crash Course Theater series discusses the evolution of Roman drama, incorporating images and animations to help bring...

Ancient religious ceremony, dance, and song kept sacred and alive today in India, was established 1000 years ago in India's Golden Age. Metal casting, art, architecture, and the gods are the focus of episode five in this wonderful...

Before Bollywood movies, Sanskrit theater ruled the stage in ancient India. Learn about rasas, bhavas, and categories of plays through the seventh video in the Crash Course Theater series that explores the first type of theater to appear...

Students observe a dance interpretation about Harriet Tubman. In this art/social studies lesson, students explore how their emotions can be expressed through movement and create their own dance or dramatic interpretation.

Incorporating the arts into regular classroom practices isn't an easy task. Learners will research background information regarding Russian culture, history, and conflict then see how those things have applied to the rigors of Russian...

Bring social studies to life! This interdisciplinary lesson has young writers tell the story of the migration of diverse groups of people to the United States. Pupils view the work of selected choreographers and discuss how dance often...

Study the dances of many cultures with this technology-based history unit. After reviewing technology tools in-depth, class members gather information online and make a presentation of the steps of their chosen dance, including slides on...

Students are introduced to African-American music history through this lesson. They begin their study by taking a look at the slave work song and work their way through to modern rap and hip-hop. Students also take a closer look at...

Learners use abstract movement to tell the story of Re's journey. In this ancient Egypt lesson, students choreograph locomotor and non-locomotor movements to describe ancient Egyptian journeys to the afterlife as described in Egyptian...

This short biography of Antonin Dvorak and map of Eastern Europe could accompany and supplement listening to "Slavonic Dance No. 7." Four questions support reading the geographic map, a "Listening Map" outlines the form of the...

Fourth graders explore the music of Buenos Aires as they hear and then dance the Tango. They practice basic Tango rhythm, learn to sing the song, "Any Turkey can Tango," then practice a few Tango-riffic dance steps with a partner. What a...

Erin go bragh! Enliven your St. Patrick's Day celebration by teaching your class members some of the combinations found in traditional Irish step dancing.

To better understand the cultural achievements of the Harlem Renaissance and become familiar with its major figures, class members examine a painting by Aaron Douglas and a poem by Langston Hughes and compare how the artists develop...