History of Dance Teacher Resources

A great way to become acquainted with any culture is to experience their performing arts and examine their crafts. Immerse young explorers in the rich cultural traditions of the Maori of New Zealand with a resource packed with videos of...

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...

As part of a celebration of National Dance week, class members engage in a series of exercises that introduce them to the movements of modern dance.

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...

Jamie Foxx and Elmo sing and dance to the music of the Nutcracker in this snazzy film. The original music has been updated to an appealing jam. It is a fun film to show during the holiday season.

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...

Learners investigate their family history through pictures and writing. In this family history lesson, students research family, culture, food, music, religion, and clothing. Learners gather pictures of their family and events. Students...

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

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...

Learn two dances that your class can perform at a Cinco De Mayo school celebration. This is really an outline and would be better used if there were plans for how to teach the dance steps. The idea is good to teach the cultural...

Students read the book Dancing Wheels about people in wheelchairs, discuss determination, and create a poster. In this wheelchairs lesson plan, students draw people dancing in wheelchairs.

Different people fall asleep different ways. Michael (Mr. Noodles) dances himself to sleep. He sings and dances himself to sleep with help from the boogy-woogy sheep. How do you fall asleep? Have children draw a picture and write a...

Line shape, color, value, form, texture, space. Students of art history are introduced to the elements of art in a 64-slide PowerPoint that illustrates how these elements combine in visual art. Other essentials, like principles of...

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...

Students prepare and organize a cultural celebration of African migration and immigration. Working in groups or individually, they research topics and present the information, including dance demonstrations, instrumental or vocal...

The image Painting of Bear and Sun Dances by Louis Fenno contains an image of a traditional Ute dance. The class will hone their observation skills, as well as their ability to describe in detail, as they take a close look at the piece....

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...

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...

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...

Learners discuss dance elements and create a dance map. They choose a dance theme and incorporate movement into their dance maps and choreography. They also experiment with different types of music.

In this lesson plan students research an important event in American history and use drama, art, music, and dance to express their findings. Suggested activities include illustrating a time line, decorating a shoe box, reciting a speech,...

Students celebrate the Chinese New Year and listen to the story behind the Chinese Lion Dance.  In this Chinese New Year lesson plan, students research the geography and culture of China.  Students create puppets, dance the Lion Dance...

Second graders examine various dance styles in this Performing Arts lesson for the 2nd grade. The lesson is #1 in a unit of four lessons that examines the History of Dance styles and the lifestyle of a dancer. Emphasis is placed on...

Explore the dancing prodigy and Depression-era African-American icon Bill Robinson as scholars learn new vocabulary words in context. As you read Leo Dillon's Rap a Tap Tap they listen for six new words: clatter, greet, passion, pause,...