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The 'Language of Dance'
Students choreograph dances. In this dance choreography lesson, students evaluate musical selections, then create a dance that capture the emotion of the music.
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Plodding and Breaking Through:Walking and Carrying
Students analyze and describe the contributions of various dance artists, performers, teachers, and choreographers. In this dance activity, students fill in any gaps of knowledge they have in regards to dance training and choreographic...
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High and Low Tones
Learners perform movements to trigger high and low tones in music produced by percussionists.
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Graham's Appalachian Spring: A Study
Students explore choreographic narrative. In this choreography lesson, students explore the elements of Appalachian Spring as they develop a series of written responses to assignments that challenge them to investigate the structure of...
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Elementary My Dear Dancer-Foundation Lesson
Students participate in dance choreography. In this choreography lesson, students classify elements of choreography. Students collaborate in small groups and compose choreography.
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Nureyev: After Petipa
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...
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Lesson 14- Merce Cunningham: A Lifetime of Dance
Students analyze the techniques of modern dance choreography. They keep a journal as they observe the movement of people and animals. They use the movements to create a dance piece.
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Dance Production
Students go through the experience of creating a dance. They use the correct vocabulary when creating the dance in writing. Students choreograph the steps needed to perform the dance in sequence. Then they perform the dance for final...
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Documentarians of an Era: A Study of the Paintings of Thomas Eakins and Gustave Caillebotte
Students produce an object analysis of 'The Champion Single Scull'. They begin with description, proceeding to deduction, and finally providing speculation by interpreting the outward evidence of culture. They use a clipboard and paper...
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Music and Interdisciplinary Connections
Students examine the interconnectedness of different art forms. They listen to music and watch a video while determining the similarities of the themes. They make connections between books, movies, opera, dance, and music.
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Folk Dancing Fun
First graders discuss different kinds of music they have heard. They listen to a short selection of folk music and discuss where they think it is from. Using a globe, the teacher shows students where the music is from. They spread out on...
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Give Into Chance
High schoolers experience choreography that originated from the Postmodern movement. They utilize a chance method by rolling a dice to change the order of a dance sequence. Then they compare this method to traditional methods.
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Nureyev: After Petipa
Students examine dance and choreography in Russian history. In this Russian history lesson, students discover details about Russian ballet and the work of Marius Petipa as they conduct independent research and present their findings to...
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Introduction to African Culture Through Music & Dance
Learners explore various elements in West African Culture through the medium of a traditional music and dance from Ghana. They take an imaginary tour of a village dance-drumming event in West Africa.
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Folk Dance Explorations in the Choreographic Work of Modern Dance
Tenth graders participate in a lesson guided by an essential question: in what ways does choreographer, Mark Morris' work, "The Office," reflect Eastern-European traditional folk dance? During the lesson's first sessions, students...
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Create-A-Line Dance
Students demonstrate knowledge of the processes, principles, and structure of line dance. In groups students choreograph their own line dance, implementing moves learned from previous dances taught in the line dance unit.
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Geometric Shape Dances
Students use movement and dance in order to strengthen mathematical understanding of different geometric shapes. The movements are imitating the drawing of shapes and they pick one to make into a dance. Upon beginning the dance music can...
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Graphs of the Heart
Students study Greek literature. In this Greek tragedies instructional activity, students explore the dance-dramas of Martha Graham. Students study the choreography that brings ancient Greek literature to life.
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West Side Shifts
Combine math, language arts, music, and dance with an activity focused on "America" from West Side Story. After listening to the song, learners compare the film to Romeo and Juliet, analyze the song's meter, design choreography, plan...
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The Hamsterdance
It's unbelievable that there really is a dance that goes with a song called "The Hamsterdance!" This is not a lesson plan per se, but rather steps to the dance. They include head bobs, slide steps, thigh slaps, and clapping. Short dances...
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Dance Choreography
Students complete this assignment after several lessons where they have experienced creating their own choreography. It can be done as homework or an in class assignment. It could also be completed at a writing station during a station...
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Planting a Garden Through Dance
Students create a dance study based on the growth cycle of a flower. They improvise movements that relate to each stage of growth. They create artwork on the growth cycle of a flower. They perform their dances for the whole class.
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Locomotor Dances
Students explore and perform locomotor movements. With partners, they combine the locomotor movements into a simple dance. The partner identifies three movements they observed. Students may be grouped into dancers for a performance.