News from the Dance Room – 10/12/18

Kindergarten and first grade dancers are moving through activities exploring level and size. These young students continue to explore concepts using their bodies, while learning several new movement skills involving direction, time and space. First graders worked together to compose a cinquain poem based on what they had learned.

Second grade students dig deeper into the idea of transitions and how shapes can change from one to another with different kinds of movement in between. Third graders continue their language arts and dance connections by working with the creation of short dances using the syllables in their names and action words put together to build movement sentences.

In fourth grade, students are discussing the important elements of successful group work. This may include considering other group members’ feelings and communicating wants or needs. These dancers are being challenged to try out these collaborative efforts with various small group tasks. Next, they will be thinking about personal goals and values for the year. Fifth graders will continue their movement and math connections by working with dice and creating a chance dance in small groups. Students will be asked to use choreographic devices previously learned to add dimension and vitality to their work.

Fifth grade dance elective students are focused on how we move through space using locomotor actions as transitional movement. These students will be practicing various skills and questioning how different size spaces can affect movement. In addition, they will be working on small movement tasks showing their understanding of the concepts learned and their unique use of creative choreography. Sixth, seventh and eighth grade dance elective students continue to practice various technical skills and learn about body alignment and dance class structure. This week, they finished and presented their choreographed shape maps. Next week, they will begin to explore the fundamental dance element of relationships and will be working in various configurations to investigate the concept. Students will be asked to create a short structured duet with another dancer.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ms. Diane