Dance II Curriculum Outline
Assumptions:
1. It is assumed that Dance II students have taken one semester of Dance I and have had a brief experience with BEST vocabulary. They are at various levels of ability and experience.
2. This course is designed for high school students and would be modifed for junior high or middle school students.
3. Principles of dance technique, though not always articulated in every learning activity, will be addressed and reinforced throughout the semester according to the needs and level of the students.
4. This curriculum is designed for a block schedule, which assumes 2 – 3 classes (70 - 75 minutes each, after dress time) per week, or 5 classes per two-week block.
5. Each block/unit could be easily expanded. The last 2 week unit can serve as a catch up unit if necessary.
6. Various resources and selected lenses will help shape and inform the delivery of each unit of instruction, as appropriate.
7. This outline is fleshed out with sufficient detail for you to see how conceptual material can be developed. It does not indicate what you will do on each day, but rather, gives scope and sequencing information that can be used to design a more detailed, day-by-day unit plan. One unit plan is fleshed out in detail.
8. The learning outcomes identified are simply for the full curriculum and for the fleshed out unit outline. In a real teaching situation there would be learning outcomes for every unit and class.
Dance II: American Dance History Lens
(1 Semester, 18 weeks)
Course Description: modified from the Utah Core Curriculum http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/fineart/core_curriculum/dance/Dance_Sec.htm#IIA
This is an intermediate level dance course which builds dance knowledge and skill in technique, improvisation, choreography, artistic expression, performance, history, culture, life skills, and connections to other curricular areas. Students will build this dance knowledge and skill through daily technique, individual and group movement assignments, as well as various written assignments.
Course Learning Outcomes:
By the end of 1 semester (18 weeks) of instruction, students will demonstrate:
1. Increased strength, flexibility, stamina, muscle endurance, coordiantion and agility
2. Increased dance skills such as: alignment, foot articulation, bodily connections, integration of spine, use of breath, initiation from the center of the core, and sequencing.
3. Emerging understanding and integration of selected concepts of Body, Energy, Space, Time, and Motion into movement sequences, improvisational and compositional experiences.
4. An understanding and integration of improvisation and performing techniques.
5. An emerging ability for meaning making in dance through choreographic experiences, and analysis of historical and contemporary choreography.
6. And identify how dance reflects culture in various time and world cultures, specifically American culture through a report on a historic dance figure.
Introductory Unit: Dance can define a culture-class constitution and dance foundation (3 Weeks)
Weeks 1-3 (7-8 days)
What: Establish Rules and expectations, review BEST principles and experience them in their bodies, create personal motifs that express individuality, and create a class folk dance to define our “class culture”
Activities:
1. Class Constitution: Students read and look for rules, guidelines to help create a government. Together we create class rules and guidelines to help govern our class, give students rights, teacher rights, and create an environment of growth and learning.
2. Warm-up, technique, center floor sequences and guided explorations that encompass multiple elements of BEST
3. Assign Choreographer/dance figures for oral reports for the 3rd and 4th unit. From a selected list: : Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Lester Horton, Hanya Holm, Erick Hawkins, Paul Taylor, Jose Limon, Alwin Nikolai, Katherine Dunham, Pearl Primus, Alvin Ailey, Bill T Jones, Bebe Miller, Donald Mckayle, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Robert Battle, Judith Jamison, Savion Glover, Garth Fagan
Students will research the selected dance figure’s biography, dance history, and dance contributions. A poster and 5 minute oral report will be presented during the 3rd or 4th unit. This will be part of the midterm assessment.
4. Review basics of Body focusing on alignment, warm-up, cool-down, introduce Bartinieff fundamentals warm-up we will use throughout the semester.
5. Review essential elements of Time metric and non-metric emphasized through plié and tendu technique combinations.
6. Review essential elements of Space emphasizing through a center floor combination directions, levels, pathway and focus
7. Review essential elements of Energy focusing on ability to verbally identify and physically differentiate between energy qualities through the center floor combination
8. Review basic elements of motion emphasizing locomotor skills in simple across the floor patterns and two simple folk dances (Virginia Reel, Square dance).
9. Guided improvisation based on rhythm of name and energy qualities present in your personality which develops into a personal motif
10. Create a 32 count mixer as a class to represent the class culture using locomotor movements, and a few personal motifs.
11. Short written test (a pre-test to help assess understanding and amount of information taught during the rest of the semester) on BEST elements of dance.
Dance notation based Unit/Records define history (3 Weeks)
*Full Unit Plan with daily activities located on pages 6-8
Weeks 4-6 (7-8 days)
“History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future.”
Robert Penn Warren
What: Explore different ways history and dance can be recorded, Introduce very basic dance notation, explore concepts of space (dimensions, directions, and shape) through Labanotation, film technique sequence, create a dance map, take pictures of dance shapes, Start personal journals-daily reflective questions
Activities:
1. As a class discuss the ways history has been recorded. Journals, maps, photographs, musical recordings, filming, blogs, newspapers etc. Introduce how dance has been recorded in history: oral tradition, dance masters, Feuillet system, shorthand, labanotation, film, cinematography
2. Technique sequences, center floor combination, and across the floors teach to encourage sequencing/ challenging student’s memories. Focus on elements of space: shape, dimensions and pathways.
3. Teach simple Labanotation: shapes (pin, wall, ball, spiral, and tetrahedron) and directions (rising, sinking, advancing, retreating, spreading, enclosing).
4. Create a dance map to guide choreography duet using motifs from previous unit also incorporating the various shapes identified from Labanotation.
5. Take pictures of the best shapes and they will become a shape collage to decorate one of the bulletin boards in the room.
6. Observe and analyze a few different dances from different genres based on the choreographer’s use of space. Ballet, modern, musical theater
7. At end of unit film technique sequences and then watch them and each student makes technique and performance goals based on that “record”. Students also have the option of keeping a record of their growth through video recordings.
8. Establish daily journal writing: One entry per week required one entry per day encouraged.
Modern dance, an art of social reform/composition (3 Weeks)
Week 7-9 (7-8 days)
What: learn how art is a reflection of history, modern dance pioneers, modern dance oral reports, composition and how it supports choreographic intent; choreograph a trio based on compositional studies
Activities:
1. Discuss how art reflects the history/social state of the day. Introduce basics of modern dance pioneers and how the new dance group based their work on social reform.
2. Assign days for oral reports and posters to be given and shown (1-2 per day) Modern dance pioneers: Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Lester Horton, Hanya Holm, Erick Hawkins, Paul Taylor, Jose Limon, Alwin Nikolai. Reports need to consist of a brief biography, dance history, and dance contributions.
3. Teach choreographic principles of continuity, sequence, repetition, variety, unison, contrast, transition, and climax.
4. Experience these choreographic principles in technique combinations and center floor combinations (highlight the form of the combinations).
5. Have students pick out 2 principles and improvise based on those 2 principles.
6. Learn about choreographic form: ABA, Rondo, canon, antiphonal
7. Antiphonal –call and response improvisation
8. Work in Trios to create a choreographic work that contains 2 choreographic principles, and manifests at least one choreographic form.
9. Show trios, edit and rework
10. Watch a classic Modern Dance work and analyze its choreographic form/principles.
11. Continue to record progress, goals, and reflections in daily journals.
Energy and Time- African American Dance Influence (4 Weeks)
Week 10-13(10 days)
What: learn about and explore metric and syncopated rhythms, steppin’ or hip-hop sequences, breath as a rhythm, learn repertory, experiment how rhythms can change movement, energy qualities are indicative of emotional responses, contrasting energy quality studies, oral reports on African American choreographer/dancer
Activities:
1. Discuss African-American history and this cultures impact on the dance world in tap, swing, jazz, modern, etc.
2. Assign days for oral reports and posters to be given and shown (1-2 per day) African-American dance pioneers: Katherine Dunham, Pearl Primus, Alvin Ailey, Bill T Jones, Bebe Miller, Donald Mckayle, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Robert Battle, Judith Jamison, Savion Glover, and Garth Fagan. Reports need to consist of a brief biography, dance history, and dance contributions.
3. Deepen Bartinieff fundamentals warm-up focusing on breath and rhapsodic rhythm.
4. Technique patterns emphasize rhythm; incorporate a few more complex rhythms.
5. Learn about rhythms metric, accented, and syncopated through revisiting the note value cards (used in dance I). Through creative process students create layering rhythms and syncopated rhythms.
6. Teach a basic combination that contains no rhythmic basis, in groups of 4 students see how they can change the rhythm of the movement can add repetition, speed and meter.
7. Learn steppin’ or hip-hop sequences
8. Watch Alvin Ailey “Revelations” and evaluate use of rhythm, breath, and energy qualities
9. Go into more depth with energy qualities and how the energy qualities we exhibit are informed by the emotions we feel.
10. Center floor combination addresses multiple energy or effort qualities focusing on the transitions and clarity between various qualities.
11. Improvisations based on contrasting energy qualities/ emotions
12. In groups of 4 from pattern with rhythm added, have students develop pattern into a 1 minute work adding energy qualities, and selected music.
13. Teach part of Pearl Primus, Robert Battle, or Donald Mckayle repertory etudes from American Dance Legacy Institute.
http://www.adli.us/index.html
14. Group choreography, repertory performance, is a class assessment.
15. Continue to record progress, goals, and reflections in daily journals.
Improvisation and post-modern dance/Counter-culture since 1960’s (3 Weeks)
Week 14-16 (7-8 days)
What: abstraction, site specific choreography, contact-improvisation
Activities:
1. Discuss the concept of counter-culture in America. How post-modern dance went against performance norms to create new works and how definition of performance questioned. Teach about Judson Dance Theater.
2. Technique sequences focused on ability to release in the body. Begin longer technique sequence to test strength, flexibility, stamina, muscle endurance, coordiantion, agility, alignment, foot articulation, bodily connections, integration of spine, use of breath, initiation from the center of the core, sequencing, and any other technique skills focused on during the semester.
3. Assignment to observe people for 15 minutes in a public place and notice gestures.
4. Choose one gesture and explore the concept of abstraction: altering time, space, energy through reordering, repeating, diminishing, and inverting the movement.
5. Abstraction improvisation develops into a short composition
6. Explore contact-improvisation in duets.
7. Begin “Self” solos based on dance strengths, daily gestures, a personal experience or personal dance values.
8. One day is a site-specific improvisation day. Groups of 5 are assigned various places in school or outside have 20 minutes to create a dance inspired by the site. (This could develop into a class flash mob dance to advertise for dance company concert) The last 20 minutes of class we walk around and the groups perform for each other.
9. Continue to record progress, goals, and reflections in daily journals.
Contemporary Dance/ Reflection of Self (2 Weeks)
Week 17-18 (5 days)
What: complete journal/portfolio, create own “I am a dancer” statement; choreograph a 1-2 minute solo based on dance strengths.
Activities:
1. Finish teaching longer technique and center floor sequence. This will test strength, flexibility, stamina, muscle endurance, coordiantion, agility, alignment, foot articulation, bodily connections, integration of spine, use of breath, initiation from the center of the core, sequencing, and any other technique skills focused on during the semester.
2. Complete and compile journal or portfolio
3. Students create their own I am a dancer statement and project their dance future
4. Test and film technique sequence
5. Complete and perform their 1-2 minute solo based on dance strengths peer evaluation
6. Last day is “Wii Just Dance” party because dance is fun!
Dance notation based unit/Records define history (3 Weeks)
Unit Learning Outcome: At the end of this 3 week unit, Dance II students will be able to explain the advantages and disadvantages of dance records, demonstrate understanding of dimensions, direction, and shape through basic Labanotation and physical studies, observe and analyze use of space in choreography, and evaluate their own technical abilities by establishing a daily dance journal.
Weeks 4-6 (7-8 days)
“History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future.”
Robert Penn Warren
Day 1: Records and Dance Map
Resources: dance journals, writing tools, music
Activities
* Class discussion on the ways history is recorded: journals, maps, photographs, newspapers, musical recordings, film, blogs, newspapers etc. Discuss the importance of records.
* Introduce how dance has been recorded in history: oral traditions, dance masters, Feuillet system, shorthand, Labanotation, film, cinematography, are there other ways?
* Bartinieff fundamentals warm-up
* Introduce technique sequence, center floor combination and across the floor that emphasizes pathways and sequencing.
* Give students each a small dance journal, on the first page have them draw 3 dots, connect those dots with 2 different lines
* This is your dance map…each dot represents a shape and place in space. One will be your beginning, one dot will be the end, and the lines you drew will be your pathway for your movement.
* Begin exploring/creating your dance from your map you created.
* At end of class have students record everything they can remember from today’s class
Day 2: Memory and Dance Map continued
Resources: dance journals, writing tools, music
Activities
* Bartinieff fundamentals warm-up
* Have students remember as much as they can recall from technique sequence, then let them use their notebooks, and then review all together. Challenge their memory! Add on to combinations center floor combination and across the floor that continues to emphasize pathways, and sequencing.
* Emphasize the importance of recording dance in our bodies and utilizing our muscle memory!
* Continue to work on exploring/creating your dance from your map you created, to make your dance map longer, combine with another dancer so these dance maps will be performed in duets.
* Add levels to dance and make sure you have at least 4 of the 8 basic locomotor movements
* Journal question of the day: “What did you learn about muscle memory today? In what other circumstances in your life do you experience muscle memory?”
Day 3: Directions
Resources: dance journals, writing tools, music, Laban symbols for directions, Labanotation poster or written on whiteboard, 10-15 pictures of famous sculptures
Activities
* Powerful pelvis warm-up emphasizing getting into the plié and being able to change directions with your pelvis through space.
* Have students remember as much as they can recall from technique sequence, and then review all together. Challenge their memory! Add on to combinations center floor combination and across the floor that continues to emphasize pathways, and sequencing.
* Labanotation for Directions on the whiteboard, and introduce 6 basic directions and how they are defined in Labanotation as well as symbols: rising, sinking, advancing, retreating, spreading, enclosing
* Play Body Twister: call out a body part and a direction (ex: shoulder-rising, foot advancing, head spread right) using LMA language and practice with LMA direction symbol cards
* Hand out pictures of famous sculptures to groups of 2 (duet partners) and have students identify the body parts and directions they are moving toward, record through LMA symbols in notebooks.
* Have them recreate their sculpture in their own bodies, becomes one of the “dots” on their dance map
* Journal question of the day: “What did you learn today about Labanotation? Do you think the symbols accurately demonstrate the movement ideas? If you were to create a new type of notation what symbols would you use for directions in space?”
Day 4: Shape
Resources: dance journals, writing tools, music, Laban symbols for shape, Labanotation poster or written on whiteboard
Activities
* Powerful pelvis warm-up emphasizing getting into the plié and being able to change directions with your pelvis through space.
* Have students remember as much as they can recall from technique sequence, and then review all together. Challenge their memory! Add on to combinations center floor combination and across the floor that continues to emphasize pathways, and sequencing.
* Review Labanotation for Directions, introduce Labanotation shapes and symbols: pin, wall, ball, spiral, tetrahedron
* Explore various shapes and have students identify using LMA language
* Have students revisit their dance map duet, for the 2 other dots on their map, they have to choose 2 different Laban shape symbols and create a physical shape in their dance.
* Give students time to work on their duet
* Journal question of the day: “What kind of shapes do you enjoy making? What are the hardest to make? Did any of the shapes inspire you to make a shape you have never made before?”
Day 5: Evaluating use of space
Resources: dance journals, writing tools, music, 3 video clips of choreography from ballet, modern, and musical theater, Labanotation poster or written on whiteboard
Activities
* Powerful pelvis warm-up emphasizing getting into the plié and being able to change directions with your pelvis through space.
* Have students remember as much as they can recall from technique sequence, and then review all together. Challenge their memory! Add on to combinations center floor combination and across the floor that continues to emphasize pathways, and sequencing.
* Spend quite a bit of time today focusing on technique sequences because they will be tested next week.
* Watch one minute video clips from 3 different genres (ballet, modern, and musical theater) and have students analyze the choreographers use of space)
* If time continue to work on duet.
* Journal question of the day: “How did the choreographers use the element of space to develop their idea or intent? How does the use of space in your dance map choreography help your intent? Write down one idea with space you can do next time to improve your duet choreography.”
Day 6: Review and evaluation preparation
Resources: dance journals, writing tools, music, Labanotation poster or written on whiteboard, Camera for pictures
Activities
* Powerful pelvis warm-up emphasizing getting into the plié and being able to change directions with your pelvis through space.
* Work quickly on technique sequence, center floor combination and across the floor that continues to emphasize pathways, and sequencing.
* Spend quite a bit of time today focusing on technique sequences because they will be tested next time.
* Answer any questions about the technique sequence
* Review LMA language (directions and shapes)
* Have students work on their dance map duets, invite them to choose music for their duet so they will be able to perform next class.
* Have students redraw their dance map including as much Labanotation as possible (2 shape symbols required)
* Students show their favorite shape from their duet and we take pictures that will become a shape collage hung in the classroom for the rest of the semester.
* Journal question of the day: “How do you feel about the test next class period? How do you feel about showing your duet? What is the favorite part of your duet?”
Day7-8: Space and Records Evaluation day
Resources: dance journals, writing tools, music, Labanotation poster or written on whiteboard, Video camera for filming technique and map duets
Activities
* Powerful pelvis warm-up, Bartinieff fundamentals pattern
* Film Technique, center floor combination, and across the floor sequence, have students watch and write down personal goals in journal and turn in goals to the teacher. (These goals will not only inform the students but help me see what the majority of the class needs to work on technically during the next unit.)
* Present dance map duets and then show dance maps, see if other students can identify movement from the map.
* Journal question of the day: “What elements of space did you see present in other duets you watched? What really caught your attention in other duets?”
Monday, September 5, 2011
Dance III Curricular Outline+ communitcations+Erica Cravath
Dance 465 Curriculum Design
Dance 3 One Semester Curricular Outline and Progression
Assumptions:
1. It is assumed that students have taken both Dance I and Dance II or that they have had equivalent dance experience.
2. This course is designed for high school students.
3. Dance technique will be reinforced throughout the semester, even though it may not be articulated in the curriculum outline.
4. This curriculum is designed for a block schedule, having 2-3 classes (70-75 minutes each, after dress time) per week.
5. This outline contains sufficient detail to develop daily lesson plans and see how the units combine and support each other. However, it does not list daily activities; instead, it gives a scope of sequence for an entire semester.
6. This curriculum design includes learning outcomes for the entire semester and one unit. However, learning outcomes should be inserted when developing this into a semester of classes.
Dance 3A
(1 semester - 18 weeks total)
Course Description: taken directly from Utah Core Curriculum:
http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/fineart/core_curriculum/dance/dance_sec.htm
This is an advanced level dance course which builds dance knowledge and skill in technique, improvisation, choreography, artistic expression, performance, history, culture, life skills, and connections to other curricular areas. The prerequisite for this course is Dance IIB (1930) or by audition.
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of one semester (18 weeks) of instruction, students will demonstrate:
1. Increased general strength, stamina, flexibility, and coordination.
2. Increased skills specific to dance including advanced performance of locomtor and axial skills and consistent correct alignment, use of breath, body connectivity, and foot articulation.
3. Advanced level of understanding of principles of body, energy, space, and time and ability to combine these principles in movement.
4. Knowledge of selected 20th century choreographers and dance styles.
5. Ability to choreograph using various methods of creative process.
6. Increased ability to find meaning in dance and communicate that meaning to others.
7. Movement and artistic principles set forth by the Utah State Core curriculum for Dance 3A: http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/fineart/core_curriculum/dance/dance_sec.htm
Methods of Communication
“The body says what words cannot.” Martha Graham
This semester of curriculum is designed to help students find ways to show that “the body says what words cannot.” It centers around choreographic projects that are based in the written word and communicating the meaning of the written word through dance. Quotes about dance should be prominently displayed in the classroom. 20th century choreographers who have skillfully communicated meaning through dance should also be prominently displayed in the classroom.
Unit 1: Words as Movement Inspiration: 6 weeks
Weeks 1-3: Axial and Locomotor
What: Reinforcement of basic axial and locomotor skills and introduction of more advanced combinations of skills, with an emphasis on using axial and locomotor skills in improvisation and choreography to communicate meaning.
1. Warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences incorporate locomotor and axial movements performed separately and combined.
2. Review of safe locomotion principles including spatial awareness, landing toe-ball-heel, using power from the plie, and correct pelvic alignment.
3. Guided improvisation focused on axial movement choices, using newspaper headlines and articles as motivation. Student cannot move more than two feet away from where he or she began.
4. Discussion on how dance can be used to communicate meaning. Discuss the difference between a simple locomotor step and a locomotor movement combined with axial movement. How does adding axial movement change the perceived meaning?
5. Guided improvisation focused on combining axial and locomotor movement, using current events found in the news as motivation. Explore how pedestrian movements might be abstracted to communicate meaning.
6. In small groups, students will choreograph an across the floor sequence using one (group-chosen) word from assigned newspaper headlines as motivation.
Weeks 4-6: Breath and Resultant Rhythms
What: Introduction to natural rhythms found in breath, as well as in words and phrases. Continued focus on using advanced combinations of axial and locomotor patterns while also utilizing breath support. Intense focus on support from the core and ease in movement that comes through the use of breath. Use the natural rhythms found in the written word to create and communicate meaning in dance.
1. Warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences that include a variety of advanced axial and locomotor movement combinations are taught to students without counts, and rely upon breath support.
2. Review patterns of total body connectivity with emphasis on breath. Begin class each day by focusing on breath.
3. Build a conditioning sequence beginning with breath and moving into core support and leg strength.
4. Students perform technique and center floor sequences using their own breath rhythms, focusing on individual breath and choices.
5. Discussion of poetry and how poets use different rhythms to communicate meaning. How can we use rhythm in dance to communicate meaning?
6. Identify poems that use a strict rhythmic meter and poems that use a natural, breath rhythm.
7. In small groups, use the resultant rhythm found as a result of different syllables in the words of a metered poem to create a sequence.
8. Group improvisation
1. Breath rhythms and imagery
2. Instructor assigned rhythms based on counts
3. Instructor assigned rhythms using the natural rhythms in words
8. Discuss several instructor selected poems and poets. How do these poets create? Do they have a specific creative process? Compare and contrast to the dance creative process.
9. Each student will select a poem and use the phrasing and breath rhythm within the poem as a structure for individual composition.
10. Instructor assessment based on student utilization of breath support throughout composition. Peer assessment given through immediate feedback on use of breath.
Unit 2: Descriptive Words: 6 weeks
Weeks 7-8: Character Study
What: Exploration of relationship between energy qualities and body shaping and how the two combine to portray emotions and personality traits in choreography; student choreography based upon character study.
1. Warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences focusing on contrasting energy qualities and clear body shaping.
1. Sequences practiced using various emotions to inform movement.
2. Daily conditioning sequence focusing on core and leg strength. Identify ways to perform movement with clarity and focus, even during a conditioning sequence.
3. Discuss the relationship between body focus, graining, and emotion. Identify moments of clear intent and focus in technique and center floor sequences.
4. Watch and discuss dances inspired by a certain person or character (i.e. Alvin Ailey’s Cry, Twyla Tharpe choreography for Singin in the Rain (the musical), Garth Fagan’s choreography for The Lion King (the musical)).
5. Improvisation “In the Manner of the Adverb”. Improvise using a specific energy quality (i.e. sustained, swinging, vibratory) and use different adverbs as emotive motivation. For example, happily sustained movement, excitedly vibratory movement, calmly swinging movement, or despairingly percussive movement.
6. Assigned reading of three short story fairy tales. Students will choose the character that they feel they identify best with. Complete a character map for the chosen character, filling it out with qualities seen in the character.
7. Guided improvisation based on character traits. Students will pick one trait and explore it during a guided improvisation, then create a short movement motif.
Weeks 9-10: Choreography Based on Character Description
What: Student choreography based on character study and combination of two solos to create a duet that is coherent and not two separate halves; teacher assessment of duets and student self-assessment of body-conditioning.
1. Continued practice of and addition to warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences focusing on contrasting energy qualities and clear body shaping.
2. Daily conditioning sequence focusing on core and leg strength. Identify ways to perform movement with clarity and focus, even during a conditioning sequence.
3. Students create one minute solos based on character trait maps and motif created during improvisation.
4. Combine solos into duets based upon the descriptive words found in both character maps.
5. Assessment of duets, based upon use of energy qualities, body focus and shaping, and emotive strength.
6. Self-evaluation of body conditioning based upon strength, flexibility, and endurance. Students will then set goals for improvement for the remaining weeks in the semester.
Weeks 11-12: Expansion of Duets into Class Choreography for Performance
What: Assessment of student technique and ability to perform various energy qualities with clarity of body shaping; class group choreography for final performance.
1. Review warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences focusing on contrasting energy qualities and clear body shaping.
2. Video assessment of technique and center floor sequences, with individual feedback given to students.
3. Written self-assessment after viewing video of sequences.
4. Class expansion of one of the duets created the previous week based upon the character study. This will be used to create a class piece for the end of semester performance.
Unit 3: Words that Impact Society: 4 weeks
Unit Objective
By the end of the ten day unit, students will demonstrate understanding of the use of space in choreography motivated by song lyrics and social commentary. They will demonstrate this through guided class improvisation, observation of professional choreography based in social commentary, and creation of a social commentary music video.
Weeks 13-14:
What: Review of spatial pathways and all three ranges of motion; exploration of symbolism and abstraction as means of social commentary; analysis of song lyrics as a means of social commentary.
Day 1
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will be able to independently perform the first halves of the technique and center floor sequences for the unit, demonstrating understanding of near, medium, and far reach kinespheres and moving in varied spatial pathways.
Activities:
1.
Journal Writing Prompt: How can dance be used as a means of commentary on society?
2.
Learn warm-up sequence for new unit.
3.
Daily conditioning sequence with new portion for arm strength.
4.
Learn first half of each of the new technique and center floor sequences for the unit. Warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences all focus on spatial pathways and variety in range of motion.
Day 2
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will be able to identify ways that choreographers have used dance as social commentary and their uses of abstraction and symbolism.
Activities:
1.
Warm-up and daily conditioning sequence.
2.
Review material learned from technique and center floor sequences, identify moments of near, medium, and far reach kinespheres.
3.
Watch films of choreography created as social commentary (i.e. Martha Graham’s Panorama, Pearl Primus’ Strange Fruit, Bill T. Jones’ Still Here). Discuss utilization of abstraction and symbolism seen in these pieces.
4.
Journal Writing Prompt: If you were to pick a social issue to create a dance about, what would it be and why?
Day 3
By the end of the 75-minute class period, student will be able to independently perform both the technique and center floor sequences, as well as improvise to songs whose lyrics are a form of social commentary.
Activities:
1.
Warm-up and daily conditioning sequence.
2.
Finish learning the technique and center floor sequences for the unit.
3.
Song Lyric Improvisation. Identify songs that are based in social commentary. As a class look at the lyrics of a song and improvise using the words and symbolism of words as movement motivation.
1.
Possible songs include:
1.
Christina Aguilera “Beautiful”
2.
Jack Johnson “Good People”
3.
Beatles “Revolution”
4.
Cat Stevens “Peace Train”
5.
Steve Miller Band “Fly Like an Eagle”
6.
Black Eyed Peas “Where is the Love”
4.
Students divide into small groups and choose a song to use for their final choreographic project. Printed lyrics of the songs are due at the end of the next class period. Students will be given time during the next class to make a final decision on the song as a group.
Day 4
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will have chosen a topic and song to choreograph about and begun to create an outline of the choreographic process of an assigned choreographer.
Activities:
1.
Warm-up and daily conditioning sequence.
2.
Review the technique and center floor sequences for the unit.
3.
Students will read an article that describes the choreographic process of a chosen choreographer whose work has been observed previously in class. They will then create a step-by-step outline of their choreographic process.
4.
Groups will meet to decide what song will be used for their choreography. Each group must turn in a print out of the lyrics of their song for their final choreographic project. Lyrics must be approved by instructor.
Day 5
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will have created an outline of the choreographic process of an assigned choreographer and a movement to be used as a symbol in their group choreography.
Activities:
1.
Warm-up and daily conditioning sequence.
2.
Review the technique and center floor sequences for the unit.
3.
Students will finish the following assignment that was begun the previous class period. Students will read an article that describes the choreographic process of a chosen choreographer whose work has been observed previously in class. They will then create a step-by-step outline of their choreographic process.
4.
Individually, each student will create a movement symbol to be used in the group choreography project. Then groups will meet together to decide upon one or two symbols to be used in their composition.
Weeks 15-16: Social Commentary Music Video
What: Group choreography and filming to create a music video of the dance they choreographed.
Day 6
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will demonstrate memorization of technique and center floor sequences and will begin to work on choreography for their final project.
Activities:
1.
Continued practice of warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences focusing on spatial pathways and variety in range of motion.
2.
Choreographic final project. Using their chosen song, small groups create a composition to the song of their choice, using the lyrics of the song as motivation. Compositions must include variety in pathways and all three ranges of motion. The composition should be two minutes long.
Day 7
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will demonstrate performance skills while performing the technique and center floor sequences and will continue to work on choreography for their final project.
Activities:
1.
Journal Writing Prompt: What does the song your group picked for your final choreography hope to accomplish? What was the song writer’s purpose?
2.
Continued practice of warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences focusing on spatial pathways and variety in range of motion.
3.
Discuss performance skills such as focus, clarity of movement and intent, and stage presence.
4.
Continue to work on choreographic final project. Using their chosen song, small groups create a composition to the song of their choice, using the lyrics of the song as motivation. Compositions must include variety in pathways and all three ranges of motion. The composition should be two minutes long.
Day 8
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will demonstrate performance skills while performing the technique and center floor sequences and will have finished the choreography for their final project.
Activities:
1.
Continued practice of warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences focusing on spatial pathways and variety in range of motion.
2.
Continue to work on choreographic final project. Each group will do an informal showing of choreography for the instructor and be given feedback.
Day 9
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will demonstrate performance skills while performing the technique and center floor sequences and will film their compositions.
Activities:
1.
Continued practice of warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences focusing on spatial pathways and variety in range of motion.
2.
Filming of composition for social commentary music video.
3.
Homework assignment: Come to next class prepared with a quote that reinforces the topic that inspired your choreography.
Day 10
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will have individually created a music video for their final composition.
Activities:
1.
Computer Lab Work Day: Individually, students will use the film of their group composition and overlay important words and ideas, including song lyrics and quotes from other sources, to create a music video.
Unit 4: Review and prepare for final performance: 2 weeks
Weeks 17-18: Wrap-Up and Final Performance
What: Peer evaluation of music video final project and preparation for performance.
1.
Peer evaluation of music videos through an instructor-developed aesthetic perceptions rubric.
2.
Spacing on stage and practice use of performance qualities.
3.
Watch video of performance in class.
4.
Create a digital portfolio of dance work by combining footage from filmed assessments throughout the semester.
5.
Discuss purpose of dance in own community: performances, social dancing, dance classes, etc. and why it is one.
6.
Wrap-up activities that help to make meaning of all materials covered throughout semester.
Dance 3 One Semester Curricular Outline and Progression
Assumptions:
1. It is assumed that students have taken both Dance I and Dance II or that they have had equivalent dance experience.
2. This course is designed for high school students.
3. Dance technique will be reinforced throughout the semester, even though it may not be articulated in the curriculum outline.
4. This curriculum is designed for a block schedule, having 2-3 classes (70-75 minutes each, after dress time) per week.
5. This outline contains sufficient detail to develop daily lesson plans and see how the units combine and support each other. However, it does not list daily activities; instead, it gives a scope of sequence for an entire semester.
6. This curriculum design includes learning outcomes for the entire semester and one unit. However, learning outcomes should be inserted when developing this into a semester of classes.
Dance 3A
(1 semester - 18 weeks total)
Course Description: taken directly from Utah Core Curriculum:
http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/fineart/core_curriculum/dance/dance_sec.htm
This is an advanced level dance course which builds dance knowledge and skill in technique, improvisation, choreography, artistic expression, performance, history, culture, life skills, and connections to other curricular areas. The prerequisite for this course is Dance IIB (1930) or by audition.
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of one semester (18 weeks) of instruction, students will demonstrate:
1. Increased general strength, stamina, flexibility, and coordination.
2. Increased skills specific to dance including advanced performance of locomtor and axial skills and consistent correct alignment, use of breath, body connectivity, and foot articulation.
3. Advanced level of understanding of principles of body, energy, space, and time and ability to combine these principles in movement.
4. Knowledge of selected 20th century choreographers and dance styles.
5. Ability to choreograph using various methods of creative process.
6. Increased ability to find meaning in dance and communicate that meaning to others.
7. Movement and artistic principles set forth by the Utah State Core curriculum for Dance 3A: http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/fineart/core_curriculum/dance/dance_sec.htm
Methods of Communication
“The body says what words cannot.” Martha Graham
This semester of curriculum is designed to help students find ways to show that “the body says what words cannot.” It centers around choreographic projects that are based in the written word and communicating the meaning of the written word through dance. Quotes about dance should be prominently displayed in the classroom. 20th century choreographers who have skillfully communicated meaning through dance should also be prominently displayed in the classroom.
Unit 1: Words as Movement Inspiration: 6 weeks
Weeks 1-3: Axial and Locomotor
What: Reinforcement of basic axial and locomotor skills and introduction of more advanced combinations of skills, with an emphasis on using axial and locomotor skills in improvisation and choreography to communicate meaning.
1. Warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences incorporate locomotor and axial movements performed separately and combined.
2. Review of safe locomotion principles including spatial awareness, landing toe-ball-heel, using power from the plie, and correct pelvic alignment.
3. Guided improvisation focused on axial movement choices, using newspaper headlines and articles as motivation. Student cannot move more than two feet away from where he or she began.
4. Discussion on how dance can be used to communicate meaning. Discuss the difference between a simple locomotor step and a locomotor movement combined with axial movement. How does adding axial movement change the perceived meaning?
5. Guided improvisation focused on combining axial and locomotor movement, using current events found in the news as motivation. Explore how pedestrian movements might be abstracted to communicate meaning.
6. In small groups, students will choreograph an across the floor sequence using one (group-chosen) word from assigned newspaper headlines as motivation.
Weeks 4-6: Breath and Resultant Rhythms
What: Introduction to natural rhythms found in breath, as well as in words and phrases. Continued focus on using advanced combinations of axial and locomotor patterns while also utilizing breath support. Intense focus on support from the core and ease in movement that comes through the use of breath. Use the natural rhythms found in the written word to create and communicate meaning in dance.
1. Warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences that include a variety of advanced axial and locomotor movement combinations are taught to students without counts, and rely upon breath support.
2. Review patterns of total body connectivity with emphasis on breath. Begin class each day by focusing on breath.
3. Build a conditioning sequence beginning with breath and moving into core support and leg strength.
4. Students perform technique and center floor sequences using their own breath rhythms, focusing on individual breath and choices.
5. Discussion of poetry and how poets use different rhythms to communicate meaning. How can we use rhythm in dance to communicate meaning?
6. Identify poems that use a strict rhythmic meter and poems that use a natural, breath rhythm.
7. In small groups, use the resultant rhythm found as a result of different syllables in the words of a metered poem to create a sequence.
8. Group improvisation
1. Breath rhythms and imagery
2. Instructor assigned rhythms based on counts
3. Instructor assigned rhythms using the natural rhythms in words
8. Discuss several instructor selected poems and poets. How do these poets create? Do they have a specific creative process? Compare and contrast to the dance creative process.
9. Each student will select a poem and use the phrasing and breath rhythm within the poem as a structure for individual composition.
10. Instructor assessment based on student utilization of breath support throughout composition. Peer assessment given through immediate feedback on use of breath.
Unit 2: Descriptive Words: 6 weeks
Weeks 7-8: Character Study
What: Exploration of relationship between energy qualities and body shaping and how the two combine to portray emotions and personality traits in choreography; student choreography based upon character study.
1. Warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences focusing on contrasting energy qualities and clear body shaping.
1. Sequences practiced using various emotions to inform movement.
2. Daily conditioning sequence focusing on core and leg strength. Identify ways to perform movement with clarity and focus, even during a conditioning sequence.
3. Discuss the relationship between body focus, graining, and emotion. Identify moments of clear intent and focus in technique and center floor sequences.
4. Watch and discuss dances inspired by a certain person or character (i.e. Alvin Ailey’s Cry, Twyla Tharpe choreography for Singin in the Rain (the musical), Garth Fagan’s choreography for The Lion King (the musical)).
5. Improvisation “In the Manner of the Adverb”. Improvise using a specific energy quality (i.e. sustained, swinging, vibratory) and use different adverbs as emotive motivation. For example, happily sustained movement, excitedly vibratory movement, calmly swinging movement, or despairingly percussive movement.
6. Assigned reading of three short story fairy tales. Students will choose the character that they feel they identify best with. Complete a character map for the chosen character, filling it out with qualities seen in the character.
7. Guided improvisation based on character traits. Students will pick one trait and explore it during a guided improvisation, then create a short movement motif.
Weeks 9-10: Choreography Based on Character Description
What: Student choreography based on character study and combination of two solos to create a duet that is coherent and not two separate halves; teacher assessment of duets and student self-assessment of body-conditioning.
1. Continued practice of and addition to warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences focusing on contrasting energy qualities and clear body shaping.
2. Daily conditioning sequence focusing on core and leg strength. Identify ways to perform movement with clarity and focus, even during a conditioning sequence.
3. Students create one minute solos based on character trait maps and motif created during improvisation.
4. Combine solos into duets based upon the descriptive words found in both character maps.
5. Assessment of duets, based upon use of energy qualities, body focus and shaping, and emotive strength.
6. Self-evaluation of body conditioning based upon strength, flexibility, and endurance. Students will then set goals for improvement for the remaining weeks in the semester.
Weeks 11-12: Expansion of Duets into Class Choreography for Performance
What: Assessment of student technique and ability to perform various energy qualities with clarity of body shaping; class group choreography for final performance.
1. Review warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences focusing on contrasting energy qualities and clear body shaping.
2. Video assessment of technique and center floor sequences, with individual feedback given to students.
3. Written self-assessment after viewing video of sequences.
4. Class expansion of one of the duets created the previous week based upon the character study. This will be used to create a class piece for the end of semester performance.
Unit 3: Words that Impact Society: 4 weeks
Unit Objective
By the end of the ten day unit, students will demonstrate understanding of the use of space in choreography motivated by song lyrics and social commentary. They will demonstrate this through guided class improvisation, observation of professional choreography based in social commentary, and creation of a social commentary music video.
Weeks 13-14:
What: Review of spatial pathways and all three ranges of motion; exploration of symbolism and abstraction as means of social commentary; analysis of song lyrics as a means of social commentary.
Day 1
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will be able to independently perform the first halves of the technique and center floor sequences for the unit, demonstrating understanding of near, medium, and far reach kinespheres and moving in varied spatial pathways.
Activities:
1.
Journal Writing Prompt: How can dance be used as a means of commentary on society?
2.
Learn warm-up sequence for new unit.
3.
Daily conditioning sequence with new portion for arm strength.
4.
Learn first half of each of the new technique and center floor sequences for the unit. Warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences all focus on spatial pathways and variety in range of motion.
Day 2
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will be able to identify ways that choreographers have used dance as social commentary and their uses of abstraction and symbolism.
Activities:
1.
Warm-up and daily conditioning sequence.
2.
Review material learned from technique and center floor sequences, identify moments of near, medium, and far reach kinespheres.
3.
Watch films of choreography created as social commentary (i.e. Martha Graham’s Panorama, Pearl Primus’ Strange Fruit, Bill T. Jones’ Still Here). Discuss utilization of abstraction and symbolism seen in these pieces.
4.
Journal Writing Prompt: If you were to pick a social issue to create a dance about, what would it be and why?
Day 3
By the end of the 75-minute class period, student will be able to independently perform both the technique and center floor sequences, as well as improvise to songs whose lyrics are a form of social commentary.
Activities:
1.
Warm-up and daily conditioning sequence.
2.
Finish learning the technique and center floor sequences for the unit.
3.
Song Lyric Improvisation. Identify songs that are based in social commentary. As a class look at the lyrics of a song and improvise using the words and symbolism of words as movement motivation.
1.
Possible songs include:
1.
Christina Aguilera “Beautiful”
2.
Jack Johnson “Good People”
3.
Beatles “Revolution”
4.
Cat Stevens “Peace Train”
5.
Steve Miller Band “Fly Like an Eagle”
6.
Black Eyed Peas “Where is the Love”
4.
Students divide into small groups and choose a song to use for their final choreographic project. Printed lyrics of the songs are due at the end of the next class period. Students will be given time during the next class to make a final decision on the song as a group.
Day 4
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will have chosen a topic and song to choreograph about and begun to create an outline of the choreographic process of an assigned choreographer.
Activities:
1.
Warm-up and daily conditioning sequence.
2.
Review the technique and center floor sequences for the unit.
3.
Students will read an article that describes the choreographic process of a chosen choreographer whose work has been observed previously in class. They will then create a step-by-step outline of their choreographic process.
4.
Groups will meet to decide what song will be used for their choreography. Each group must turn in a print out of the lyrics of their song for their final choreographic project. Lyrics must be approved by instructor.
Day 5
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will have created an outline of the choreographic process of an assigned choreographer and a movement to be used as a symbol in their group choreography.
Activities:
1.
Warm-up and daily conditioning sequence.
2.
Review the technique and center floor sequences for the unit.
3.
Students will finish the following assignment that was begun the previous class period. Students will read an article that describes the choreographic process of a chosen choreographer whose work has been observed previously in class. They will then create a step-by-step outline of their choreographic process.
4.
Individually, each student will create a movement symbol to be used in the group choreography project. Then groups will meet together to decide upon one or two symbols to be used in their composition.
Weeks 15-16: Social Commentary Music Video
What: Group choreography and filming to create a music video of the dance they choreographed.
Day 6
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will demonstrate memorization of technique and center floor sequences and will begin to work on choreography for their final project.
Activities:
1.
Continued practice of warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences focusing on spatial pathways and variety in range of motion.
2.
Choreographic final project. Using their chosen song, small groups create a composition to the song of their choice, using the lyrics of the song as motivation. Compositions must include variety in pathways and all three ranges of motion. The composition should be two minutes long.
Day 7
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will demonstrate performance skills while performing the technique and center floor sequences and will continue to work on choreography for their final project.
Activities:
1.
Journal Writing Prompt: What does the song your group picked for your final choreography hope to accomplish? What was the song writer’s purpose?
2.
Continued practice of warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences focusing on spatial pathways and variety in range of motion.
3.
Discuss performance skills such as focus, clarity of movement and intent, and stage presence.
4.
Continue to work on choreographic final project. Using their chosen song, small groups create a composition to the song of their choice, using the lyrics of the song as motivation. Compositions must include variety in pathways and all three ranges of motion. The composition should be two minutes long.
Day 8
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will demonstrate performance skills while performing the technique and center floor sequences and will have finished the choreography for their final project.
Activities:
1.
Continued practice of warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences focusing on spatial pathways and variety in range of motion.
2.
Continue to work on choreographic final project. Each group will do an informal showing of choreography for the instructor and be given feedback.
Day 9
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will demonstrate performance skills while performing the technique and center floor sequences and will film their compositions.
Activities:
1.
Continued practice of warm-up, technique, and center floor sequences focusing on spatial pathways and variety in range of motion.
2.
Filming of composition for social commentary music video.
3.
Homework assignment: Come to next class prepared with a quote that reinforces the topic that inspired your choreography.
Day 10
By the end of the 75-minute class period, students will have individually created a music video for their final composition.
Activities:
1.
Computer Lab Work Day: Individually, students will use the film of their group composition and overlay important words and ideas, including song lyrics and quotes from other sources, to create a music video.
Unit 4: Review and prepare for final performance: 2 weeks
Weeks 17-18: Wrap-Up and Final Performance
What: Peer evaluation of music video final project and preparation for performance.
1.
Peer evaluation of music videos through an instructor-developed aesthetic perceptions rubric.
2.
Spacing on stage and practice use of performance qualities.
3.
Watch video of performance in class.
4.
Create a digital portfolio of dance work by combining footage from filmed assessments throughout the semester.
5.
Discuss purpose of dance in own community: performances, social dancing, dance classes, etc. and why it is one.
6.
Wrap-up activities that help to make meaning of all materials covered throughout semester.
Dance II Curricular Outline + BEST through nature lens + Angela Clark
Dance 465 Curricular Outline
Angela Clark
Assumptions:
1. It is assumed that students have experienced educational dance at a Dance I level. Other prior experience with various dance forms must be taken into account in terms of acceleration, framing and meaning-making within the class.
2. This course is designed with High School Junior students in mind. Adaptations would need to be made for Dance II, Dance III, Junior High, and Middle school students.
3. Principles of dance technique, though not always articulated in every unit, will be addressed and reinforced throughout the semester.
4. This curriculum is designed for a block schedule, which assumes 2 – 3 classes (70 - 75 minutes each, after dress time) per week, or 5 classes per two-week block.
5. Various resources and selected lenses will help shape and inform the delivery of each unit of instruction, as appropriate. Some have been included in this example, but others could easily be incorporated into the curricular plan.
6. This outline is fleshed out with sufficient detail to see how conceptual material can be developed. It does not indicate what you will do on each day except for in the case of weeks 14-16. Each unit outline gives information that can be used to design a more detailed, day-by-day unit plan. Some units are more detailed than others.
7. This example offers learning outcomes for the full semester and weeks 14-16, but does not provide learning outcomes for each unit, or each day weeks 14-16. Despite this, learning outcomes are critical for defining the content of each unit and lesson. Keep this in mind as you complete your selected units.
Assumptions adapted from Pam Musil, Brigham Young University, 2011.
Curriculum Outline Dance II
Part of Something Bigger-BEST through a Nature Lens
Semester Learning Objective: At the end of this 18 week dance curriculum, Dance II students should be able to understand, recognize, and demonstrate a clear understand of Dance is BEST principles through explorations of the natural world of which they are a part.
Weeks 1-3: General BEST Review
What:
* Review BEST knowledge through Self- Identity Unit.
* Gain understanding of the power of personal choice by giving many choices in technique sequences.
* Begin to have self-actualizing experience, discovering who am I? How do I move? I do I not like to move? How do I interact with others?
* See who you are in relation to other people, and understand who they are also.
* Begin to see how you are a vital part of a bigger world and the beauty of that world.
Weeks 4-7: Body, Space, Energy in relation to the outside world
What:
* Observe elements of Body, Space and Energy in the different environments we interact in.
* Recognize how elements of BEST are all around us, not just in the classroom.
* Start to view self, which we have come to know better, as an important part of a bigger world.
* Technique based on specific BEST found in nature.
* Use media as stimuli.
* Examples from which to create activities:
* Mall, Nature Walk, Backyard, Gas Station, Fish bowl, Zoo, Mountains, Planter, National Parks, Landforms, Playground, Waterfall, Garden, Beehive
Weeks 8-9: Time with an introduction to some basic choreographic principles
What:
* Observe use of time in nature.
* Find rhythms, patterns, beats in the world around you.
* Observe and move like water, lava, a tree growing.
* Bring in clips from the documentary “Life.” Amazing visual stimuli to begin the unit with perhaps.
* Technique built on time, with obvious crossovers from other elements from dance.
* Begin to explore basic concepts of choreography in relation to time.
* In technique use rondo, ABA patterning, retrograde etc. Discuss how these affect time, and happen over time in dance and nature. All these things can be seen in nature. Have students watch for them and also show examples in class. Again, “Life” has fascinating examples of each happening in nature.
Weeks 10-13: Dance History Unity
What:
* Discuss and recognize the part nature and beliefs about the universe played in the creation of dance forms and meaning making in dance. Find cultures that are relevant of interest to demographics of classroom.
* Have experiences with tribal, and ethnic dances and their meanings:
* African Dance, Native American Dance, American Dance,Chinese Dance, Etc.
* Choreographers inspired by something outside of themselves.
* Ex: Martha Graham: ocean waves
* Self-discovery: What inspires you?
Weeks 14-16: Improvisation and Composition: Full Unit Plan
Unit Learning Objective: At the end of the 3-week unit, Dance II students should be able to understand, demonstrate, articulate, and recognize elements of BEST in nature that can be abstracted, improvised and utilized to create meaning in and for choreography.
Day 1: Improvisation and Critically Analyzing for BEST
* Short improvisation. Whole class improvises with teacher says words from a poem. Read the whole poem and have improvisation come to a close.
* Transition to discuss authors and how their work was inspired by nature.
* Read poems and excerpts from famous poets such as Henry David Thoreau,Robert Frost, William Wordsworth, Etc.
Critically analyze poems looking for BEST in the words of the poems.
* In groups of 4. Read an assigned poem together and pick out the BEST words. After you have your words, join with another group. One group reads only their words while the other group of 4 improvises as they hear the words. End that group’s improvisation by ready whole poem (stop cue). Switch group roles. Can do activity in groups or with whole class watching.
* Discuss what you observed.
* Have you ever been inspired by something you have seen in nature? Is nature a sufficient inspiration?
* Journal response of thoughts and feelings towards the day’s activities and discussion.
* Prepare the class to be inspired tomorrow.
Day 2: Walden Pond
* Go outside and observe one object in nature for the whole class period. Leave cell phones, ipods, and all other electronic devices inside your locker, backpack. See what it is like to be alone in nature. Free write for the hour about the experience – you will turn this in.
* Part of your free write must be a poem or an excerpt (nature thought) like we read from the day before.
Day 3: Creating your solo
* Find the BEST words in your own poem. Highlight the words in your poem or excerpt.
* You will be creating an ABA pattern composition to be assessed. From the words today you will create the A section.
* Create a 36-count movement sequence based on those words. This should be clear enough that the audience can pick the words out of your movement.
* Share poem or thought and accompanying movement sequence in small groups for feedback and performance.
* Discuss how you chose to represent what you observed in nature the movement, and anything you learned in your Thoreau experience.
* Write about this in your journal.
Day 4: Seeing without Seeing
* In partners you have 30 minutes for each to be blindfolded.
* One partner leads the other around campus for half of class and then switch. Do not talk. Blindfolded person feel objects that your partner leads you to. Pay attention to textures. Pick 3 textures what interest you.
* Leading partner, take your partner to feel details and interesting textures they may not notice when they can see. Do not tell them what they are feeling. Be courteous.
* What do you see, when you don’t see?
* One page written response due the next day.
Day 5: Continuing the Process
* Discuss what was learned by see with out seeing on Day 4. Write your 3 textures at the top of your one page written response.
* Compose B section 36 counts from 3 textures you felt from Day 4.
* Add B to A.
* Begin working on A’ (based on concepts of A) or repeat A again.
* Last 10 minutes of class show in groups of 3 for feedback.
Day 6: Work on Solos
* Workday.
* Work alone for the first ½ hour.
* Last ½ can be giving/receiving feedback in partnerships.
Day 7-8: Assessment
* Share poem, and 3 textures with class. Perform solo.
* Peer Evaluation: Quantitative and qualitative evaluation worksheet. Observe the performance and presence of their words and representation of poem. Did they show ABA pattern?
* Teacher evaluation: More emphasis on Qualitative. Do they understand the concepts taught of BEST throughout the semester? Also quantitative.
* Turn in poems, journals, free-writes, blindfold response and any other assignments.
Weeks 17-18: Semester Assessment
* Teach sequence for final evaluation using all BEST and other chosen elements discussed throughout semester.
* Test and record sequence, perform self-evaluation by watching video.
* BEST chart fill-out final.
* Turn in all late or due papers and journal entries.
Angela Clark
Assumptions:
1. It is assumed that students have experienced educational dance at a Dance I level. Other prior experience with various dance forms must be taken into account in terms of acceleration, framing and meaning-making within the class.
2. This course is designed with High School Junior students in mind. Adaptations would need to be made for Dance II, Dance III, Junior High, and Middle school students.
3. Principles of dance technique, though not always articulated in every unit, will be addressed and reinforced throughout the semester.
4. This curriculum is designed for a block schedule, which assumes 2 – 3 classes (70 - 75 minutes each, after dress time) per week, or 5 classes per two-week block.
5. Various resources and selected lenses will help shape and inform the delivery of each unit of instruction, as appropriate. Some have been included in this example, but others could easily be incorporated into the curricular plan.
6. This outline is fleshed out with sufficient detail to see how conceptual material can be developed. It does not indicate what you will do on each day except for in the case of weeks 14-16. Each unit outline gives information that can be used to design a more detailed, day-by-day unit plan. Some units are more detailed than others.
7. This example offers learning outcomes for the full semester and weeks 14-16, but does not provide learning outcomes for each unit, or each day weeks 14-16. Despite this, learning outcomes are critical for defining the content of each unit and lesson. Keep this in mind as you complete your selected units.
Assumptions adapted from Pam Musil, Brigham Young University, 2011.
Curriculum Outline Dance II
Part of Something Bigger-BEST through a Nature Lens
Semester Learning Objective: At the end of this 18 week dance curriculum, Dance II students should be able to understand, recognize, and demonstrate a clear understand of Dance is BEST principles through explorations of the natural world of which they are a part.
Weeks 1-3: General BEST Review
What:
* Review BEST knowledge through Self- Identity Unit.
* Gain understanding of the power of personal choice by giving many choices in technique sequences.
* Begin to have self-actualizing experience, discovering who am I? How do I move? I do I not like to move? How do I interact with others?
* See who you are in relation to other people, and understand who they are also.
* Begin to see how you are a vital part of a bigger world and the beauty of that world.
Weeks 4-7: Body, Space, Energy in relation to the outside world
What:
* Observe elements of Body, Space and Energy in the different environments we interact in.
* Recognize how elements of BEST are all around us, not just in the classroom.
* Start to view self, which we have come to know better, as an important part of a bigger world.
* Technique based on specific BEST found in nature.
* Use media as stimuli.
* Examples from which to create activities:
* Mall, Nature Walk, Backyard, Gas Station, Fish bowl, Zoo, Mountains, Planter, National Parks, Landforms, Playground, Waterfall, Garden, Beehive
Weeks 8-9: Time with an introduction to some basic choreographic principles
What:
* Observe use of time in nature.
* Find rhythms, patterns, beats in the world around you.
* Observe and move like water, lava, a tree growing.
* Bring in clips from the documentary “Life.” Amazing visual stimuli to begin the unit with perhaps.
* Technique built on time, with obvious crossovers from other elements from dance.
* Begin to explore basic concepts of choreography in relation to time.
* In technique use rondo, ABA patterning, retrograde etc. Discuss how these affect time, and happen over time in dance and nature. All these things can be seen in nature. Have students watch for them and also show examples in class. Again, “Life” has fascinating examples of each happening in nature.
Weeks 10-13: Dance History Unity
What:
* Discuss and recognize the part nature and beliefs about the universe played in the creation of dance forms and meaning making in dance. Find cultures that are relevant of interest to demographics of classroom.
* Have experiences with tribal, and ethnic dances and their meanings:
* African Dance, Native American Dance, American Dance,Chinese Dance, Etc.
* Choreographers inspired by something outside of themselves.
* Ex: Martha Graham: ocean waves
* Self-discovery: What inspires you?
Weeks 14-16: Improvisation and Composition: Full Unit Plan
Unit Learning Objective: At the end of the 3-week unit, Dance II students should be able to understand, demonstrate, articulate, and recognize elements of BEST in nature that can be abstracted, improvised and utilized to create meaning in and for choreography.
Day 1: Improvisation and Critically Analyzing for BEST
* Short improvisation. Whole class improvises with teacher says words from a poem. Read the whole poem and have improvisation come to a close.
* Transition to discuss authors and how their work was inspired by nature.
* Read poems and excerpts from famous poets such as Henry David Thoreau,Robert Frost, William Wordsworth, Etc.
Critically analyze poems looking for BEST in the words of the poems.
* In groups of 4. Read an assigned poem together and pick out the BEST words. After you have your words, join with another group. One group reads only their words while the other group of 4 improvises as they hear the words. End that group’s improvisation by ready whole poem (stop cue). Switch group roles. Can do activity in groups or with whole class watching.
* Discuss what you observed.
* Have you ever been inspired by something you have seen in nature? Is nature a sufficient inspiration?
* Journal response of thoughts and feelings towards the day’s activities and discussion.
* Prepare the class to be inspired tomorrow.
Day 2: Walden Pond
* Go outside and observe one object in nature for the whole class period. Leave cell phones, ipods, and all other electronic devices inside your locker, backpack. See what it is like to be alone in nature. Free write for the hour about the experience – you will turn this in.
* Part of your free write must be a poem or an excerpt (nature thought) like we read from the day before.
Day 3: Creating your solo
* Find the BEST words in your own poem. Highlight the words in your poem or excerpt.
* You will be creating an ABA pattern composition to be assessed. From the words today you will create the A section.
* Create a 36-count movement sequence based on those words. This should be clear enough that the audience can pick the words out of your movement.
* Share poem or thought and accompanying movement sequence in small groups for feedback and performance.
* Discuss how you chose to represent what you observed in nature the movement, and anything you learned in your Thoreau experience.
* Write about this in your journal.
Day 4: Seeing without Seeing
* In partners you have 30 minutes for each to be blindfolded.
* One partner leads the other around campus for half of class and then switch. Do not talk. Blindfolded person feel objects that your partner leads you to. Pay attention to textures. Pick 3 textures what interest you.
* Leading partner, take your partner to feel details and interesting textures they may not notice when they can see. Do not tell them what they are feeling. Be courteous.
* What do you see, when you don’t see?
* One page written response due the next day.
Day 5: Continuing the Process
* Discuss what was learned by see with out seeing on Day 4. Write your 3 textures at the top of your one page written response.
* Compose B section 36 counts from 3 textures you felt from Day 4.
* Add B to A.
* Begin working on A’ (based on concepts of A) or repeat A again.
* Last 10 minutes of class show in groups of 3 for feedback.
Day 6: Work on Solos
* Workday.
* Work alone for the first ½ hour.
* Last ½ can be giving/receiving feedback in partnerships.
Day 7-8: Assessment
* Share poem, and 3 textures with class. Perform solo.
* Peer Evaluation: Quantitative and qualitative evaluation worksheet. Observe the performance and presence of their words and representation of poem. Did they show ABA pattern?
* Teacher evaluation: More emphasis on Qualitative. Do they understand the concepts taught of BEST throughout the semester? Also quantitative.
* Turn in poems, journals, free-writes, blindfold response and any other assignments.
Weeks 17-18: Semester Assessment
* Teach sequence for final evaluation using all BEST and other chosen elements discussed throughout semester.
* Test and record sequence, perform self-evaluation by watching video.
* BEST chart fill-out final.
* Turn in all late or due papers and journal entries.
Dance II Semester Curriculum Plan + Composition and Improvisation + Jeneca Fredrickson
Dance II Semester Curriculum Plan
Composition and Improvisation
Assumptions:
- Students have participated in a Dance I course or equivalent that has provided them with the basic knowledge of B.E.S.T.
- Students in the class will be a variety of cultures, genders, ages, and skill levels, as seen in local high schools.
- This course was created for high school students. Adaptations would have to be made for lower grades.
- This course is designed for block classes in an AB day schedule. Class periods will be approximately 75 minutes long after time to change has been allotted.
Course Description
This is an intermediate level dance course which will educate students on the concepts of improvisation, composition, technique, dance history, performance, and artistic expression.
Resources
Utah Core Curriculum for Dance II (http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/fineart/core_curriculum/Dance)
The Intimate Act of Choreography, Lynne Anne Blom and L. Tarin Chaplin
The Art of Making Dances, Doris Humphrey
The Creative Habit, Twyla Tharp
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of the semester, students will demonstrate:
1. Increased strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination and agility
2. Knowledge and skills of axial movements, basic locomotor steps, dynamic balance and alignment.
3. Knowledge and skills in space; pathways, directions, facings, planes, shapes, relationships
4. Knowledge and skills in time; rhythmic phrasing, even and uneven intervals, accent, syncopation, and breath.
5. Knowledge and skills in energy through demonstrating qualities of motion.
6. Knowledge of select figures in dance history and various cultures.
7. Knowledge and skills in composition and improvisation; compositional elements, form, abstraction, meaning making.
Week 1 – 2
Begin semester with an introduction to the class, students, teacher, and concept of composition and improvisation which will be used through the whole semester.
Activities:
1. Begin learning warm up for entire semester. This should include conditioning aspects of cardiovascular work, core work, strengthening exercises, flexibility training, and technique exercises (This will include plies, tendus, degajes, leg swings, etc. but will change from week to week dependant on what is being taught that unit.). The warm up in its entirety will be about 15 - 20 minutes long but will have students moving immediately as they get to class.
2. Suspending judgment introduction will consist of talking about eliminating judgment from the class. Talk about when you are improving or creating choreography, it is important to not let anything (yourself or the influence of others) stop the creative process because that could severely limit students from reaching the potential of the movement. Ask the students to help you create a positive learning and experimenting environment. Lead students through exercises of just moving without having time to think
3. Use a shortened version of Twyla Tharp’s Creative Autobiography from her book, The Creative Habit, as a worksheet, to help students get into the mode of thinking about creativity and what they have done in the past.
4. Have class introduce themselves through improvisation through the use of movement conversations. Begin with just talking and then expand to moving while talking. Finally, eliminate talking and let the students move as if in physical conversation.
5. Continue getting to know each other through a composition activity. Have students write down five words that describe them and then create movement that shows those words. Create a short piece with those movements. Perform to introduce and explain words. Develop their individual choreography into a group piece with two or three other people by sharing each other’s choreography.
Week 3 – 6: BODY
Continue developing knowledge and skills of articulate axial and locomotor movement as well as learning about personal movement preferences and style, and choreographic structures.
Activities:
1. Continue learning warm-up. For technique exercises this unit, have combinations that include articulating the spine, dynamic balance, breath, and connection of core to distals. Add body part improvisation exercise that allows students to initiate with and articulate different body parts. Discuss the interesting movement options that come from that improvisation.
2. Teach an across the floor sequence that focuses on the contrast between axial and locomotor movements and being able to shift from stability to mobility. This will serve as a review of what had been covered in Dance I.
3. Review the five basic locomotor steps and then have students arrange the steps in their own order. Emphasize the importance of using the correct rhythm while moving. Informally assess the student’s ability to be articulate.
4. Developing and understanding of personal movement preferences through improvisation. Have students pair into couples. Have student one watch their partner, student two, as they improv. The observer should look for movement preferences, what they like to do, how they like to move, repetition of certain movements, etc. After a few minutes of observation, student one will tell student two what they observed. Student two will then have to improvise again, this time, going against their usual movement styles. Student one has the responsibility of monitoring student two to not let them go back to their preferred movement style. Switch partners and repeat
5. Teach about the pioneers of modern dance (Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman, and Hanya Holme) and their development and codifying of their techniques.
6. Teach compositional structures: AB, ABA, Rondo, Natural Forms, Narrative, Collage, Theme and Variation, etc. Randomly assign structure to a group of students. Have students take the across the floor combination and change it in a way that is reflective of the structure that they were given.
7. Perform and assess composition created as well as the locomotor sequence taught through the unit.
Week 7 – 10: TIME
Learning Objective: By the end of a 7 day unit, Dance II students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of accents, syncopation, even and uneven intervals, and non-metric rhythm. Students will also understand the importance of music in choreography.
Day 1: SLOW DAY/FAST DAY
1. As students enter the classroom, tell them that they are only allowed to move in slow motion until they are notified otherwise. Also tell them to pay attention to their breath and how they were breathing as they moved. Do not play any music; just use the breath to emphasize movement. Have a variety of things laid out on the floor for the students to experiment with. They are allowed to play with the objects or dance with them but no matter what they do, they can’t break the speed of motion that they are in.
2. A third of the ways through class discuss how you felt only being able to move in that one speed. Was it dull? Was it relaxing? What did it feel like?
3. Have students switch from moving in slow motion to moving in fast motion. They are still supposed to play or dance with the objects but they can’t stop their hyper-speed mode of moving. Once again, do not play music, and there will be no speaking, but have the students emphasize what they are doing with how they are breathing. Stop this activity when you see students getting tired, which may be after a few minutes if they are doing it properly.
4. During the last bit of the class, combine slow motion and fast motion to create a more balanced way of moving. Tell students to focus on their breath, and this time instead of just breathing regularly, breathe in a way that reflects the movement that is happening in the body (ex. Sharp movement should be reflected through quick breaths).
5. Discuss how time can help make choreography interesting. Ask students if they noticed a difference in how they were moving if their body was involved. Discuss how using breath in movement can enhance the movement.
Day 2: ACCENTS
1. Warm up combination without technique section.
2. Introduce accents. In music, an accent is created whenever a music tone sounds. If a tone is played or sung loudly or with a unique quality, the tone is said to have a strong accent. It is the same with movement. Whenever a movement is done in a way that is unique to the movement that surrounds it, it is considered an accent.
3. Teach accents through first clapping a measure: (1, 2, 3), with the emphasis on one. Repeat. Once the students are catching on to that measure, have them switch the accent (1, 2, 3) and then to the last beat as the accent. Lead the students across the floor using triplets (down, up, up), emphasizing the first count. Go back across the floor by changing up the accent to the second count (up, down, up) and then back across with the third count (up, up, down).
4. Lead students through an improvisational exercise with accents. Put on music and have students start walking through space. Give a count for the students to accent with a body part. Shift accents to allow students to experience a variety of accents.
5. Cool down
Day 3: SYNCOPATION
1. Warm up combination. Technique section should include plies that emphasize non-metric (breath) rhythm. Tendus and degajes should show accents and shifting accents.
2. Repeat triplet exercise from the day before. Take note if the students are better able to do the combination after letting the rhythm settle in their brain.
3. Repeat the improvisational exercise with accents from the day before. Start out having them emphasize the accent with a body part like the day before.
4. Teach the concept of syncopation (the shifting of an expected accent, moving it from the usual strong beat to a beat that is usually weak). Take a piece of music and have students clap to the beat of the music. After they have the beat, have them start clapping in different rhythms to syncopate them.
5. Once the students have an understanding of how to syncopate a rhythm, have them repeat the activity they had just done but develop the activity from just accents to their choice of movement syncopation. Play a variety of music that will allow different movement qualities.
6. Cool down
Day 4: MUSIC
1. Warm up combination. Technique section should include plies that emphasize non-metric (breath) rhythm. Tendus and degajes should show accents and shifting accents.
2. Discuss music choices with students. Show pieces done by famous choreographers (Martha Graham, Bebe Miller, Mia Michaels, Merce Cunningham) and discuss why they chose the piece of music that they did and how the movement seems enhanced by the music choice.
3. Turn on a variety of music and have students improvise to how they feel like they should move to the music. Discuss why they chose certain movement options.
4. Also work on contrasting the movement with their music.
5. Discuss how moving with the music and against the music can make the piece more intriguing.
6. Divide students into groups to begin choreographing approximately 2 minutes of choreography that both compliments and opposes the music that they are assigned. Also tell students to use syncopation and accents as they wish to help emphasize movement.
7. Cool down.
Day 5: EVEN AND UNEVEN INTERVALS
1. Warm up combination. Technique section should include plies that emphasize non-metric (breath) rhythm. Tendus and degajes should show accents and shifting accents. Also, repeat triplet exercise.
2. Teach about musical phrases and their importance to making a piece of music sound complete. Relate this to dance and how a movement phrase does not seem complete until the phrase has come to a close.
3. Teach a phrase that contains even intervals in the metric phrase. Contrast this by teaching another phrase that has uneven intervals within the metric phrase. Discuss the difference between the phrases. Talk about what seemed more interesting, and why.
4. Continue working on choreography with groups.
5. Cool down.
Day 6: WORK DAY
1. Warm up combination. Technique section should include plies that emphasize non-metric (breath) rhythm. Tendus and degajes should show accents and shifting accents. Also, repeat triplet exercise.
2. Continue working on choreography with groups.
3. Cool down.
Day 7: ASSESSMENT
1. Warm up combination. Technique section should include plies that emphasize non-metric (breath) rhythm. Tendus and degajes should show accents and shifting accents. Also, repeat triplet exercise.
2. Have each group of students perform their choreography and then have them explain why they chose to emphasize the music at some points, and why they chose to contrast the music at others.
3. As students are watching, have them write down things that they liked and what they didn’t like in reference to the music and the movement together. Ask for students to give positive feedback to their peers on their work.
Week 11 – 14: ENERGY
Students will be able to further explore energy qualities and their ability to add interest in improvisation and choreography through dynamics.
Activities:
1. Begin unit by reviewing energy qualities through the warm up. Perform the beginning sequence the same as it has been done through the semester but the technique section should emphasize the energy qualities. Through the combinations, plies develop sustain and collapse, tendus and degajes develop percussive and sway, and leg swings develop sing and suspend.
2. Participate in an improvisation that is based on two or more qualities of energy. Give students a prompt of two of the energy qualities and have them chose how long they want to portray one quality before switching to the next. Allow the students to switch as they would like. Have two students at a time perform their improvisation to show the interesting ways that movement can be layered and contrasted on stage.
3. Continue this improvisation into a piece of choreography. Have the students choose two energy qualities that contrast each other and come up with a minute of choreography which shows the constant flux between the two.
4. Discuss meaning making in choreography. What do certain energy qualities mean or imply? How can you use that to your advantage? How can you contrast that?
5. Talk about transitions in choreography. Often these transitions contrast the movement that is done before and after them. How does this relate to energy? How does this relate to compositional structures that were taught in the first unit?
6. Perform and asses composition project by having students perform piece as a solo. Have students do a personal assessment on their piece.
Week 15 – 18: SPACE
This unit will help students to develop a better understanding of their position in space as a dancer and a choreographer, through learning pathways, directions, facings, planes, spatial floor patterns, shapes, and relationships.
Activities:
1. Continue doing warm-up at the beginning of class. For technique exercises in this unit, have combinations that are very particular in what plane they are in as well as where they are located in the room, and the pathways used.
2. Teach students a center floor combination which includes mostly axial movement but movement that can be altered to locomote. Discuss how facing the audience or just one way can be boring for the audience. Divide the class into groups of four and have each group perform the combination; however, let the students decide what way each dancer will face before the start moving. To further this idea, allow students to also change the performer’s location on the “stage” or classroom space. After the combination discuss what students like and disliked and what they would change. Repeat for all students to perform. For an added challenge, have students locomote the movement to a new place on the stage. Allow audience students to choose beginning and ending positions.
3. Develop student’s understanding of pathways through an improvisational exercise. Give students a piece of paper and have them draw a simple pathway on the paper. Then have them move through the pathway that they created. Allow students to being to solidify movement for that pathway to create a phrase of their own (approximately 32 counts). Combine multiple pathways and show how these could be interesting on stage.
4. Review positive and negative space through creating shapes with a partner. Discuss how shapes can contrast each other and how they can compliment each other. Talk about stillness in choreography and what effect it has on the choreography.
5. Talk and experiment with relationships with self, partner, and groups in choreography. Discuss what relationships seem more interesting and why. Have students in groups of 5 start to create a collaborative piece of choreography. Encourage students to use different facings, directions, pathways, and relationships than they would normally use. Also require students to add moments of stillness through the use of shapes as they had done previously in class
6. Finish the semester by having a performance with the pieces created in this last unit. Allow students to costume and choose music for their pieces. Asses student’s understanding of space in choreography through their use of elements through the choreography.
Composition and Improvisation
Assumptions:
- Students have participated in a Dance I course or equivalent that has provided them with the basic knowledge of B.E.S.T.
- Students in the class will be a variety of cultures, genders, ages, and skill levels, as seen in local high schools.
- This course was created for high school students. Adaptations would have to be made for lower grades.
- This course is designed for block classes in an AB day schedule. Class periods will be approximately 75 minutes long after time to change has been allotted.
Course Description
This is an intermediate level dance course which will educate students on the concepts of improvisation, composition, technique, dance history, performance, and artistic expression.
Resources
Utah Core Curriculum for Dance II (http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/fineart/core_curriculum/Dance)
The Intimate Act of Choreography, Lynne Anne Blom and L. Tarin Chaplin
The Art of Making Dances, Doris Humphrey
The Creative Habit, Twyla Tharp
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of the semester, students will demonstrate:
1. Increased strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination and agility
2. Knowledge and skills of axial movements, basic locomotor steps, dynamic balance and alignment.
3. Knowledge and skills in space; pathways, directions, facings, planes, shapes, relationships
4. Knowledge and skills in time; rhythmic phrasing, even and uneven intervals, accent, syncopation, and breath.
5. Knowledge and skills in energy through demonstrating qualities of motion.
6. Knowledge of select figures in dance history and various cultures.
7. Knowledge and skills in composition and improvisation; compositional elements, form, abstraction, meaning making.
Week 1 – 2
Begin semester with an introduction to the class, students, teacher, and concept of composition and improvisation which will be used through the whole semester.
Activities:
1. Begin learning warm up for entire semester. This should include conditioning aspects of cardiovascular work, core work, strengthening exercises, flexibility training, and technique exercises (This will include plies, tendus, degajes, leg swings, etc. but will change from week to week dependant on what is being taught that unit.). The warm up in its entirety will be about 15 - 20 minutes long but will have students moving immediately as they get to class.
2. Suspending judgment introduction will consist of talking about eliminating judgment from the class. Talk about when you are improving or creating choreography, it is important to not let anything (yourself or the influence of others) stop the creative process because that could severely limit students from reaching the potential of the movement. Ask the students to help you create a positive learning and experimenting environment. Lead students through exercises of just moving without having time to think
3. Use a shortened version of Twyla Tharp’s Creative Autobiography from her book, The Creative Habit, as a worksheet, to help students get into the mode of thinking about creativity and what they have done in the past.
4. Have class introduce themselves through improvisation through the use of movement conversations. Begin with just talking and then expand to moving while talking. Finally, eliminate talking and let the students move as if in physical conversation.
5. Continue getting to know each other through a composition activity. Have students write down five words that describe them and then create movement that shows those words. Create a short piece with those movements. Perform to introduce and explain words. Develop their individual choreography into a group piece with two or three other people by sharing each other’s choreography.
Week 3 – 6: BODY
Continue developing knowledge and skills of articulate axial and locomotor movement as well as learning about personal movement preferences and style, and choreographic structures.
Activities:
1. Continue learning warm-up. For technique exercises this unit, have combinations that include articulating the spine, dynamic balance, breath, and connection of core to distals. Add body part improvisation exercise that allows students to initiate with and articulate different body parts. Discuss the interesting movement options that come from that improvisation.
2. Teach an across the floor sequence that focuses on the contrast between axial and locomotor movements and being able to shift from stability to mobility. This will serve as a review of what had been covered in Dance I.
3. Review the five basic locomotor steps and then have students arrange the steps in their own order. Emphasize the importance of using the correct rhythm while moving. Informally assess the student’s ability to be articulate.
4. Developing and understanding of personal movement preferences through improvisation. Have students pair into couples. Have student one watch their partner, student two, as they improv. The observer should look for movement preferences, what they like to do, how they like to move, repetition of certain movements, etc. After a few minutes of observation, student one will tell student two what they observed. Student two will then have to improvise again, this time, going against their usual movement styles. Student one has the responsibility of monitoring student two to not let them go back to their preferred movement style. Switch partners and repeat
5. Teach about the pioneers of modern dance (Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman, and Hanya Holme) and their development and codifying of their techniques.
6. Teach compositional structures: AB, ABA, Rondo, Natural Forms, Narrative, Collage, Theme and Variation, etc. Randomly assign structure to a group of students. Have students take the across the floor combination and change it in a way that is reflective of the structure that they were given.
7. Perform and assess composition created as well as the locomotor sequence taught through the unit.
Week 7 – 10: TIME
Learning Objective: By the end of a 7 day unit, Dance II students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of accents, syncopation, even and uneven intervals, and non-metric rhythm. Students will also understand the importance of music in choreography.
Day 1: SLOW DAY/FAST DAY
1. As students enter the classroom, tell them that they are only allowed to move in slow motion until they are notified otherwise. Also tell them to pay attention to their breath and how they were breathing as they moved. Do not play any music; just use the breath to emphasize movement. Have a variety of things laid out on the floor for the students to experiment with. They are allowed to play with the objects or dance with them but no matter what they do, they can’t break the speed of motion that they are in.
2. A third of the ways through class discuss how you felt only being able to move in that one speed. Was it dull? Was it relaxing? What did it feel like?
3. Have students switch from moving in slow motion to moving in fast motion. They are still supposed to play or dance with the objects but they can’t stop their hyper-speed mode of moving. Once again, do not play music, and there will be no speaking, but have the students emphasize what they are doing with how they are breathing. Stop this activity when you see students getting tired, which may be after a few minutes if they are doing it properly.
4. During the last bit of the class, combine slow motion and fast motion to create a more balanced way of moving. Tell students to focus on their breath, and this time instead of just breathing regularly, breathe in a way that reflects the movement that is happening in the body (ex. Sharp movement should be reflected through quick breaths).
5. Discuss how time can help make choreography interesting. Ask students if they noticed a difference in how they were moving if their body was involved. Discuss how using breath in movement can enhance the movement.
Day 2: ACCENTS
1. Warm up combination without technique section.
2. Introduce accents. In music, an accent is created whenever a music tone sounds. If a tone is played or sung loudly or with a unique quality, the tone is said to have a strong accent. It is the same with movement. Whenever a movement is done in a way that is unique to the movement that surrounds it, it is considered an accent.
3. Teach accents through first clapping a measure: (1, 2, 3), with the emphasis on one. Repeat. Once the students are catching on to that measure, have them switch the accent (1, 2, 3) and then to the last beat as the accent. Lead the students across the floor using triplets (down, up, up), emphasizing the first count. Go back across the floor by changing up the accent to the second count (up, down, up) and then back across with the third count (up, up, down).
4. Lead students through an improvisational exercise with accents. Put on music and have students start walking through space. Give a count for the students to accent with a body part. Shift accents to allow students to experience a variety of accents.
5. Cool down
Day 3: SYNCOPATION
1. Warm up combination. Technique section should include plies that emphasize non-metric (breath) rhythm. Tendus and degajes should show accents and shifting accents.
2. Repeat triplet exercise from the day before. Take note if the students are better able to do the combination after letting the rhythm settle in their brain.
3. Repeat the improvisational exercise with accents from the day before. Start out having them emphasize the accent with a body part like the day before.
4. Teach the concept of syncopation (the shifting of an expected accent, moving it from the usual strong beat to a beat that is usually weak). Take a piece of music and have students clap to the beat of the music. After they have the beat, have them start clapping in different rhythms to syncopate them.
5. Once the students have an understanding of how to syncopate a rhythm, have them repeat the activity they had just done but develop the activity from just accents to their choice of movement syncopation. Play a variety of music that will allow different movement qualities.
6. Cool down
Day 4: MUSIC
1. Warm up combination. Technique section should include plies that emphasize non-metric (breath) rhythm. Tendus and degajes should show accents and shifting accents.
2. Discuss music choices with students. Show pieces done by famous choreographers (Martha Graham, Bebe Miller, Mia Michaels, Merce Cunningham) and discuss why they chose the piece of music that they did and how the movement seems enhanced by the music choice.
3. Turn on a variety of music and have students improvise to how they feel like they should move to the music. Discuss why they chose certain movement options.
4. Also work on contrasting the movement with their music.
5. Discuss how moving with the music and against the music can make the piece more intriguing.
6. Divide students into groups to begin choreographing approximately 2 minutes of choreography that both compliments and opposes the music that they are assigned. Also tell students to use syncopation and accents as they wish to help emphasize movement.
7. Cool down.
Day 5: EVEN AND UNEVEN INTERVALS
1. Warm up combination. Technique section should include plies that emphasize non-metric (breath) rhythm. Tendus and degajes should show accents and shifting accents. Also, repeat triplet exercise.
2. Teach about musical phrases and their importance to making a piece of music sound complete. Relate this to dance and how a movement phrase does not seem complete until the phrase has come to a close.
3. Teach a phrase that contains even intervals in the metric phrase. Contrast this by teaching another phrase that has uneven intervals within the metric phrase. Discuss the difference between the phrases. Talk about what seemed more interesting, and why.
4. Continue working on choreography with groups.
5. Cool down.
Day 6: WORK DAY
1. Warm up combination. Technique section should include plies that emphasize non-metric (breath) rhythm. Tendus and degajes should show accents and shifting accents. Also, repeat triplet exercise.
2. Continue working on choreography with groups.
3. Cool down.
Day 7: ASSESSMENT
1. Warm up combination. Technique section should include plies that emphasize non-metric (breath) rhythm. Tendus and degajes should show accents and shifting accents. Also, repeat triplet exercise.
2. Have each group of students perform their choreography and then have them explain why they chose to emphasize the music at some points, and why they chose to contrast the music at others.
3. As students are watching, have them write down things that they liked and what they didn’t like in reference to the music and the movement together. Ask for students to give positive feedback to their peers on their work.
Week 11 – 14: ENERGY
Students will be able to further explore energy qualities and their ability to add interest in improvisation and choreography through dynamics.
Activities:
1. Begin unit by reviewing energy qualities through the warm up. Perform the beginning sequence the same as it has been done through the semester but the technique section should emphasize the energy qualities. Through the combinations, plies develop sustain and collapse, tendus and degajes develop percussive and sway, and leg swings develop sing and suspend.
2. Participate in an improvisation that is based on two or more qualities of energy. Give students a prompt of two of the energy qualities and have them chose how long they want to portray one quality before switching to the next. Allow the students to switch as they would like. Have two students at a time perform their improvisation to show the interesting ways that movement can be layered and contrasted on stage.
3. Continue this improvisation into a piece of choreography. Have the students choose two energy qualities that contrast each other and come up with a minute of choreography which shows the constant flux between the two.
4. Discuss meaning making in choreography. What do certain energy qualities mean or imply? How can you use that to your advantage? How can you contrast that?
5. Talk about transitions in choreography. Often these transitions contrast the movement that is done before and after them. How does this relate to energy? How does this relate to compositional structures that were taught in the first unit?
6. Perform and asses composition project by having students perform piece as a solo. Have students do a personal assessment on their piece.
Week 15 – 18: SPACE
This unit will help students to develop a better understanding of their position in space as a dancer and a choreographer, through learning pathways, directions, facings, planes, spatial floor patterns, shapes, and relationships.
Activities:
1. Continue doing warm-up at the beginning of class. For technique exercises in this unit, have combinations that are very particular in what plane they are in as well as where they are located in the room, and the pathways used.
2. Teach students a center floor combination which includes mostly axial movement but movement that can be altered to locomote. Discuss how facing the audience or just one way can be boring for the audience. Divide the class into groups of four and have each group perform the combination; however, let the students decide what way each dancer will face before the start moving. To further this idea, allow students to also change the performer’s location on the “stage” or classroom space. After the combination discuss what students like and disliked and what they would change. Repeat for all students to perform. For an added challenge, have students locomote the movement to a new place on the stage. Allow audience students to choose beginning and ending positions.
3. Develop student’s understanding of pathways through an improvisational exercise. Give students a piece of paper and have them draw a simple pathway on the paper. Then have them move through the pathway that they created. Allow students to being to solidify movement for that pathway to create a phrase of their own (approximately 32 counts). Combine multiple pathways and show how these could be interesting on stage.
4. Review positive and negative space through creating shapes with a partner. Discuss how shapes can contrast each other and how they can compliment each other. Talk about stillness in choreography and what effect it has on the choreography.
5. Talk and experiment with relationships with self, partner, and groups in choreography. Discuss what relationships seem more interesting and why. Have students in groups of 5 start to create a collaborative piece of choreography. Encourage students to use different facings, directions, pathways, and relationships than they would normally use. Also require students to add moments of stillness through the use of shapes as they had done previously in class
6. Finish the semester by having a performance with the pieces created in this last unit. Allow students to costume and choose music for their pieces. Asses student’s understanding of space in choreography through their use of elements through the choreography.
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