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.
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