Dance as a specialist teaching area is new to Nundah State School. In this learning area students explore the language of movement, using the body as an instrument of expression. Dance lessons progress steadily from week to week to teach students a variety of dance movements and techniques whilst developing overall fitness, core strength, flexibility, and spatial awareness.
It has been shown that dance can significantly enhance, deepen and increase learning in all of the other essential learning areas.
Dance curriculum (example)
Prep
‘At your fingertips’ - Students explore various ways of representing tactile experiences through movement and making objects and images. They are introduced to the dance components of space (levels), time (slow and fast) and energy (high and low levels).
Year 1
‘Ready, set, action!’ - Students create a performance using action words and pictures as stimulus. They perform their creation individually for classmates then respond to and reflect on their dance.
Year 2
’Shape, number and patterns’ - Students will identify and explore through movement the dance elements of body awareness, space, time, energy and relationship. They will initiate and express dance ideas based on a variety of stimuli. Students will share dance through informal presentation and describe how dance expresses ideas and feelings.
Year 3
‘Earth, wind, fire and water’ - Students work in groups to create a dance piece about one of the stimulus elements - earth, wind, fire or water.
Year 4
‘Dancing poems’ - Students create and perform a a performance using a given poem as a stimulus. They respond to others’ dances and reflect on their own work.
Year 5
‘Dance maps’ - In pairs, students choreograph and perform a dance sequence based on a set dance map. They then construct their own map and interpret another person’s map.