Confident Concert Moves

Lesson Overview

This 30-minute lesson is designed to prepare Year 1 students for a school concert performance with a focus on Art through dance. It emphasises effort, stage presence, and learning a simple dance routine aligned with the Australian Curriculum v9 The Arts: Dance content and general capabilities. The lesson integrates exploration, movement, and performance confidence to support young learners’ artistic expression and collaborative skills.

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WALT (We Are Learning To):

• Learn and perform a simple dance sequence for the school concert.
• Show stage presence through confident movements and facial expressions.
• Understand and demonstrate effort in practising and performing dance.

Success Criteria:

Students can:

• Follow and remember the steps of a short dance routine.
• Perform with expression, demonstrating confidence on “stage”.
• Show sustained effort by practising movements carefully and with enthusiasm.
• Work cooperatively with peers during group activities.

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Australian Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: The Arts - Dance
Year Level: 1 (Foundation Yr follows closely for very early years)

Content Description:

• Use play, imagination, arts knowledge, processes and/or skills to discover possibilities and develop ideas relevant to performing arts and dance (AC9ADAFP01)
• Explore ways to move safely and expressively with body awareness and control, engaging with rhythm and beat (AC9AMUFD01_E4 & AC9ADAFP01_E4)
• Share their arts works (dance sequences) with peers in informal settings demonstrating stage presence and effort (AC9ADAFP01)

General Capabilities:

• Personal and social capability: confidence, collaboration
• Critical and creative thinking: improvising and experimenting with movement

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Lesson Structure and Timing

Time	Activity	Details & Supports
0-5 mins	Warm-up & Introduction	- Gentle stretches and movement warm-up to music - Explain WALT and concert focus (effort, stage presence, dance learning) - Dyslexia-friendly: Use clear, large print simple instructions and visual cues
5-12 mins	Learn Dance Steps	- Teacher demonstrates simple dance moves in small segments - Students repeat in small groups, with peer support - Use visual markers on the floor for spatial awareness - Differentiation: Support students needing extra help with one-on-one modelling; extension: challenge confident learners to add their own movement variations
12-20 mins	Practice & Develop Stage Presence	- Practice dance as a whole class, focus on facial expressions and confident movements - Teacher models stage presence (eye contact, smiles, energy) - Discuss and encourage “pretending the audience is there” - Incorporate clapping or stamping rhythms to keep beat (linking music & movement)
20-28 mins	Group Performances	- Divide class into small groups of 4-5 students - Each group performs to peers - Give positive verbal feedback emphasising effort and confidence - Encourage students to notice and celebrate effort in themselves and others
28-30 mins	Reflection & Cool Down	- Group discussion: What did you enjoy? How did you show effort? What made you feel confident? - Cool down stretches and calming breathing - Provide a simple dyslexia-friendly handout with illustrated steps and positive affirmations for home practice

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Differentiation Strategies

• Visual step cards with pictures for students who benefit from visual learning and dyslexia-friendly materials.
• Peer buddy system pairing more confident movers with those needing support.
• Verbal and visual praise to reinforce progress and effort.
• Extension activity: For advanced learners, invite to create a short five-step movement addition to the routine to perform as a solo or small group.

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Extension Activities (Optional)

• Explore creating simple backdrops or costume accessories related to the concert theme using craft materials in a follow-up art lesson (connecting Visual Arts).
• Practice choreographing a short movement sequence with a partner to encourage creativity and collaboration.

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Resources

• Open activity space with markers for positioning
• Music player with selected concert song rhythm
• Visual aids: picture cards showing dance steps
• Dyslexia-friendly printed instructions with supportive illustrations

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Assessment Opportunities

• Teacher observation of student engagement, effort, and ability to recall and perform dance steps.
• Peer feedback during group performances recognising effort and stage confidence.
• Student self-reflection on their performance experience and effort shown.

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This lesson plan supports the development of foundational dance skills appropriate to Year 1 students, fostering enthusiasm for performance while embedding core elements of effort and stage presence crucial for their school concert success. It follows the Australian Curriculum (v9) Arts objectives ensuring an age-appropriate, inclusive, and engaging learning experience 【15:AC9ADAFP01†Dance Foundation Year】【1:AC9AMUFD01†Music Foundation Year】.