Dynamics Tell Stories

Overview

This is lesson 6 of 10 in Dance Explorations for Foundations. Students retrieve safe movement, levels and directions, then explore how speed, force and flow can communicate an idea or feeling. They apply contrasting dynamics in a short movement sequence and describe the effect on an audience.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• explore how speed, force and flow change a movement.
• use fast and slow, strong and gentle, and sudden and sustained dynamics.
• perform a short sequence with a deliberate contrast.
• describe how a movement changed and what it communicated.

Success criteria

• I can move safely using different levels and directions.
• I can show a movement in two different ways.
• I can use a clear dynamic contrast in my sequence.
• I can tell how the movement changed or felt.

Curriculum links

• Dance — exploring how movement communicates ideas, perspectives and meaning, including through works from a range of contexts and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.
• Dance — exploring where, when, why and how dance is created and performed across cultures, times, places and contexts.
• Dance — exploring elements of dance, including body, space, time and energy, and choreographic devices such as contrast and repetition.
• Achievement expectation — students explore movement and structures and explain how they are used in creating and learning dances.

Lesson structure (50 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Retrieval and safe moving. Teacher opens with the movement hook and retrieval slides, revisiting the class rules: eyes looking, hands to self, safe space, freeze on the signal; students travel around the room, responding to prompts for low, middle and high levels, then forward, backwards, sideways and on the spot. Teacher briefly reminds students that dances from many cultures and communities use movement to share stories, feelings and knowledge, and that we observe and learn respectfully without copying movements that have cultural meaning.

2. 7–13 min · Goals and dynamic words. Teacher introduces the words fast/slow, strong/gentle and sudden/sustained using simple actions and the visual examples on the dynamics teaching slides; students mirror each action and show a matching facial expression or body shape. Ask: “What might a fast movement communicate?” and “How could a gentle movement show care?” Accept varied interpretations and model that the same movement can communicate different ideas when its dynamics change.

3. 13–20 min · I do: one movement, different ways. Teacher models one familiar phrase, such as reach up, open arms, turn and freeze, first slowly and gently, then quickly and strongly, making the contrast obvious; students watch with hands in their laps and identify what changed. Teacher names the elements being changed—time and energy—and demonstrates sustained movement compared with a sudden action. Students practise each version from their own space, stopping safely on the signal.

4. 20–31 min · We do: transform a familiar movement. Teacher selects a familiar action, such as walking, pretending to carry a heavy bag or waving hello, and guides the class through the prompts on the guided transformation slides: “Show it slowly”, “Now make it strong”, “Now make it sudden”, “Now return to gentle”. Students transform the action together, then work with a partner to choose one safe everyday movement and perform it in two contrasting ways. Partners take turns watching and saying, “I noticed it became ___ because you ___.”

5. 31–43 min · You do: create and perform. Teacher explains the task using the create-and-perform task slide: create a three-part sequence—one starting shape, one familiar movement, and one finishing shape—with a clear dynamic contrast between two parts. Students practise individually or in pairs, choosing a feeling or idea such as excitement, tiredness, calm, surprise or being blown by wind. Teacher circulates, prompting: “Which part is fast or slow?” “Where can we see strong or gentle energy?” Invite selected students to perform for the class. The audience watches silently, then identifies the contrast they noticed.

6. 43–50 min · Consolidate and reflect. Teacher leads a seated sharing circle and displays the reflection and exit prompt. Students complete the draw-and-describe dance reflection by drawing one movement and adding or dictating a sentence: “It changed from ___ to ___.” Invite several responses, then finish with a whole-class freeze: students show their favourite dynamic in a still shape. Collect reflections to inform the next lesson.

Resources

• Slides-1: hook, retrieval, dynamics modelling, activity instructions and reflection prompts
• Worksheet-1: simple drawing-and-dictation reflection
• Open, uncluttered movement space
• Music player and instrumental music, optional
• Teacher signal such as a bell, drum or hand clap
• Visual cards or gestures for fast, slow, strong, gentle, sudden and sustained
• Pencils, crayons and clipboards
• Water and a clearly marked personal-space boundary

Assessment

• Observe whether students respond safely to levels, directions and the stop signal.
• During partner and individual work, listen for students naming or demonstrating a dynamic contrast and linking it to a feeling or idea.
• Review the reflection for evidence that students can describe how a movement changed; record children who need further modelling or vocabulary support.

Differentiation

• Support: model each quality with large, clear movements; use gesture cards, repeated demonstrations and sentence starters such as “It became ___” and “It looked like ___”.
• Provide a choice of two dynamics rather than all six, allow students to perform beside a trusted partner, and accept drawing, pointing or oral responses instead of independent writing.
• For students needing sensory or physical adjustments, offer a seated version, reduced travel, extra personal space and a predictable signal before changes.
• Extend confident students by asking them to include three contrasting qualities, change level or direction, and explain how each choice supports their chosen feeling or idea.