Rehearsing for an Audience

Overview

In this fourth lesson of Moving Stories Together, students rehearse their group dance, watch another group, and use kind, specific feedback to improve their performance. They develop awareness of body, space, time, energy and relationships while preparing to share movement ideas with an audience.

Learning intentions

• WALT rehearse and improve our dance so we can perform confidently for others.
• WALT use feedback to strengthen timing, expression, focus and teamwork.
• WALT perform movement ideas clearly and safely as a group.
• WALT respond thoughtfully to our own and others’ dances.

Success criteria

• I can start and finish together.
• I can project expression and maintain safe spacing.
• I can use feedback to improve one part of the dance.
• I can be a supportive audience member.

Curriculum links

• Dance: explore movement with developing awareness of body, space, time, energy and relationships.
• Dance: improvise and explore movement ideas in response to stimuli.
• Dance: share dance movement through informal presentation and share thoughts and feelings about dances.
• Key competencies: managing self; relating to others; participating and contributing.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–10 min · Warm-up and focus game. Display the WALT and visual success criteria using the WALT, success criteria and warm-up slides. Lead gentle travelling, stretching and stop–start movements, then play “Mirror and Freeze”: pairs copy a leader’s movements and freeze safely when the music stops. Students warm their bodies, practise focus, and notice personal space.

2. 10–25 min · Full rehearsal. Remind students that rehearsal is a chance to communicate their story clearly, not to be perfect. Groups use their established dance, music and formation to perform a complete run-through while the teacher observes starts, finishes, expression, spacing and teamwork. Students perform without interruption, then briefly name one part that felt strong and one part they want to practise.

3. 25–40 min · Audience feedback. Arrange two groups of four, or one group of performers and one audience group if needed. Open the audience expectations and feedback prompt slides and model respectful watching: quiet bodies, eyes on performers, encouraging words and no laughing at mistakes. Give each audience member the together, expressive and clear feedback sheet. After each performance, students use “I noticed…” for a specific strength and “I wonder…” for a helpful question or suggestion. Guide feedback against the three visual criteria: together, expressive and clear. The performing group listens without interrupting and thanks its audience.

4. 40–55 min · Revise and rehearse. Ask each group to choose one feedback point and make a clear improvement, such as counting the opening, changing the size or energy of a movement, sharpening facial expression, adjusting spacing, or creating a smoother transition. Students revise, practise slowly, then perform the improved section and finally the whole dance. The teacher gives brief coaching, naming evidence: “You began together” or “Your pause made the story clearer.”

5. 55–60 min · Calm reflection. Use the reflection and next-step slides to lead slow breathing and gentle stretches. Students traffic-light their progress on the self-rating and reflection section for together, expressive and clear, then complete the sentence: “Next time I will…”. Invite two or three students to share how feedback helped them improve. Preview the final performance and celebrate the group’s preparation.

Resources

• the rehearsal and performance deck
• the feedback and traffic-light self-rating sheet
• Music player and suitable instrumental music
• Open, hazard-free performance space
• Groups’ existing dance sequences and music
• Three visual signs: together, expressive, clear
• Coloured traffic-light pencils or stickers
• Optional front-row visual cue cards
• Headphones for students who need quieter transitions

Assessment

• During the warm-up and rehearsal, observe whether students focus, keep safe spacing, begin and finish together, and use controlled movement.
• Listen for peer feedback that is kind, specific and connected to together, expressive or clear.
• Review each student’s chosen improvement and traffic-light reflection; note who can identify evidence and a next step.

Differentiation

• Support students with spoken, pictured and audio rehearsal instructions, teacher modelling, counts, front-row visual cues and a buddy who can quietly prompt the sequence.
• Offer a smaller performance area, reduced movement complexity, extra rehearsal time or a seated/low-level version while retaining the group’s story and timing.
• Provide headphones during noisy transitions and allow an alternative contributing role, such as narrator or music helper, while continuing to involve the student in feedback and decision-making.
• Make the worksheet dyslexia-friendly: read prompts aloud, use a clear sans-serif font, large print, generous spacing and the option to give responses orally, by drawing or with adult scribing.
• Extend confident dancers by challenging them to use controlled dynamics, include a deliberate pause or create a smooth transition without teacher prompting.

Extension

• Groups perform one section with a planned change in energy, level or speed while keeping the timing together.
• Students explain which feedback they used and demonstrate the improvement without teacher prompting.
• Invite groups to decide how they will make their story clearest for the audience in the final performance.