Taniwha Performance

Overview

Students learn a short sequence of expressive actions to accompany the I Saw a Taniwha song. They practise performing together, singing clearly, and showing awareness of the audience through focus, stillness, movement, and facial expression.

Learning intentions

• WALT use simple actions to represent ideas in a song.
• WALT sing with a clear, strong, beautiful singing voice.
• WALT perform together while focusing on our audience.
• WALT begin and finish a performance safely and calmly.

Success criteria

• I can join in with the song and sing clearly.
• I can use actions that match the words.
• I can look towards the audience and keep my body ready.
• I can start and finish with my group.

Curriculum links

• Dance — developing practical knowledge through safe movement, space, levels, and expressive actions.
• Dance — developing ideas by responding to the characters, setting, and story in a song.
• Dance — communicating and presenting a short performance for an audience.
• English — oral language, listening, speaking, vocabulary, and communicating meaning through voice and movement.

Lesson structure (15 minutes)

1. 0–2 min · Gather and settle. Teacher brings students to a clear performance space and uses the attention prompt: “When I say taniwha, you say still.” Repeat once, then say, “Taniwha!” Students respond “Still!”, freeze, place hands by their sides, and face the teacher. Teacher explains: “Today we are performers. Our audience is watching and listening, so we will use big, beautiful singing voices, clear actions, and eyes towards the audience.” Show the performance expectations on the performance expectations slide.

2. 2–4 min · Meet the story and actions. Teacher briefly introduces the song’s story: a child sees a taniwha while swimming in the moana, hears its invitation, says no, and says farewell. Display the song-story and action-prompt slides and model four simple actions: make a taniwha shape with curved arms; swish arms like swimming; cup a hand to the ear for “whispered”; wave goodbye for “haere rā”. Students copy each action, practising quietly and safely in their own space.

3. 4–7 min · Learn the movement sequence. Teacher plays the song and leads the actions, pausing only if needed. Use the sequence:

• “I saw a taniwha” — curved arms and a friendly taniwha face.
• “Swimming in the moana” — two slow swimming actions.
• “He whispered…” — hand to ear and lean in.
• “Won’t you come along with me?” — beckon gently.
• “Oh no, no, no!” — shake head and show three clear stop hands.
• “Go, go, go!” — three marching actions on the spot.
• “Good friends” — hands over heart.
• “Haere rā!” — wave goodbye. Students practise the movements with the teacher, keeping enough space between bodies.

4. 7–10 min · Sing and move together. Teacher reminds students: “Our singing voice is strong and beautiful, not a shouting voice. Open your mouth, listen to the music, and sing together.” Play the song again using the sing-and-move cue slides. Students sing along and perform the actions. Teacher watches for children joining in, matching the beat, using safe movements, and looking towards the imagined audience.

5. 10–13 min · Performance run-through. Teacher divides the class into two groups: performers and audience. The performers stand facing the audience with “performance bodies”—feet still, eyes forward, voices ready. Before starting, use the cue: “Audience ready?” Students answer, “Ready!” Teacher says, “Performers ready?” Students take a breath and freeze. Play the song while the first group performs, then swap groups. The audience practises respectful watching, listening, and clapping at the end. Refer to the audience and performance cue slide.

6. 13–15 min · Celebrate and reflect. Teacher gathers students into a seated circle and asks: “What helped us perform for our audience?” Invite two or three responses, prompting for singing, clear actions, looking forward, and working together. Students show with their hands: thumbs up for a success and hand on heart for something they felt proud of. Finish with the attention cue: “Taniwha!” Students respond “Still!”, freeze, and take one quiet breath.

Resources

• Device and speakers with the I Saw a Taniwha song ready to play
• Open, hazard-free performance space
• the Taniwha performance slide deck
• Teacher demonstration and attention cues
• Optional marked audience and performance areas

Assessment

• Observe whether students use actions that match the song’s story and words.
• Listen for participation, clear singing, and voices that are strong without shouting.
• During the two-group performance, note students’ audience focus, safe spacing, ability to begin and finish together, and willingness to perform.

Differentiation

• Support students who need confidence by placing them near the teacher or allowing them to copy a peer; rehearse actions without singing before joining the song.
• Use the visual action cues and model each movement slowly, with gestures and facial expressions to support multilingual learners and students who benefit from visual instruction.
• Offer seated or smaller actions for students with mobility, sensory, or physical needs while maintaining participation and connection to the song.
• Challenge confident students to vary their taniwha level or facial expression while keeping the sequence simple and synchronised with the group.