Dance Foundations

Lesson Overview

Unit: Dance Moves Unleashed!
Lesson: 1 of 6
Year Group: Year 7
Duration: 60 minutes
Curriculum Area: Physical Education – Dance (Aligned with the KS3 National Curriculum for Physical Education in England)
Focus: Understanding fundamental dance terminology, recognising the importance of rhythm, formations, and choreography, and developing basic movement patterns.

Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

• Understand key dance terminology such as choreography, rhythm, formation, unison, canon, and dynamics.
• Identify different styles of dance and their historical contexts.
• Demonstrate awareness of rhythm and coordination through simple movement exercises.
• Work collaboratively with peers to create basic formations.

Equipment & Resources

• Music player with upbeat instrumental tracks (varied tempos)
• Large open space (Gym or Hall)
• Printed flashcards with dance terminology
• Projector & screen (Optional for short video clips)
• Whistle (for transitions)

---

Lesson Structure

0-10 Minutes: Warm-Up & Introduction

Activity: "Find Your Beat"

1. Teacher-led discussion: Ask students what dance means to them. Encourage responses about different dance styles they've seen (e.g., hip hop, ballet, contemporary). Highlight dance as a form of expression, storytelling, and cultural tradition.
2. Rhythmic warm-up: Play a steady beat track. Students will march, clap, and move with the beat. Gradually change tempo to challenge them in recognising rhythm.
3. Introduce key dance terminology (choreography, rhythm, formation, unison, canon, dynamics) on flashcards and ask students to associate movements with these terms (e.g., step in a simple choreographed pattern when they hear “choreography”).

---

10-25 Minutes: Dance Terminology in Action

Activity: "Move Like the Term"

1. Formation Exploration:

   • Demonstrate formations (lines, circles, staggered positions).
   • Call out different formations, and students arrange themselves accordingly.
   • Challenge them to shift formations on a beat when signalled.

2. Unison & Canon Movement:

   • Teach an 8-count movement phrase (e.g., step-tap, arm raise).
   • First, perform in unison (everyone at the same time).
   • Then, introduce canon (one after the other in waves).
   • Split students into two groups, with one group executing unison and the other using canon.

---

25-40 Minutes: Short History of Dance Styles

Activity: "Dance Evolution Walk"

1. History Snapshots – The teacher briefly explains four key dance styles and their origins:

   • Ballet – Originated in the 15th century, highly structured.
   • Hip Hop – Street dance, developed in 1970s NYC.
   • Contemporary – Expressive, blending styles dynamically.
   • Salsa – Latin dance, strong rhythm and foot patterns.

2. Movement Representation –

   • Teacher leads students in trying a basic signature movement from each dance style (e.g., simple plié for ballet, a groove step for hip hop, fluid arm movement for contemporary).

---

40-50 Minutes: Group Choreography Challenge

Activity: "Create & Perform"

1. Split students into groups of 4 or 5.
2. Assign each group two terms (e.g., one group has "unison" and "canon", another has "formation" and "rhythm").
3. Task: Each group creates a 16-count movement phrase that demonstrates both terms in action.
4. Groups perform for their peers, with an emphasis on using the new terminology to describe their choices.

---

50-60 Minutes: Cool Down & Reflection

Activity: "Dance Circle Reflection"

1. Slow stretching routine while listening to calming beats.
2. Students share one new concept they learned today.
3. Teachers recap by asking:
   • "Why is choreography important in dance?"
   • "How does rhythm affect movement?"
   • "What did you find most fun or challenging?"

Homework Extension (Optional):
Students research a dance style or choreographer of their choice and prepare one fun fact to share at the start of next lesson.

---

Assessment & Progression

• Verbal assessment – Questioning understanding of key terms during discussions.
• Practical assessment – Watching group movement sequences for application of terminology.
• Peer feedback – Encouraging constructive critique of performances.

Next Lesson Preview:
Students will explore improvisation and how music influences movement choices in dance.

---

Teacher’s WOW Moment 🎉

This lesson isn’t just about learning dance – it’s about building confidence, teamwork, and creativity. By blending historical insights, interactive movements, and structured teamwork, students will feel engaged, inspired, and ready to unleash their dance potential in the next lessons!