DL Dance Tasks

The Dance Leaders

The following tasks can be used to further enhance and develop any of the set/recorded dances or can be used in isolation to

create new dances

Recorded Set Dances :1. Meakins Moves: ‘on the

floor’2. Diversity Dance3. Ms V’s Flash Mob4. We will rock you –

poms and bballs5. Any of the Y Dance

Video Dances on file

Recorded Pupil Dances:1. Emma’s soldja boy2. Kelly annes G63. Emma’s Boom Boom

Pow4. Jordannes Jump Style

Flash Mob5. S3 Dance Stage

Performances6. Seniors Video Dances

Task 1 – Stillness task1. take any 3 stillness moves from

your dance or ask pupils to give you 3 stillness's or balances.

2. Try to do each stillness on a – Low– Medium and – High level

3. You will now have as many as 9 poses/balances. Can you move from one to the other by curving, stretching and twisting your body

4. Choose your favourite 3 stillness's and link them together as above. Can you do this FAST and SLOW.

5. Show another group your fast motif and your slow motif; can they show/tell you what your 3 shapes/stillness or balances were?

Task 2 – Gesture Task1. Choose 4 everyday gestures such as

pointing, kicking or punching. Now explore

2. changing the size (big/small)3. Changing the level (high/low)4. Adding repetitions (2’s, 3’s, 4’s and

fast/slow)5. Using different body parts (leg,

back, shoulders, head, bottom etc)6. Add each gesture to a travelling

move. Repeat this for all 4 gestures to create a sequence.

7. Now perform to another group and get them to see if they can identify your 4 gestures. (audience should also me looking to see a difference in BIG and small moves. LeVelS should also be obvious.

Task 3 – Turning Task• From the taught dance take 4 turning

actions or choose any 4 turning actions. (open step turn, pivot turn, pirouette, paddle turn, etc

• Now take each turn and see how leading with different body parts changes it;

• Head• Shoulder• Elbow• Stomach• Hips• Knee• Foot• Bottom• Now choose your favourite 4 to make up a

motif. You can link your moves together with other steps or transit from one turn directly into the next.

• Can you add your new motif into the taught dance?

Task 4 – Create your own Dance1. In your group experiment with different

ways to travel.2. Choose 1 or 2 travel moves.

3. Repeat this process for:

• turning• Gesture• Stillness and• Jumping

4. You should now have between 5 and10 moves5. Decide on the best order for all your moves and

link them together to make a motif/sequence6. Perform your sequence in front of another

group.7. Now teach your audience group your dance.8. Let another group teach you their dance9. Join both dances together.10. Experiment performing your dance to different

styles of music.

Task 5 – Choreography Task1. Take any 4 of the moves from your

dance and number them 1 – 42. Teach the pupils the sequence of

moves until they are VERY Familiar with the order.

3. Now split your pupils into groups of 4. Each child will be numbered 1,2,3 or 4 (if odd/different number , 2 children can be number 1, and 2 children can be number 3?)

4. Number 1 will start the dance first, number 2 will then go once number 1 has completed, and so on until all 4 have performed. This is called ‘CANNON’ choreography. Alternatively and easier option would be that each dancer only performs the move that is the same number as they are

5. Now ask the pupils to perform this in the following shapes;

Straight but diagonal lineMaking a square shape facing the audienceStanding in a circle facing our the wayStanding in a diamond shape facing each

other.6. More difficult version: As soon as

number 1 has completed the first move, number 2 starts, as soon as number 2 has completed the first move number 3 starts etc.

7. Now ask the pupils to work in pairs and start back to back. They can choose if they want to perform QUESTION and ANSWER style or CANNON.

Task 6 – Choreographic Devices1. Take one movement pattern

from your dance2. Now change the LEVEL and

repeat.3. Now change the SIZE of the

move and repeat4. Now change the SHAPE of your

body as you repeat5. Now change the DIRECTION of

the move and repeat (forward, back, up, down, left, right etc)

6. Finally change the PATHWAY of the move and repeat (diagonal, square, circle, zig zag etc) .

7. Add them all together to make a MOTIF;

• Basic Move• Level• Size• Shape• Direction and • Pathway

8. Can you do this very SLOWLY and then very QUICKLY (changing the speed)

• Can you add this sequence of moves onto the End of your original dance.

Task 7 – PROPS task1. Create a short movement motif

(between 4 and 8 moves). Could be from a set dance or a new one.

2. Now take an item out of the prop box and explore how this will change your movement (influences or restricts)

3. Develop further by using choreographic devices such as (Levels, size, shape, directions and pathways)

4. Perform your dance to an audience.5. Now choose a different set of

props.6. Perform your dance with the 2nd set

of props to the same audience7. Discuss as a group how the dance

LOOKs, and FEELs, with every prop change

Task 8 – MUSIC task1. Practice your dance until you

feel very comfortable doing it (use secret message cards if you don’t have a dance already).

2. Now use the music suggestions to explore how it affects your dance;

3. Ensure you get someone to video you in order to see how your dance looks as well as learn how it feels as you interpret the different styles, speed and rhythms of the music.

• James bond theme tune• Michael Jacksons Thriller• Waltz style (eyes wide shut,

film themes cd 6, track 1)• Chariots of Fire• Wimbledon• Rocky• The Wedding march• Irish/Folk/pirate sytle – pirates

of the caribean, Film themes CD6)

• Harry Potter Film Themes CD6 track 6) etc

Task 9 – Secret Message Cards1. Use the secret message

cards to interpret a sequence of moves

2. Perform to another group without any music

3. See if your audience can decide what some of the words in the secret message cards could be?

4. Now repeat your performance with Music. Video record if possible.

5. Repeat again to at least 3 different styles of music to see how your motif/sequence will look using different stimuli

6. Now try using different Props to see how that changes your dance again.

Task 10 – Question and Answer Style Choreography

1. Choose as many as 8 moves to make up a motif/dance routine.

2. Perform the dance as a whole class in UNISON

3. Now get a partner and perform the dance in parts e.g partner A dances first 4 moves, partner B dances second 4 moves. Or they can dance same 4 moves but at different times.

4. All the partner A’s now dance their sequence together whilst partner B’s hold a stillness. Partner A’s finish in a stillness whilst all of partner B’s perform in UNISON.

5. Whole class repeats the whole dance or part of it in Unison

6. May now have a few solo performances where 1 pupil peforms part A and another performs part B

7. Whole class finish in a chosen stillness