Dance Curriculum: Ages Nine to Twelve

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3.DA.010 Exploring and Responding
3.DA.020 Developing Skills and Techniques
3.DA.030 Creating and Expressing
3.DA.040 Presenting and Reflecting

Dance Overview

Learning to dance and learning to appreciate dance are both included in the Montessori creative arts curriculum, and also play a significant role in physical education. Dance is an extension of the many opportunities children in Montessori classrooms have to refine their movement and whole body coordination. Dance is often taught using specialist teachers. In this way children can be introduced to different styles of dance (e.g., folk dance, modern creative movement, jazz dance, bush dance). Children use the knowledge and skill they gain through learning dance in other areas of the curriculum. Dance is also often combined with music and drama performance. For example, the music and dance of different cultures and times may be studied in other areas of the curriculum.

Like other forms of physical activity, dance promotes awareness of the body and its potential. Dance exercises bring the children’s awareness to their body alignment and their breathing, as well as the range of movement of each body part in isolation and together. Expressing oneself through dance requires exploration and the learning of techniques designed to extend range of motion, coordinate movements of different body parts, strengthen muscles and improve self-control in order to move with intent. Activities such as yoga and stretching exercises can be incorporated to draw attention to flexibility, concentration and breathing.

As well as learning about the body and its potential for movement, dance teaches the relationship of movement and space and of movement and time. The elements of dance (e.g., tempo, rhythm, dynamics, level, direction, focus and shape) bring the children into direct contact with their environment in a new and exciting way. The intimate relationship between dance and music makes dance a natural part of both the music and physical education curriculum.

Children of this age should be encouraged to practice what they have learned by creating their own dance compositions, individual, interactive and collaborative. Dance is an area of the curriculum where cooperation is encouraged. Many folk dances are excellent ways to promote social cooperation. Movement games often call for children to maintain their personal space, while respecting other’s personal space (i.e. moving in different ways without bumping into each other). Other movement games require the children to coordinate different movements into a whole (e.g., creating a ‘machine’ with many moveable parts).

Exploring and Responding 3.DA.010

 Knowledge, Skills and Understanding

Typically, children will:

.01 Understand the reasons humans developed and created dance

.02 Explore where, why and how people across cultures, including First Nations Australians communities, experience dance

.03 Distinguish between contrasting periods and styles in dance throughout history

.04 Realise what dancers do, who they are and what they make

.05 Understand that dancers create for different reasons and that various interpretations and opinions of their works are possible

+ Materials and Activity

Activities include:

  • listen to the Story of Dance
  • explore timelines and books about dance
  • group discussion
  • incursions, goings out and excursions
  • independent research
  • discuss periods of dance using some terminology
  • recognise and explore different styles of dance e.g. swing, ballet, hip-hop
  • distinguish between contrasting styles of dance on the basis of elements and principles
  • be familiar with some of the names of famous dancers
  • study the lives and work of dancers, including First Nations Australians and other Australian artists
  • prepare responses, reviews and interpretations (spoken and written) to dance performances

Resources include:

  • Fundamental Needs of Humans charts
  • timelines of humans
  • timelines of dance
  • charts and posters
  • digital and video resources
  • books and print material
  • Australian Curriculum's Dance resources

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Developing Skills and Techniques 3.DA.020

 Knowledge, Skills and Understanding

Typically, children will:

01. Demonstrate a range of fundamental movement skills and the elements of dance safely and expressively

+ Materials and Activity

Activities include:

  • wide range of movement games, stretching exercises and dancing activities which demonstrate:
    • kinesthetic awareness and concentration in movement, i.e. ability to mirror another’s movements
    • non-locomotor (standing) movements (e.g., bend, twist, stretch, swing, sway)
    • 8 basic locomotor movements (e.g., walk, run, hop, jump, leap, gallop, slide, turn)
    • understanding of spatial concepts and locomotor movements (e. g. moving in different pathways without bumping into each other, making various shapes and defining and maintaining personal space
    • different types of changes in locomotor movement (e.g., tempo, level, dynamic, direction, energy)
    • basic dynamic contrasts (e.g., fast-slow, gentle-strong)
    • accuracy in memorising and reproducing simple movement phrases
  • artist-in-residence programs

Resources include:

  • studio space
  • audio and video resources
  • charts, posters, picture cards
  • dance props
  • Australian Curriculum's Dance resources

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Creating and Expressing 3.DA.030

 Knowledge, Skills and Understanding

Typically, children will:

.01 Explore and select movement, using the elements of dance to express ideas, feelings or moods

.02 Demonstrate movement skills, expressive qualities and an understanding of the elements of dance

.03 Move to music to interpret and illustrate musical concepts (e.g., the life cycle of a seed to dramatise the musical scale)

.04 Move to music to express feelings and emotions conveyed by the music

+ Materials and Activity

Activities include:

  • movement games with rhythm and tempo
  • stretching exercises, breathing exercises
  • experimental/free dancing to a variety of musical styles
  • dramatic music games
  • collaboration on projects involving dance
  • create and perform a variety of dances from different times and places
  • composing dance pieces as part of dramatising particular themes or researching other areas of the curriculum
  • artist-in-residence programs

Resources include:

  • studio space
  • audio and video resources
  • charts, posters, picture cards
  • dance props

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Presenting and Reflecting 3.DA.040

 Knowledge, Skills and Understanding

Typically, children will:

.01 Perform dances from a range of contexts (e.g., bush and folk dancing, multicultural dances, modern, jazz and pop, First Nations Australians)

.02 Perform dances demonstrating expressive qualities and control over a range of locomotor (travelling) and non-locomotor movement.

+ Materials and Activity

Activities include:

  • learning a variety of dances
  • incursions, goings out, excursions
  • viewing, reflecting and discussing performances, live or on video
  • performing and discussing own performances
  • composing dances in relation to larger performance pieces

Resources include:

  • studio space
  • audio and video resources
  • dance props

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