Through the implementation of our lessons, we intend to create learners who are embodied, expressive, creative, collaborative and reflective.
EMBODIED – Confident using body and mind together to interact with environment and task.
EXPRESSIVE – Expressing and communicating feelings and ideas through dance.
CREATIVE – Respond to a stimulus, improvise and create.
COLLABORATIVE – Working on their own and with others.
REFLECTIVE – Observe, reflect & improve.
Why We Dance?
Embodied movement
Movement underpins all learning and development (jabadao). Cognition depends on the lived experience of the body and mind interacting with environment and task.
“Wherever children start in life, a high quality, cultural education in every school should be a right not a privilege.” ACE
The value of experiencing the body moving and Well being
What is dance? It is the physical expression through movement and rhythm of relationships, feelings and ideas. Nobody invented dance. It is deep in the heart of every culture throughout history; dance is part of the pulse of humanity. It embraces multiple genres, styles and traditions and is constantly evolving. (Ken Robinson)
Dancing makes you feel joyful and fun, it has a profound effect on well being. Acknowledging the positive effect of the mind and body working together creatively on tasks developing cognition.
USP
Dance as a subject is unique, in that it blends artistic practice with physical activity. Dance enables young people to gain artistic skills and discipline, as well as developing their ability in physical interaction, team working, problem solving, observing, evaluating, verbal and non-verbal communication. (ACE)
Creativity
Simply put, creativity is the capacity to bring into being something that was not there before. It exists in significant ways that drive change – major innovations in science, technology or the arts, for example; and it exists in smaller ways – as when individuals and communities find new solutions to the challenges of their daily life. Creativity gives people a sense of agency.
The Durham Commission was established in response
to the growing national and international interest in the importance and value of creativity and creative thinking in our society and its future.
The Commission concludes that creativity is not solely an abstract concept – it is experienced and expressed throughout life and across all sections of society, under many different names but sharing many characteristics. We also believe that creativity and creative thinking can be taught and that the exercise of creativity can be beneficial materially, socially and aesthetically to everyone at all ages.
Creative steps aims to enable schools to deliver a high quality dance experience to all, facilitating, embodied, expressive, creative, collaborative, reflective learners.
Dance in the PE curriculum
Dance features as two separate sentences in the PE national curriculum for KS1 & KS2, however it can support and develop many other aspects across the whole PE curriculum.
Dance at KS1 – perform dances using simple movement patterns
Dance at KS2 – perform dances using a range of movement patterns
Key stage 1
Pupils should develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. They should be able to engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations.
Pupils should be taught to:
- master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities
- participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending
Key stage 2
Pupils should continue to apply and develop a broader range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement. They should enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other. They should develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success.
Pupils should be taught to:
- use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination
- play competitive games, modified where appropriate [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders and tennis], and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending
- develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance [for example, through athletics and gymnastics]
- take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and within a team
- compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best
Definitions of Impact Strands
The impact of dance is that we will create Embodied, Expressive, Creative, Collaborative, Reflective learners. Below are definitions of the impact strands and suggestions of where to find examples of them within lessons.
EMBODIED – Embodied learners are intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally engaged. Using mind and body together to explore and learn through movement, making considered choices that are realised physically. Learning about dance, whilst exploring the curriculum physically. The fundamental movement skills within the national curriculum will come under this heading as well as action, space, dynamics and relationships (the building blocks of dance). Other more dance specific skills such as focus, posture, alignment, extension and technique are within this strand. The embodied learner will be seen throughout a dance session, with skills transferring to other curriculum areas.
EXPRESSIVE– Expressive learners communicate and express feelings and ideas through dance. These expressive skills can be observed during improvisation and creating and performing dances. Expressive learners will select and refine dance ideas to communicate their response to a stimulus. For example, using heavy strong sharp dynamics to project a feeling of anger or to choose low level, circular pathways with calm, continuous, fluid actions and dynamics to portray a stream.
CREATIVE – Creative learners explore ideas through movement, responding to a stimulus. Creativity can be seen in the enquiry and curiosity of the children’s mind and body resulting in choreography. Children will respond to a stimulus with different ideas and use this difference to create a rich and vibrant response. You will see the creative strand within initial exploration, discussions, reflection and evaluation as well as a final performance.
A creative response to a stimulus which could be as simple as ‘an action’, for example, “let’s explore jumps” or “let’s explore moving in a calm and slow dynamic”. Alternatively, it could be more complex for example, responding to a painting, poem, historical event etc. It doesn’t matter what the stimulus is, it’s about the exploration and creative ideas that come from it. Creating motifs, considering variation and development, looking at formations and relationships like unison and canon. Then developing into considering structure and use of choreographic devices like repetition, contrast, transitions, highlights, climax, beginning middle and end.
COLLABORATIVE – Collaborative learners can work independently and work as part of a group not only to discuss ideas but to physically create movement ideas, eventually taking on specific roles within a group. They enquire and improvise with ideas on their own and as part of a group or the whole class, generate contributions and suggest ideas. Collaborations can be teacher guided or peer guided, as well as individual work. Collaborative learners are able to problem solve, listen to others and work as part of a team.
REFLECTIVE – Reflective learners are able to observe, reflect and improve on what they’ve created. Examples of reflective learning; observe and verbalise dance knowledge and understanding on their own, in groups, as part of a whole class, with peers, teacher and using technology. Observing an action listening to an alternative suggestion and then responding, being able to be an audience, to give opinions and feedback as part of a whole class, in groups/pairs. Self, peer and teacher feedback and evaluation. Using technology (filming on tablets) to support the select and refine process of choreography. Making choices based upon the stimulus and how best to communicate the feelings and ideas.
Displaying their knowledge and understanding of ADSR by using example and correctly using terminology within their observations and feedback.