This week we were introduced to dance! I must admit when I first heard we were going to be doing dance I was filled with anticipation. I hadn’t done choreographed dance since I was in high school, almost 15 years ago.
Zara was very reassuring and made us all feel very at ease. In this session we learned about how dance can fun and encourages children to use their creativity. It is often a children led activity and is inclusive for all children. We also looked at the E’s and O’s for dance and the benchmarks. Zara discussed the various warm up activities that we can do with children and also the games that can be used.
Another important aspect of today’s session was learning the basic and fundamental skills of dance. These are balance, gesture, hop, jump, kick, reach, roll, slide, turn and twist. These skills can be made age appropriate and also adapted to the child’s ability.
Today’s session made me reflect on my own experiences with dance when I was at school. All I remember was being forced into partners and told we are doing Scottish dancing. After today’s workshop with Zara I am pleased to learn that dance is a much more creative process within schools now. Children have the creative freedom to make up their own dances and are encouraged to try new styles of dancing.
