Our second dance input was all about learning how we could take the 10 basic skills we learned from the previous week and turn these into a routine.
As a class we decided on a specific move for each skill, we then numbered each move from 1 to 10. Then we split up into smaller groups and wrote down one persons phone number form the group and performed the moves with the corresponding number. This meant that all groups had the same moves, but each group had a different combination.
We then got given maths questions to work out the answers to, and each answer corresponded to the number of a move, which created a different route for us. I found this to be a very interesting way of integrating maths into a dance lesson. This turned mental maths into an enjoyable, energetic task which would engage children in the sums.
We then discussed how we could use a theme to inspire a routine. Our theme to work with was halloween and everyone got given a picture of something halloween related to create a move for. Our picture was of a web. Once everyone had come up with their move, we put all of the pictures on the wall in the order of the routine. I found having the pictures in front of me was great memory aid and would be a good way of getting children to remember the routine. Our lecturer then helped us piece all of our moves together into one routine. Thus, allowing us to do the creative work but still supporting us in a way to bring it all together.
“Educators must be able to offer support without undue interference. The vision for the dance belongs to the children” (Cone, 2011). This is something teachers need to remember as they can often take away from the children’s creative process by interfering too much, it is important to get the correct balance of support and independent learning.
I thought using pictures as a stimulus to help children create their own moves was a great idea, as it allows them to be completely creative but still gives them a starting point to work from. We also looked at how music can inspire children, for example with our halloween theme, our music in the session was Thriller and the Ghostbusters theme.
References
Cone, T. (2011) Following Their Lead: Supporting Children’s Ideas for Creating Dances, Journal of Dance Education, [Online] Vol. 9:3, pp. 81-89 Available: http://moodle.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/846498/mod_resource/content/1/Purcell%20Cone%20%282011%29.pdf [Accessed 1 January 17]
