Dance – week 2

For the first week of dance, we discussed the importance of dance and how it can impact people both physically and mentally.

As this was the first input of dance, we took a little time to introduce ourselves. We done this by standing in a large circle and taking it in turns, we stepped into the middle of the circle and accompanied our introduction with a dance move of our choice. This was designed to “break the ice” and allow us to be more comfortable with performing dance moves in front of our peers.

Next, we played some warm up games. The first one that we were introduced to was called the “Jelly Bean Game”, which entailed listening closely to instructions given by the lecturer. For example, if they shouted “Runner Bean” we had to run on the spot. Another example would be “Jumping Bean” where we had to jump in the air. We were asked to run around the performance hall and complete these tasks.

After the introductions, we were then told about the 10 basic steps of dance. These included jump, turn, gesture, balance, slide, kick, roll, twist, hop and reach. Using these 10 steps, teachers are equipped with all the steps they need to create a basic routine, even if they have no prior dance experience.

Due to my previous extensive engagement with this aspect of the Arts, I felt very comfortable performing and choreographing dance moves. Having danced from a very young age, I have experienced the teaching of dance first-hand, therefore I am able to understand the children’s thought processes. In addition, I have also had the experience of teaching young children small routines, and worked closely with individuals to improve their basic dance steps. This has allowed me to be able to aid my peers in this module, as many of them have little/ no prior dance skills.