Gotta DANCE! Gotta MOVE!

Everyone has musical potential. 
Even if you have never taught or choreographed a dance before, you can still give your students the opportunity to learn DANCE through the exploration of Basic Non & Loco-motor MOVEMENTS, Sport & Game MOVEMENTS and Elements that change movements.

• EVERYDAY MOVEMENTS: Walk, Run, Gallop, Shake, Turn, Roll
• CREATE Dance Movements while moving to: Music & Singing, Poem, Stories
• Kinesthetic Movements: Making Letters, Patterns, Numbers, Shapes with their bodies, animal movements
• RESPOND to Dance through: Talking, Drawing, Writing
• CLASSROOM PERCUSSION / RHYTHM INSTRUMENTS sometimes CONNECT a culture to a Dance. Examples: Tambourines, Shakers, Drums, Sticks, Bells
• SAFE PROPS: Scarves, Streamers, Hoops, Small Parachute, Ribbons, Ropes, Bean Bags, Balloons

3 Movement Descriptions

1. Body prone on floor
2. Keep body as log, roll over and over

OPTIONS: 

• Change directions
• Keep arms at sides
• Keep arms over head
• Alternate directions

1. Step on Right Foot, lifting Left Foot slightly off the floor
2. Transfer weight onto your Left Foot by lifting your entire body off the floor, landing with a slight bent knee

OPTIONS: 

• Change leading leg
• Lift high
• Go far
• Move slowly

OPTIONS: 

• A train going by, shaking the ground
• You are cold
• You are scared
• Grow your shake from your feet to the top of your head

♫Explore other reasons why some one or some thing may shake♫

• Students learn Basic Movement and Choreographed Skills, working independently, with a partner in CREATING and PERFORMING Dances
• 4 NON-LOCO MOTOR MOVEMENTS: Bend, Twist, Stretch, Swing
• 8 BASIC LOCO MOTOR MOVEMENTS: Walk, Run, Hop, Jump, Leap, Gallop, Slide, Skip
• 5 More LOCO MOTOR MOVEMENTS: TRAVELING: Forward, Backward, Sideways, Diagonally and Turning
• CREATE shapes: Low, Middle and High Levels
• DEFINE and MAINTAIN Personal Space
• PERFORM accuracy in moving to a Musical Beat and RESPONDING to Tempo changes

2 Non-Loco Motor Movement Descriptions

1. Face Forward and Turn Torso from side to side, leaving feet in the same place

OPTIONS: 

• Let arms wrap around body after the twist
• Change body levels

OPTIONS: 

• Pretend you are a tree in the wind
• Pretend you are picking up a penny
• Pretend your hands are stuck to your feet

2 Basic Loco Motor Movement Descriptions

1. Stand with both feet on ground, knees slightly bent
2. Push Off the ground with BOTH FEET at the SAME TIME, straightening the knees as you go up
3. Land with BOTH FEET at the SAME TIME, knees slightly bent

OPTIONS: 

• Jump in place or travel forward/backward/sideways/diagonally
• Jump over something
• Use various arm positions while in the air
• Finish Jump in different positions

1. Stand on 1 Foot and Bend the Knee
2. Lift weight off floor while straightening Leg in the air
3. Land on starting Leg bending the Knee slightly

OPTIONS: 

• Use various Arm Positions
• Change Legs
• Travel the room

4 FOCUS Elements That Change Movements 

OPTIONS: 

• Slowly
• Quickly
• Use a count of 1,2,3,4 etc...

♫TAKE A CREATIVE MOVEMENT BREAK♫

☼BRAINSTORM☼EXLORE☼IMPROVISE☼

2 Creative Movement Suggestions 

OPTIONS: 

     EXPLORE

• Times when something might spin
• Things that might spin

     PRETEND YOU ARE 

• A Spider Spinning a web
• A Merry-Go-Round
• An Ice Skater
• Caught in a Tornado

OPTIONS: 

       EXPLORE

• When something might melt
• Things that might melt

     PRETEND YOU ARE 

• Bacon in a frying pan
• Butter on a hot potato
• The Wicked Witch of the West from "The Wizard of Oz" when the water was thrown on her
• Ice Cream in the hot sun
• Snowman in the hot sun

Did you know you can Macarena and Bunny Hop to Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride”? 

Click on the link below to download the FREE Dance Step Routine!

Dance Movements: FREE "Sleigh Ride" Macarena & Bunny Hop

"Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson (John Williams & The Boston Pops)

Click on the link below to see videos on how to do the Macarena & The Bunny Hop.

You will also find other Dance Break Videos and various Music Videos.

Clancy's Classroom Video Picks on Pinterest

♫TAKE A DANCE/MOVEMENT BREAK♫

Just Dance Kids ABC by The Jackson 5

Click on the link below

Rhythm/Lummi Stick Activity "Let It Snow" Grades 2-3

for all you do!

Have a Great Day and remember to take time for yourself EVERYDAY!

Donna Marie & Mary