Character Storytelling Dance
Dance
•Year 3
•6 Lessons
This unit transforms students into dance storytellers, using character exploration and technical skills to bring narratives to life through movement. By anchoring learning in familiar character archetypes, students develop both expressive dance vocabulary and performance confidence. The journey from solo character work to collaborative direction builds creative independence whilst maintaining strong technical foundations through structured technique like the jazz square.
Lessons in This Unit
6 lessons in this unit
Lesson 1
Big Question:
How can we use movement and dance to bring characters to life and tell their story?
Key Objectives:
- • To explore creating characters and narratives through movement
- • To learn and perform a basic jazz square with correct timing
Lesson 2
Big Question:
How can we use our whole body to show the personality differences between two contrasting characters?
Key Objectives:
- • To explore and create movement phrases that represent two contrasting characters
- • To use performance skills to communicate character differences through dance
Lesson 3
Big Question:
How can we use our bodies to express feelings and stories through improvised movement?
Key Objectives:
- • To develop improvisation skills using body movements and facial expressions
- • To perform coordinated group movements with awareness of timing and space
Lesson 4
Big Question:
How can props transform and enhance our storytelling through dance?
Key Objectives:
- • To introduce and incorporate props effectively in dance routines
- • To collaborate with others to create and improve choreographed sequences
Lesson 5
Big Question:
How can our faces tell a story through dance?
Key Objectives:
- • To incorporate facial expressions to bring emotion and life to dance movements
- • To use appropriate dance vocabulary when evaluating performances
Lesson 6
Big Question:
How can we become directors to help others create the best possible dance performance?
Key Objectives:
- • To perform a complete dance routine confidently to an audience
- • To take on the director role and provide constructive feedback to peers