Exploring Social History Through Dance Movement and Expression
Dance
•Year 5
•6 Lessons
This unit takes Year 5 students on a chronological journey through 20th century dance styles, using movement as a lens to understand cultural and social change. By embodying the distinctive characteristics of each decade from the 1920s to 1970s, students develop both their performance skills and their appreciation of how dance reflects the spirit of different eras. The unit uniquely combines historical awareness with creative choreography, culminating in collaborative performances that demonstrate technical proficiency and interpretative understanding.
Lessons in This Unit
6 lessons in this unit
Lesson 1
Big Question:
How can we tell the story of the past through movement and dance?
Key Objectives:
- • To develop a 48-64 count motif based on 1920s/30s dance styles
- • To demonstrate agility, balance, coordination and precision in dance movements
Lesson 2
Big Question:
How can we use our bodies to express the energy and spirit of 1940s and 1950s dance styles?
Key Objectives:
- • To understand and perform dance movements from the 1940s and 1950s era
- • To creatively change static actions into travelling movements
Lesson 3
Big Question:
How can we use our bodies to tell the story of different decades through dance?
Key Objectives:
- • To understand and perform characteristic dance movements from the 1960's and 1970's era
- • To incorporate level changes and different directions into dance sequences
Lesson 4
Big Question:
How can we use random elements to create exciting and unpredictable dance sequences that tell a story through movement?
Key Objectives:
- • To work collaboratively in small groups to create structured dance sequences
- • To understand and apply chance choreography techniques in dance creation
Lesson 5
Big Question:
How can we collaborate effectively to create a dynamic dance performance that tells the story of different musical eras?
Key Objectives:
- • To work collaboratively in groups to develop choreographed sequences
- • To effectively use chance choreography techniques in dance creation
Lesson 6
Big Question:
How do we recognise and describe excellence in dance performance using technical vocabulary?
Key Objectives:
- • To identify and describe elements of a good dance performance using appropriate technical vocabulary
- • To provide constructive feedback to peers using relevant dance terminology