Dance as Communication & Advocacy
Dance
•Year 6
•8 Lessons
This unit takes Year 6 students on a sophisticated journey from mastering rhythmic and structural dance elements to using movement as a powerful tool for social storytelling and advocacy. By building technical competence in rhythm, dynamics, canon, and characterisation, students develop the expressive vocabulary needed to tackle complex themes of bullying, empathy, and standing up for others. The unit uniquely bridges performance craft with personal, social and emotional learning, positioning dance as both an art form and a medium for meaningful communication.
Lessons in This Unit
8 lessons in this unit
Lesson 1
Big Question:
How can we create dynamic performances by combining rhythm, structure, and formation in dance?
Key Objectives:
- • To order phrases using random structure whilst maintaining rhythmic flow
- • To copy and repeat set dance phrases showing confidence and precision in movements
Lesson 2
Big Question:
How can we use rhythm, collaboration and varied movement actions to create dynamic dance performances that captivate an audience?
Key Objectives:
- • To work collaboratively to explore and develop creative dance ideas using stamp and clap rhythms
- • To adapt the use of actions, dynamics and relationships to improve dance performance quality
Lesson 3
Big Question:
How can we use changes in level, speed and dynamics to create expressive dance performances that captivate our audience?
Key Objectives:
- • To perform with confidence using exaggerated movements and clear dynamics
- • To use changes in level and speed effectively when choreographing dance sequences
Lesson 4
Big Question:
How can props become partners in telling stories through movement and dynamics?
Key Objectives:
- • To use a prop as a dance stimulus and creative partner
- • To explore dance movement ideas using dynamics and levels
Lesson 5
Big Question:
How can we use timing and synchronisation to create powerful emotional impact in dance?
Key Objectives:
- • To use canon and unison to improve the impact of a dance
- • To combine movement ideas to convey a mood and theme
Lesson 6
Big Question:
How can we use our bodies to tell powerful stories about respect, kindness, and standing up for others?
Key Objectives:
- • To select movement actions and dynamics to convey different characters effectively
- • To explore, improvise and combine movement ideas fluently and efficiently
Lesson 7
Big Question:
How can dance help us understand different perspectives and express complex emotions about challenging social situations?
Key Objectives:
- • To explore emotions and movements of contrasting characters in anti-bullying scenarios
- • To choreograph a dance phrase that expresses different perspectives including bully, victim and bystander
Lesson 8
Big Question:
How can we use dance to tell powerful stories about standing up to bullying without using any words?
Key Objectives:
- • To communicate an anti-bullying story through dance movements and composition
- • To apply compositional principles including formations, canon and unison effectively