Dance Workshop
This was our first dance workshop. My prior experience with dance at school? ZERO. I don't even remember doing any dance-like movements during primary school in our end of year productions. So I didn't have any negative or extremely positive feelings towards dance at all.
During this weeks dance workshop, we did some warm-up activities:
Roaming around the given space
Trying not to bump into each other, using the movement skill the teacher asked (i.e. skip, low movement).
Follow the leader
Music was put on and to the beat we had to make our own movements in a line of five. Each movement had to be different and we had to swap when we were signalled to.
These warm up activities are quick, fun and inclusive to all students. I found that with activities and games, it is important to give alternatives to 'elimination'. Elimination is an uncomfortable topic with children. They do not want to be eliminated which increases the likeliness of 'cheating' or 'competitiveness'.
Following this, we were put in small groups to make a quick dance routine that integrated alphabet representation, high/low movements to music in a specific number of beat counts. I can see this type of activity working well in a primary classroom as small groups allows the 'shy students' to feel less intimidated and giving them specific dance movements to work on, gives them flexibility on what they want to do whilst developing their skills.
During my professional experience at Homebush West Public School, I was lucky enough to be part of the school musical. Of course I didn't take a role in the musical itself, but as a prac-teacher for Stage 3, I observed many lessons in which the students made dance routines for the musical themselves. The children really enjoyed this time that was given to them. Nobody was disengaged and every single student wanted to participate. I think it was because they were given the freedom of choice to make their own dance moves, which gave them a sense of authority and responsibility.
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