ARTS ALIVE DANCE CURRICULUM GRADES K-4
Throughout the course, dance teachers help children develop skills on and off stage such as team building, collaboration, problem solving and leadership. The foundations of dance class begin with ballet and core warm ups connected to the technique or skills to be taught within the class. The students learn to use the whole body with creative and imaginary exercises to expand their knowledge of learning steps and different styles of dance. Once students have acquired basic core skills, Hip-Hop, Jazz or African dance steps will be added. Moves at fast tempos such as quick footwork and intricate arm movements will be implemented as students improve.
Overview: Over 9 months of dance or one school year, students learn a minimum of 3 choreographed dance routines and perform for their community and festivals. Genres of dance include Jazz, Lyrical Ballet, Musical Theatre Dance, Hip-Hop, African, and Bollywood.
Arts Alive Equipment: Dance Spots, scarves and boom box
| Introduce the 5 basic positions in ballet, have students learn to mirror the movement. Add the 5 arm positions after they have started accomplishing the foot positions. Each week focus/emphasize on another ballet element of the warm up to develop fundamental muscles for ballet. Introduce correct articulation and alignment of feet, ankles, knees and pelvis. Continuously develop core strength for correct alignment. |
| Use imaginative and visual imagery as motivation such as balloons, butterfly or a fairy to help character based movement. Encourage internal and external movement and focus. |
| Introduce the concept of spotting and simple swivel turns. The spatial movements are broken into smaller sections for students to understand and successfully complete with proper alignment and ease. Pathways and stage directions should be introduced. Teach levels for shapes both low and high. |
