Ourselves & Our Friends Level: Key Stage 1 - Listening, appraising & movement

African Dance with Friends (rhythm & pulse)

Traditional African dances are led by drums and other percussion instruments. The dancers move in a big circle and the drums tell them what to do by changing from one pattern of sound to another.

Listen and Dance to the Drumming

The children could listen carefully first and put hands up when they hear a change in the drumming then dance freely, changing what they do if they hear the drumming change.

Market Dance (rhythm, structure)

This activity is easier if there are two teachers available, one to organise and demonstrate and the other to play the drum. First you need to teach the actions:

• walking in a big circle
• roly-poly hands above heads.

The Market Dance is danced in a big circle, accompanied by the teacher playing a drum. The best sort is the djembe drum (as in the picture), played with the hands but, if you don't have one, you can use any other sort of drum. Play the rhythm of the words as you say them in your head:

I WENT to buy a BIG blue hat, I WENT to buy a BIG blue hat … over and over again.

This rhythm means 'dance along in time'. The children dance, or walk, round in a big circle. Every so often, give a signal such as blowing a whistle (pre-agreed with the children) that they should stop because you are going to change to a different rhythm. Now play the rhythm of the words:

Diddy DUM, diddy DUM, diddy DUM, diddy DUM ... over and over again.

This rhythm means stand still and do roly-poly hands above your head. After a while, blow the whistle and start the first rhythm again, and so on.

Extension: You could introduce another instrument such as the tambourine, and a third action - maybe sway from side to side.

In Praise of Visiting Dance Companies

I learned the Village Dance during a professional development weekend in an unforgettable session with an African dance company called Lanzel. I later had this company deliver a session at the school where I worked and it was brilliant. It's difficult to over-estimate the value of visiting specialists and I recommend that you organise events like this as often as your budget allows.