"I Can!" Dance Level Descriptors

The "I Can!" Dance Level Descriptors outline a progression of dance skills and awareness for students, ranging from the beginning stage through to mastery. At the beginning level, students are able to copy and explore basic body patterns and movements, showing an initial ability to remember simple dance steps and perform them in a controlled manner. As they emerge into dance, they start performing with more control and coordination, responding imaginatively to various stimuli and beginning to understand the importance of warm-ups and cool-downs for safety and health.

Developing dancers demonstrate the ability to improvise freely, both individually and with a partner, and begin to translate ideas into movements. They can vary dynamics and work collaboratively to develop actions. At this stage, students also start to discuss their own and others' performances using simple vocabulary. As they exceed expectations, dancers show precision, control, and fluency, selecting and linking actions with sounds and music, and using dance vocabulary to compare and improve their work. They also show an understanding of safe practice and can modify performances based on observations and a basic understanding of body structure. Mastery in dance is characterized by the ability to perform and create motifs in various dance styles with accuracy and consistency, continually demonstrate rhythm and spatial awareness, and suggest ways to improve performance based on sound knowledge. Students at this level can lead their own warm-ups and demonstrate comprehensive safe practice.