Dance 2 - Lesson 5

In the fifth lesson of Dance 2 for Year 1, students embark on a creative journey to express the narrative of winter through dance. The learning objectives are clear: to create a simple dance phrase that captures the essence of this chilly season. To succeed, pupils must demonstrate their ability to explore and repeat movements with coordination, respond to music, and provide feedback on their peers' dances with the help of their teacher. The key vocabulary for this lesson includes terms like 'phrase', 'seasons', and 'mirror', which help students articulate their movements and ideas. The lesson is accompanied by Vivaldi's 'The Four Seasons' as a musical stimulus and requires gymnastic mats for the cool-down session.

The lesson begins with a warm-up where the teacher sets up a dance zone and models various travelling steps, including skipping and galloping, to prepare the students for the main activity. The main part of the lesson involves listening to Vivaldi's 'Winter' and discussing the emotions and images evoked by the music. Students then engage in improvisation, creating movements and shapes that reflect winter elements such as snowflakes and ice skaters. Working in pairs, they compose a dance sequence using the concepts of linearity, spikiness, and balance. The lesson culminates in performances where students showcase their dance phrases to the class, offering and receiving feedback based on the established success criteria. A cool-down activity brings the class to a gentle close, incorporating the 'Beans' game from the warm-up and guided stretching and breathing exercises to relax the body and mind.