Dance 3 - Lesson 2

In the second lesson of Dance 3 for Year 1, the children embark on a creative journey to express the dynamic movements of a stormy sea through dance. The lesson's objective is to craft a simple dance phrase that captures the essence of the sea's tumultuous nature. Success is measured by the children's ability to generate and repeat a series of movements with coordination, respond inventively to various stimuli, and provide feedback using basic dance terminology with the guidance of their teacher. The key vocabulary for this lesson includes terms like motif, phrase, gesture, pathways, and words related to the sea such as waves, ebb, flow, and rising. Essential resources for the lesson include a percussion instrument, gymnastic mats for the cool-down activity, and a piece of music that evokes the seaside, with Debussy's 'La Mer' suggested as an ideal choice.

The lesson begins with a warm-up where the class teacher models different ways of travelling, such as walking, marching, or skipping, and uses a percussion instrument to establish rhythm for the children to replicate through various actions. The main part of the lesson involves revisiting the seaside theme and creating dance phrases inspired by seaside imagery and activities. The children listen to 'La Mer' by Debussy, discuss the sea's different appearances, and use body rolls and canon movements to mimic the sea's powerful waves. In small groups, they improvise and expand upon these movements to portray the sea during a storm, culminating in a performance where they showcase their dance phrases to the class and receive feedback. The lesson concludes with a cool-down on gymnastic mats, focusing on stretching and breathing exercises to relax the body and mind, preparing the pupils to return to their next class activity.