Dance - Lesson 4

In Year 3's fourth dance lesson, the students aim to master the basics of cheerleading, including arm positions and movement actions, within a group setting. The lesson's success is gauged by the pupils' ability to coordinate a series of actions, respond rhythmically to music, and collaboratively create a short dance phrase using the learned arm positions and movements. To enhance their dance phrases, students are encouraged to use choreographic devices. The key vocabulary introduced includes 'phrase', 'stance', 'choreographic', and 'cannon'. The class requires equipment such as gymnastic mats, marching music, a percussion instrument, and colourful pom-poms to facilitate the activities.

The lesson is structured to begin with a warm-up where the teacher outlines the dance zone and models various travelling steps like walking, marching, or skipping. The pupils are then engaged in a rhythm exercise using a percussion instrument to tap out beats, which they match with body movements. After the warm-up, the main session commences with a reminder of the cheerleading theme, and the teacher revisits the stances and arm positions from previous lessons. In groups, students work on creating a short dance phrase, incorporating arm positions and movements. The teacher demonstrates different choreographic devices, such as mirroring, varying heights, alternating positions, and cannon, to inspire the children's own dance phrases. The lesson concludes with performances, feedback sessions, and a cool-down routine that includes the 'Taps' activity from the warm-up, stretching, and breathing exercises.