Dance - Lesson 4

In the fourth lesson of a dance series for Year 4 students, the objective is to learn and rehearse a choreographed dance phrase that incorporates traditional Indian dance movements, particularly those used in Bollywood dance. The lesson is structured to enable students to explore and repeat a range of coordinated actions, create a dance phrase using learned arm, hand, and footwork movements, and respond to teacher instruction to perform a choreographed routine. Key vocabulary such as 'phrase', 'gestures', 'footwork', and 'Bollywood' are introduced, along with concepts like 'narrative', 'dynamics', 'cannon', and 'archway'. To facilitate the lesson, equipment such as gymnastic mats and Bollywood dance music are required.

The lesson begins with a warm-up where the teacher sets out the dance zone and models different travelling steps like walking, marching, or skipping, encouraging pupils to demonstrate these movements. A percussion instrument is used to guide the rhythm for various tapping exercises. The main part of the lesson involves reminding pupils of the Bollywood dance theme and informing them that they will continue learning a dance phrase based on the story of Rama and Sita. This includes a range of Bollywood arm, hand, and footwork movements to create a narrative. The pupils practice movements such as 'Freeze Stance', 'Side Touch', and 'Knees Flick', and they work in groups to rehearse parts of the choreography, such as 'Rama', 'Sita', 'The Forest', 'Ravana', 'The Stag', 'The Sea', and 'The Bridge'. The lesson concludes with a cool-down where pupils repeat the tapping activity from the warm-up, engage in stretching exercises, and focus on breathing techniques before lining up to return to class.