Dance - Lesson 6

The Striver Lesson Plans for Year 6 Dance offer a comprehensive guide for educators to teach a choreographed dance narrative. During the sixth lesson, pupils are expected to perform a dance routine that tells a story through movement. To achieve this, they must be able to coordinate and link a series of actions, combine movement patterns, and use gymnastic equipment to enhance their performance. The lesson encourages pupils to explore different ways of moving to the beat of a percussion instrument and to use dance vocabulary to give and receive feedback. The key vocabulary includes terms such as 'phrase', 'gesture', 'retrograde', and 'parkour', among others. Equipment needed for the lesson includes gymnastic mats, benches, music, a percussion instrument, and a video camera to record the performances for evaluation.

The lesson begins with a warm-up where the teacher sets out the dance zone and models various travelling steps. Pupils explore different pathways and respond to beats with a variety of actions. The main part of the lesson involves rehearsing a dance routine based on the theme of street art. Pupils practice choreographed movements that mimic the actions of creating street art, such as putting on a backpack or shaking a spray can. The lesson culminates in a performance of the routine, which is filmed for later review. During the cool-down, pupils engage in stretching and breathing exercises on gymnastic mats, allowing them to relax and reflect on their performance. The lesson plan is designed to not only teach dance techniques but also to foster creativity, self-assessment, and appreciation of the narrative aspect of dance.