Albert Einstein was better known for his groundbreaking moves in physics than on the dancefloor, but he had respect for cutting a rug, claiming that “dancers are the athletes of God”. Since 1982, 29 April has been designated International Dance Day, with events taking place across the globe to encourage greater attention and respect for the art form.
And there are plenty of reasons to shimmy. With childhood obesity on the rise, it could add some much-needed activity and, for the adults, research suggests that shaking your stuff has the same effect on happiness as a £1,600 pay rise (take that, performance-related pay). So why not take the opportunity to teach your students about the benefits of busting a groove?
Primary
Before we go all macarena, this series of lessons from BBC School Radio uses the classical music project Ten Pieces to guide students through a series of nature-based movement tasks. Themes include the sea, on the mountain and planet Mars. The activities are interactive and high-energy, challenging pupils to move in collaboration with others, respond to changes in musical tone, and create their own dance-based narratives.
For a less physically demanding celebration of dance, try this reading comprehension activity from PrimaryLeap. It details the story of Louise, a six-year-old who loves to dance. Students can read her account of how much she likes to rock out in various places (including the kitchen and garden), before demonstrating understanding by answering a series of simple questions.
The Grammar Dance is a great way to add to the creative chaos by bringing in singing, as well as dancing. It is an English-themed song, written by Mr A, C and D, that helps to counter pupils’ nerves about grammar tests. Lyrics include: “Let’s get inventive/Think of a posh word for connective/To make a sentence function/Use the word conjunction.”
Meanwhile, this lesson from Sport Relief looks at the power of dance from a philanthropic perspective, exploring how it can be used to raise funds for those in need. Suggestions include hosting a danceathon, creating a sponsored conga, holding a school disco and creating a school dance show.
And for lots more ideas fun dance activities, try these suggestions from Change4Life. They include the DVD game – in which children have to respond to instructions such as fast forward and slow motion – and introduces pupils to the timeless classic that is Village People’s YMCA (a key skill to develop for the wedding receptions they will attend throughout their lives).
Secondary
Dance can be a powerful way to bring people together, as shown in this series of lessons from Miriam’s Vision, a charity established in memory of Miriam Hyman, who was killed in the London bombings in 2005. The activities – all linked to a series of instructional videos – explore how different cultures share common ground by teaching students about Odissi, a classical Indian dance. After learning about the history of the artform, students create a piece of choreography by fusing it with their own moves.
And for more cross-cultural fun, try this group task. Working in pairs, students are given an image of art from another culture and have to create a sequence of five moves related to it using just their imaginations. They then work with another pair with the same image and join their sequences together to create a 10-step dance. There are differentiation suggestions – for example, only using certain body parts – and extension activities include researching the cultures they have been working with, or setting their dance to music.
To explore what happens when dance hits the headlines, use this collection of articles from The Day. Topics covered include how posting a Harlem Shake video got some Australian miners fired; the case of a Russian ballet dancer who carried out an acid attack on his boss; and how a sexist song caused debates on dancefloors across the world.
And for a greater understanding of the history of dance and how it has been passed down through the generations, use this article on dance notation. It explains how systems have developed to enable all kinds of dance to be replicated over decades and even centuries.
Finally, take a look at how dance is used on the big screen with these lessons from Into Film. The guide to the 2004 film Bride and Prejudice looks at how dance is key to the Bollywood film tradition, while the resource on Pitch Perfect 2 asks students to consider what is empowering about performing song and dance routines.
