F-2 Dance resource

In these short videos, a teacher and a trained dancer provide teachers with examples of ways to introduce students to the fundamental body parts, shapes and movements used to create dance patterns.

Links to Dance F–10

Content descriptions

Dance Practices

Use choreographic devices to select and organise movement ideas and create and practise dance sequences VCADAD022.

Explore and express ideas

Use fundamental locomotor and non-locomotor movements, body parts, bases and zones to explore, improvise and structure movement ideas for dance VCADAE021.

Achievement Standard (extract)

By the end of Level 2 students use the elements of dance and fundamental movement skills to make, and perform safely, dance sequences that express ideas.

The body

In this video, students are introduced to a body chant to introduce students to correct names of body parts used in dance practices. Note the classroom display of names of body parts.

The body transcript (docx - 80kb)

Posture

‘Be as tall as who you are’ demonstrates the difference between slouching and good posture for breathing and dance. It includes a flexibility exercise, and a body swing.

Posture transcript (docx - 80.31kb)

Body regions

This clearly shows teachers the body regions. These are helpful ways of identifying regions of the body when describing movement.

Body regions transcript (docx - 79.2kb)

Body height, length and width

This video shows how students can measure height, length and width which are all concepts used in describing movement. Measurements can be kept in an envelope for later comparison.

Body height, length and width transcript (docx - 80.13kb)

Body bubble

This video explores the amount of space your body occupies at a particular time. Remembering body positions is the first step to linking them to create movement patterns.

Body bubble transcript (docx - 80.39kb)

Body linking

This video shows ways of linking body actions that can be explored through mirror games, and making body shapes together. Note the locomotor words on the board – spin, slide, jump. Non-locomotor words like bend and stretch could also be introduced.

Body linking transcript (docx - 79.68kb)

Balance

This video explores how to find three points of contact with the floor – big toe, little toe and heel on both sides of the body. It includes balancing and rocking exercise.

Balance transcript (docx - 80.51kb)

Place space

This video is about the use of space, and movement memories. It explores spatial placement creating pathways from one place to another.

Place space transcript (docx - 80.54kb)

Locomotion

This video is about the different ways to travel through space including walking, crawling, running, galloping, gliding, marching and skipping.

Locomotion transcript (docx - 79.3kb)

Round and round

This video is about eye focus or spotting. It explores how to begin to learn how to spin safely.

Round and round transcript (docx - 80.19kb)

Off the ground

This video shows how to jump two feet to two feet, one foot to two feet, two feet to one foot, one foot to one foot. It includes experiments with other sorts of jumps, such as frog jumps.

Off the ground transcript (docx - 79.23kb)

Dance making

This video provides an introduction to student-invented dances, using such items as hoops, scarves and balls as a prompt, and then making the movements without them. Ways of working with simple group dance are also explored.

Dance making transcript (docx - 80.14kb)