CSET 3 Dance

• creative movement


  a form of dance using rhythmic, patterned, or improvised body movements
• creative movement typically involves music and is a nonverbal form of self-expression and communication
• benefits of creative movement:

  • increased confidence
  • improved self-esteem
  • cooperation
  • respect for individuals and cultures
  • increased creativity
  • problem-solving skills
  • improved physical strength, endurance, and body control
  • improved flexibility, posture, balance, and coordiantion
  • leadership and self awareness
  • listening skills
  • positive body image
• dance


  the art of movement and expression
• how do people use dance

  transform images, thoughts, and feelings into a series of sequential moves that reveal personal, social, and cultural significance
• framework for dance instruction

  • determine appropriate age-related expectations
  • determine each student's physical abilities
  • use warm-ups and cool-downs
  • separate dance into steps, teach one step at a time and combine them along the way
  • explain the floor pattern (if applicable)
  • use key words and counts to cue steps and directional changes
  • encourage opportunities for different types of dance
  • provide opportunities to interpret dance
  • provide different cultural and historical dance styles
• dance compostion/ choreography: the art of designing dances (entails organizing movements into specific sequences)
• choreographer: individual that designs dances
• elements of dance

  • space
  • time
  • levels
  • force
• space

  • locomotor (The Eight Basic Steps- walking, running, leaping, jumping, hopping, galloping, skipping, and sliding- Chasse)
  • nonlocomotor (stretching, pushing, twisting, bending, kicking, sinking, curling)
  • combined locomotor (traditional folk steps; two-step, grapevine, paddle, step-hop, chug, and spinning)
• space includes

  • the space between dancers (individual/ solo, group/ duet, or class/ ensemble); (side-by-side, supported, far, or near)
  • interactions between dancers (leader, follower, mirror, unison, or parting)
• time includes

  • rhythm
  • tempo
  • meter
  • syncopation
  • rhapsodic rhythms
• rhythm


  countable patterns
• tempo


  fast or slow speed
• meter


  2/4 time, 3/4 time, etc.
• syncopation


  a rhythmic pattern produced when a deliberate pattern is upset
• rhapsodic rhythms


  non-metric (e.g., breath, water, or wind)
• levels include

  • direction
  • form and shape
  • level
  • range
  • pathway
  • focus
• force includes

  • quality of energy
  • sustained energy
• quality of energy


  sustained (smooth), suspended 9light), swing (under-curve), sway (over-curve), collapsed (loose), percussive (sharp), or vibrate (shudder)
• degree of energy


  strong, weak, heavy, light, dynamic, static, flowing, or tense
• direction


  forward, backward, sideways, diagonal, straight, circle, out, in, zig zag
• form and shape


  angular, rounder, twisted, bent, crooked, symmetrical, or asymetrical
• level


  high, medium, or low
• range


  narrow, wide, big, or little
• pathway


  floor, elevated, or air patterns
• focus


  gaze, floor, or away
• coordination


  the ability to use different parts of the body together smoothly and efficiently
• kinesthetic awareness


  how we sense our body and the way it moves
• spatial relationships: the relationship of objects in space and their relationship to other objects
• rhythm: a strong, regular repeated pattern of movement or sound
• tempo: the speed of movements
• types of dances: folk dances (including square dance), aerobic dance, ballroom dance, modern/ contemporary dance, social dance, ethnic & cultural dance
• folk dance: a traditional dance that is performed by a group of people in a particular community. typically has a special costume
• square dance: type of folk dance involving four couples arranged in a square formation performing commands announced by a caller
• common folk dances- London Bridge, BINGO, Skip to the Lou, Maypole
• aerobic dance: typically lead by an instructor who guides participants through exercises aimed at improving health
• aerobic dances are typically 30-60 minutes long and have warm-up and cool-down periods
• ballroom dance: many styles of partner dance that are enjoyed socially and competitively around the world (ex: cha-cha, foxtrot, jive, mambo, tango, waltz)
• modern/ contemporary dance: based on subjective interpretation of internalized feelings, emotions, and moods