Introduction to Dance
Goals for Introduction to Dance
I. Basic classroom behavior goals
A. Participants respect each other, support each other, enjoy each other
B. Participants are on time to class
C. Participants share, in a considerate manner, their thoughts and choreography with the class
D. Participants keep an open mind and try styles and techniques that may be new to them or outside of their immediate comfort zone
E. Participants take responsibility for putting away equipment used in class
F. Participants recognize that whining and complaining are non-supportive to the class, are disrespectful of other people’s feelings, make it difficult for others in the class to enjoy them
G.Participants know that being late for class or leaving in the middle of class or early, disrupts the flow of ideas, movement, and class interaction and therefore they respect the class by avoiding those behaviors
H.Participants follow school rules
II. Dance Behaviors
A. Dancers demonstrate body awareness
B. Dancers listen to (sense) their own body and take honest, intelligent, responsible care of it
C. Dancers understand the importance and necessity for repetition and regular practice
III. Course content goals
A. Students realize the emotional, intellectual, musical, visual, rhythmic, creative, imaginative source of dance within themselves
B. Students recognize some of the cultural sources of dance
C. Students are familiar, on an introductory level, with some historical forms of dance
D. Students can recognize and identify some of the different styles (genres) of dance
E. Students become social dance participants outside of the classroom environment and participate in community dances
F. Students become dance-theater performers
G. Students become dance audiences and watch other people dance and perform
H. Students express themselves through dance and know how to use their favorite music, songs, poems, prose, art works, &/or movies as motivations for creating dance
I. Students explore the use of objects, props, costumes, stage sets, even instruments in dance &/or in creating a dance
J. Students learn dance moves, dance phrases, dance sequences, and in some instances, a whole dance
K. Students are able to freely, unself-consciously improvise dance movements and creative movement
L. Students know how to critique, review, and write about dance.
M. Students use dance resources like videos, DVDs, youtube, internet, local concerts, schools, and social events to enjoy dance, to view dance, to learn dance
N. Students dance for their own personal enjoyment