Topic: Site Specific Dance

Context:
Who: Level 4
When: Introduction into an interpersonal development unit of work based on feelings.
Where: School oval/ playground
What: Students required to learn about how site specific dance works and use their imaginations to the possibilities
offered by the particular site.
Why: A good way of expressing student feelings through dance.
Theme:
Student focus on own self feelings.
Exploring dance ideas through site specific circumstances.
High paced/slow paced dancing using freestyle moves.
Learning outcomes the children will be able to.
Cognitive (Intellectual/artistic):
- Makes links between dance styles and their surroundings.
- Create an appropriate dance based on their surroundings.
Psychomotor (Thinking/Physical):
-

High paced dancing

Low paced dancing
Technique focus (appropriate for expressing their feelings)

Affective (Emotional/Social/Cultural):
- Working cooperatively with other students.
- Understanding their environments.
Assessment
Students will be assessed on their final performance of their site specific dance (group work).
AusVELS:
Level 4: Arts (Dance)
in dance, students create a movement sequence based on ideas and feelings suggested by one or more images.
Level 4: Interpersonal development
Students are encouraged to think about their values and how these affect their feelings and behaviour

WHAT - content

HOW strategies and approaches

Warm up
Students required to all lay down on the floor with their
eyes closed. A range of different music shall be played.

Management of children in the space safely for each

activity?
Large space to move around.
Aware of playground equipment (what is
deemed safe and not)
Performances will be spread over the length of
space provided.

Calming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R4-eL3IdhE
Sad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUZeSYsU0Uk
Angry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9er3xGsNlVc
Happy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=t5Q5FFWRxCE
Students shall be asked to think about how the music
being heard makes them feel as well as picturing the
environment they may be in feeling this way.

Establishing rules and expectations of behavior in each

activity?
Expectations and rules will be set out at the
beginning.
Signals previously discussed when they need

to stop and listen to instructions.

Students sit up and share their ideas of the different

places they were transformed to.

Development - Exploration
Students shall be taken to the playground/oval.
Discussion of what site-specific dance means. Students to
brainstorm how certain structures both man made as well
as nature can help express feelings.
Culminating Dance/Play - Presentation

Monitoring safe movement practice of physical skills in

each activity
Individual steps will be practiced to ensure
proper form is used.
Ensure students are aware of their personal
space (not pushing or pulling others).
Tight core and bent knees.
Aesthetic Awareness
How will you plan to facilitate the development of their
movement/character response through the use of?
Loud clear voice.
Students provided with feedback from teacher
and peers.
Terminology used: rhythm, fluid movements,
expressing feelings

Students will be placed in groups of 5 at random. Students

to work collaboratively and decide on an area in the space Each section of the lesson will take 10-15 minutes.
Choreography activity to take approx. 30 minutes.
given they would like to work with. They are required to
come up with a site specific dance routine that
corresponds with a certain feeling/feelings and use
appropriate music.
A range of techniques will be required such as:
-

I.S.A.R.E creating process: guide them through

Improvisation, Selection of movement,
Arrangement of movement, Refinement of
movement, Evaluation of movement. This is done
holistically

The movements must include choreography

devices such as symmetrical, canon, metric/non
metric

Students to perform their dance in front of the class by the

end of the lesson.

Discussion Memory integration

-

What types of movements were created

based on your surroundings?
How could someone else perceive that site
differently to you?
What choreography suited each dance

Closure
Students to lie on the ground in a circle. Very important to
stretch as vigorous exercise has just taken place.

Calming music will be played. Possible idea is for children

to imagine they are seaweed in the ocean, swaying arms
softly by their sides.
Lecturer in Primary Arts Education (Dance/Drama): Jacqui Dreessens
jacqui.dreessens@deakin.edu.au
Tel: (03) 5227 2231 ext: 72231