Wendy Joys Creative Movement/Dance Toolbox Warming up The main purpose of warming up is to make the muscles more pliable,

raise the heart rate, and get more oxygen flowing through the body. In a regular dance class this is accomplished slowly and methodically, concentrating on specific muscle groups and gradually moving faster and bigger until the entire body feels loose and strong at the same time. In school, where time is always in short supply it is important to warm up the students bodies and minds safely and in a time efficient manner. Therefore, a warm up that utilizes several different body parts is most effective to get started. Isolating body parts can be done in any way that the class sees fit and students working in small groups can take turns creating a new warm up to teach the class each month. Points to remember: - A slower warm up is good for days when students have been sitting a long time. - A faster warm up is good for energizing the class. - Giving lots of physical commands and doing them without repeating the sequence is good for when students seem bored or tired it can wake up their minds! Sample warm up:
Body Part Warm Up This warm up is a test of endurance as well as a warm up, and is basically a jazz isolation exercise with a different twist at the end. I have left out isolations of the ribs and hips and replaced them with free movement of isolated body parts. Have the children stand facing you and spread out with an arms length of room around them. Beginning with the head, look right, center, left, center 2 times. Now double time it and remove the center (look right, left) 4 times. Repeat this sequence and rhythm looking up and down, then tilting the head side to side. (Dont forget to discuss the importance of keeping the neck straight with the head lifted high above it, and not crunching it at all. Be sure they understand that these movements with the head are actually rather small.) Moving on to the shoulders, lift and lower both 2 times slow, 4 times double time. Repeat alternating shoulders. Then move each of the following body parts for 8 counts: right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg, knees. Now do the twist down and up for 8 counts. Repeat all body parts moving each for 8 counts then 4, 2,2, and 1 - head, shoulders, arm, arm, leg, leg, knees, twist down and up. Repeat the single count phrase 4 times, then add twisting for 8, 4, and 2 counts until the class is tired or has fallen apart!

Music Choices Number one rule: trust your judgment! Music that makes you feel like tapping your foot will motivate your students to dance. Percussion instruments are especially good for movement activities. Music that you enjoy listening to will serve as good background music for working in groups. Rely on strong downbeats to keep the students together and on time. Shape and Design Activities Math - Walk two-dimensional shapes on the floor, do group sculpturing work that builds shapes, read shape related books and dance them. Science Use shapes to dance the life cycle of various insects or the growth cycle of plants.

Creative Movement Toolbox

Wendy Joy Koltnow, TUSD-OMA Program

October, 2009

Social Studies (Mapping) Without telling the students what the project is, have them draw straight and curved lines or several connecting geometric shapes on a piece of paper. Then have them align the paper with the room and find a starting point. Using the lines as a map, have the students walk the pathway created on the paper. Dance Element Activities Language Arts and Social Studies Have the students work in groups to create short dances using the verbs in a written selection. They should use voting and compromise in their decisionmaking processes. Science Have the students use knowledge of anatomy (muscle and bone) and counterbalance to balance their bodies in non-traditional poses. For older students they can also work on balance and counter balance in groups. Use dynamics to dance a thunderstorm or other nature-related phenomenon. Use combinations of axial movement, locomotor movement, and frozen poses to create simple choreography relating to any curricular content.

Creative Movement Toolbox

Wendy Joy Koltnow, TUSD-OMA Program

October, 2009