How to teach a dance style versus teaching a topic using dance

When we speak to primary school teachers around the country, one question I get asked a lot about is the difference between teaching a specific dance style, such as jive, hip hop, or Charleston; against teaching a topic using dance, such as Romans in history, or environmental issues in geography. 

There are some really simple things that every teacher can do when teaching either a dance style or using dance to teach a specific topic from another subject.  Using dance can really embed learning about a topic and we've loved coming up with lots of different topics we know are taught in many schools; whether that's history; geography or other subjects.  

So, let Gaye and Imogen take you through some really good tips on how to teach a dance style as opposed to teaching a topic using dance.      

Scroll down to find a short video and supporting text to help you begin to find ideas for your primary school dance lesson.  

Transcript from the video...

How to teach a dance style versus teaching a topic using dance

We have split out dance styles and dance topics to help you deliver imoves dance sessions with confidence, here is what to expect when teaching a dance style with imoves resources.

As part of your dance resources for each style, you will have access to our brilliant demo movies each featuring 12 – 15 moves for each style called a toolkit. For example, Bollywood has 12 moves in the toolkit that children simply follow along, learning the techniques and timing for that style for example. We have lots of fun styles to try from modern styles like Cheerdance and popping and locking, to more traditional styles like Scottish and flamenco.  You will facilitate a lesson based upon 4- 6 moves from a toolkit, where the children will then create their own routines from the moves or perform them in a particular order.

The lesson plans will help you structure the lesson and help you to coach and inspire the children to create their own wonderful choreography. You may be asked to help children to create different formations, use cannon, or other dance related group actions, however everything is explained, leaving you feeling super confident and in control.

Our music mixes have been designed to run for up to 15 minutes to allow the children to practise over and over again in their groups. This also gives you the time to work your way around the groups to coach and support without the hassle of replaying the music track every 3 minutes!  Our music is brilliantly designed around a 32-count phrase that simply repeats, it will always have a regular beat so children can move in time easily and find the beginning of the phrase.

This is all demonstrated in the demo movies, however the more time they spend learning about the structure of the music the easier it will be for them to move in time and create their own choreography effectively to the music.

You need absolutely no dance experience to teach dance styles with imoves, we do all the tricky stuff for you. Just encourage them, show good performances to others in the group and to try to keep them in time to the music. This will be become easier as they progress through the imoves schemes.

Teaching a topic with imoves is different to teaching a style as we generally follow a story to a specific music mix.  For example, the great fire of London unit or the Victorians unit work to a specifically produced piece of music that children create their own movements to.  We inspire children via our movies that show them our ideas for different topics, and use fun flashcards with key words to help them tell the story. 

Topics with imoves are super easy to teach, as all the teacher needs to do is facilitate, inspire, and encourage children, just like you would in any other lesson.

So, if you want to model the moves yourself using our ideas, or use the movies directly with your children via your whiteboard, its completely up to you. 

Have fun and get those children moving and enjoying the wonderful world of dance!