1.3 Dance/movement

Arts and culture

Grade 4

Personal and social skills

Module 4

Dance/movement

Dance/movement

Activity 1

To warm up [lo 3.1]

Locomotoric movements:

Walking

• forwards and backwards with music, using as much space as possible without walking into each other.
• without music

heavy : walk heavily with bent legs and back (low level) to your own rhythm – like an elephant, follow someone and walk to the same rhythm, change direction and follow someone else.

on your toes: quietly, like a fairy (high level).

• with music

jerkily: with stiff legs and straight knees like a robot.

stately and straight: as in a procession.

Create your own combinations and images

Running

Explore variations of running.

• Suddenly changing direction – often.
• Long strides.
• With knees bent and held high.
• As if on loose sand.
• As if running up a mountain – and then down .
• Create your own combinations and images.

Non-locomotoric (Axial) movements(turn, bend, stretch, push and swing)

Explore bending and stretching of different parts of the body, e.g.

• change shape by stretching different parts of the body in any direction and then contracting (bending) in the opposite direction by turning the body and making it smaller;
• stretching and contracting in different shapes and directions and with changing speed and force.

Suggested combination in pairs:

Outward movement or stretching to four counts followed by an inward movement or contracting to four counts in a sustained or flowing manner (legato). Repeat the series three times in different directions and making different shapes.

Repeat the stretching and contracting combination with sharp and quick movements (staccato).

Create your own combinations.

Breathing and spinal warming up

• Breathe in deeply to a count of four, gradually lifting arms sideways and stretching the spine.
• Breathe out to a count of four and let arms come down gradually.
• Repeat breathing in and out to a count of eight.
• Also to a count of eight, ‘roll’ the spine down - beginning from the head, and following through with the shoulders, the chest and hips – until the body is bent double.
• “Roll” the spine back up to another count of eight – beginning with the navel, chest, shoulders and head – until the back is straight once more.
• Repeat.
• Work in pairs, opposite one another, back to back or in contrast (while the one does the breathing the other can begin with the spinal ‘roll’).
• Create your own combinations and add stretching exercises.

Spinal warming up

Stand with feet comfortably set apart, knees slightly bent. Let the head fall/roll onto chest slowly and then gradually further down, as low as possible – until your bottom points to the ceiling: the body is now folded double with knees still slightly bent. Relax shoulders and let your arms hang relaxed. With the reverse ‘roll’, begin ‘rolling’ back the spine from the navel (head still on the chest) until the back is once again straight and the head is returned to its position in balance with the spine. Avoid tension in the head and neck.