Moving and exploring the body
Students start the year by learning how their bodies move through space. They try out big and small movements, fast and slow speeds, and find ways to dance without bumping into classmates.
What does a student learn in
This is the year movement becomes a way to tell a story. Students explore how their bodies can move through space, fast or slow, high or low, and they start making up short dances of their own. They learn to watch a dance and say what they noticed. By spring, students can perform a simple dance for the class and share what it was about.
- Body movement
- Making up dances
- Performing for others
- Watching dance
- Sharing ideas
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Making up dance ideas
Students begin inventing their own movements from pictures, stories, and things they see around them. A walk in the rain or a flying bird can turn into a short dance they piece together.
- 3
Shaping a short dance
Students take their movement ideas and put them in an order with a clear beginning, middle, and end. They practice the same dance more than once and make small changes to improve it.
- 4
Sharing dance with others
Students perform short dances for classmates and learn what it feels like to be both a dancer and an audience member. They watch each other carefully and talk about what they noticed and liked.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Kindergarten.
Connecting
Connecting
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Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art
Students connect what they already know and what they've lived through to the dances they make. A memory, a feeling, or something from their day can become the starting point for movement.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Dancing is a way people share stories and feelings. Students explore how dances from different places and times can tell us something about the people who made them.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect what they already know and what they've lived through to the dances they make. A memory, a feeling, or something from their day can become the starting point for movement. | DA:Cn10.k |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Dancing is a way people share stories and feelings. Students explore how dances from different places and times can tell us something about the people who made them. | DA:Cn11.k |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students come up with their own ideas for a dance and start turning those ideas into movement.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students put together a short sequence of movements that goes from a starting shape to an ending shape. They practice it until it holds together as a whole dance.
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Refine and complete artistic work
Students finish a dance they started, making small changes until it feels the way they want it to feel.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students come up with their own ideas for a dance and start turning those ideas into movement. | DA:Cr1.k |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students put together a short sequence of movements that goes from a starting shape to an ending shape. They practice it until it holds together as a whole dance. | DA:Cr2.k |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students finish a dance they started, making small changes until it feels the way they want it to feel. | DA:Cr3.k |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
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Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students choose which dances or movements to share with others, and explain why they picked them.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a dance movement again and again to get it right before showing it to others.
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Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students perform a dance for others to watch, using movement to share a feeling or idea.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose which dances or movements to share with others, and explain why they picked them. | DA:Pr4.k |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a dance movement again and again to get it right before showing it to others. | DA:Pr5.k |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students perform a dance for others to watch, using movement to share a feeling or idea. | DA:Pr6.k |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students watch a dance and talk about what they notice, such as how the dancer moves fast or slow, or how they use their arms and legs.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students watch a dance and say what they think the dancer is feeling or trying to show. They use what they see in the movement to explain their thinking.
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Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a dance and say what they noticed, like whether the moves matched the music or told a clear story.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students watch a dance and talk about what they notice, such as how the dancer moves fast or slow, or how they use their arms and legs. | DA:Re7.k |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students watch a dance and say what they think the dancer is feeling or trying to show. They use what they see in the movement to explain their thinking. | DA:Re8.k |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a dance and say what they noticed, like whether the moves matched the music or told a clear story. | DA:Re9.k |
Common Questions
What does a year of dance look like at this age?
Students explore how their bodies can move through space, learning to start, stop, change direction, and copy simple shapes and rhythms. They also try out making up short movement ideas of their own and watching what classmates create.
How can I help my child with dance at home?
Put on music and ask students to move like something they know, a tree in the wind, a sleepy cat, a rocket. Five minutes is plenty. Talking about how the movement felt matters as much as the dancing itself.
My child is shy about dancing. Is that a problem?
No. Many students at this age warm up slowly. Start with hand and finger movements, or dance side by side instead of face to face. Comfort with moving in front of others grows over the year.
How should I sequence dance skills across the year?
Start with body awareness and basic locomotor moves like walking, hopping, and tiptoeing. Move into shapes, levels, and pathways, then add tempo and simple sequencing. Save short performances and peer feedback for later in the year, once students feel safe moving in front of each other.
What skills usually need the most reteaching?
Holding a shape still, controlling speed, and using personal space without bumping into classmates. Quick warm-up games that freeze on a signal or shrink the dance space help these stick more than long explanations.
What does it mean to talk about meaning in a dance?
Students learn that movement can show a feeling or tell a small story, like sadness, excitement, or a thunderstorm. At home, ask what a dance was about or how it made students feel. Naming the idea is the skill.
How do I know students are ready for next year?
By the end of the year, students can copy a short movement pattern, make up a few moves of their own, and say something simple about a dance they watched. Comfort moving in a group and following start and stop cues also matters.
Does dance connect to other subjects?
Yes. Movement supports counting beats, learning shapes and directions, and acting out stories from read-alouds. A short dance break tied to a math or reading idea is an easy way to reinforce both.