Moving and exploring space
Students start the year by learning how their bodies move. They try walking, skipping, spinning, and freezing, and practice using the space around them 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 show ideas, feelings, and pictures from their own lives through dance. They practice simple shapes and steps, then share short dances with classmates and talk about what they saw. By spring, students can make up a short dance about something familiar, like a windy day, and perform it for the class.
- Body movement
- Making dances
- Performing
- Watching dance
- Feelings through movement
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 dances
Students begin inventing their own movements. They turn ideas like a falling leaf or a stomping giant into short dances and pick the moves they like best.
- 3
Sharing dances with others
Students practice short dances and show them to classmates. They learn what it feels like to be a dancer in front of an audience and how to watch quietly when others perform.
- 4
Talking about dance
Students watch dances and talk about what they noticed. They share what a dance reminded them of and connect it to stories, songs, or celebrations from home and school.
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 something from their own life to a dance they make or watch, like a favorite game, a feeling, or something they saw outside.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Dance connects to the world around it. Students begin to notice how a dance can reflect a celebration, a story, or a way of life from a particular community or time.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect something from their own life to a dance they make or watch, like a favorite game, a feeling, or something they saw outside. | DA:Cn10.k |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Dance connects to the world around it. Students begin to notice how a dance can reflect a celebration, a story, or a way of life from a particular community or time. | DA:Cn11.k |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students come up with their own ideas for movement and dance, then start turning those ideas into something they can actually perform.
-
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students arrange simple movements into a short dance phrase, making choices about what comes first and what comes next.
-
Refine and complete artistic work
Students finish a dance by practicing it more than once and making small changes until it feels right.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students come up with their own ideas for movement and dance, then start turning those ideas into something they can actually perform. | DA:Cr1.k |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students arrange simple movements into a short dance phrase, making choices about what comes first and what comes next. | DA:Cr2.k |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students finish a dance by practicing it more than once and making small changes until it feels right. | DA:Cr3.k |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
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Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students pick which movements or short dances they want to share with others, and explain why those feel right to them.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a dance move again and again until it looks the way they want it to. Getting better at something takes repetition and attention to detail.
-
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students perform a dance for others and use their movements to share a feeling or idea, the way a story uses words.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students pick which movements or short dances they want to share with others, and explain why those feel right to them. | DA:Pr4.k |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a dance move again and again until it looks the way they want it to. Getting better at something takes repetition and attention to detail. | DA:Pr5.k |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students perform a dance for others and use their movements to share a feeling or idea, the way a story uses words. | DA:Pr6.k |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students watch a dance and talk about what they notice, describing what the movements look like and how they make them feel.
-
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a dance and say what they think it means or how it makes them feel. There is no single right answer.
-
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students pick a dance they like and explain why, using simple words like "fast," "slow," "big," or "small" to describe what they noticed.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students watch a dance and talk about what they notice, describing what the movements look like and how they make them feel. | DA:Re7.k |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a dance and say what they think it means or how it makes them feel. There is no single right answer. | DA:Re8.k |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students pick a dance they like and explain why, using simple words like "fast," "slow," "big," or "small" to describe what they noticed. | DA:Re9.k |
Common Questions
What does dance class look like at this age?
Students move their bodies in different ways to explore space, shape, and rhythm. They make up short movement ideas, copy steps from a teacher, and show what a feeling or story looks like through motion. It is playful and active, not formal technique.
How can I support dance learning at home?
Put on music and let kids move freely for a few minutes a day. Ask what a happy song or a sad song makes them want to do with their arms and feet. Notice when they hop, spin, or stomp during play and name those movements out loud.
Does my child need to be a dancer or take lessons?
No. The goal is comfort with moving, not training. Students learn to use their bodies to show ideas and feelings, the same way they use crayons to draw a picture.
How should I sequence dance across the year?
Start with body awareness and personal space, then add basic movement words like high, low, fast, and slow. Move into making short movement phrases tied to a story, picture, or feeling. End the year with simple sharing where students perform a phrase and watch classmates do the same.
What usually needs the most reteaching?
Personal space and freezing on cue. Students often crash into each other or keep moving when the music stops. Short, repeated practice with clear start and stop signals pays off all year.
How do I know a student is ready for first grade dance?
Students can move in their own space without bumping others, follow a simple movement pattern, and make up a short sequence on their own. They can also watch a classmate dance and say one thing they noticed.
What should my child be able to do by the end of the year?
Students should move safely around a room, copy simple steps, and invent their own short dance about a story or feeling. They should also be able to watch someone else dance and say what they saw.
How does dance connect to other subjects?
Movement helps students show ideas from books, music, and their own lives. A student might act out a character from a story or move like an animal from a science lesson. It gives words and pictures another way to land.