Exploring how the body moves
Students start the year by trying out different ways to move. They notice how their bodies can jump, twist, stretch, and travel across a space, and they begin to pick movements on purpose.
What does a student learn in
This is the year dance becomes a way to tell a story, not just move around. Students make up short dances from their own ideas and practice them until they feel ready to share. They learn to watch a dance and say what they noticed and what it might mean. By spring, students can perform a simple dance they helped create and talk about what another dancer was trying to show.
- Making up dances
- Telling stories through movement
- Practicing and refining
- Performing for others
- Watching and responding
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 short dances
Students take their movement ideas and put them in order to make a small dance. They learn that a dance has a beginning, a middle, and that practice makes it stronger.
- 3
Sharing dances with others
Students practice dances to show classmates or family. They work on clear shapes, steady timing, and using their faces and bodies to share an idea or feeling.
- 4
Watching and talking about dance
Students watch their own dances and dances from other people and places. They describe what they see, guess what the dance is about, and say what they liked and why.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 1.
Connecting
Connecting
-
Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art
Students connect something from their own life to a dance they make or watch. A memory, a feeling, or an everyday moment becomes the starting point for movement.
-
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students connect a dance to where it comes from, learning how a culture or time period shapes the way people move and why.
| 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. A memory, a feeling, or an everyday moment becomes the starting point for movement. | DA:Cn10.1 |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students connect a dance to where it comes from, learning how a culture or time period shapes the way people move and why. | DA:Cn11.1 |
Creating
Creating
-
Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students come up with their own movement ideas and start turning them into a short dance. They explore what their body can do and make choices about how to move.
-
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students arrange a short sequence of movements into a simple dance phrase, choosing which moves come first, next, and last.
-
Refine and complete artistic work
Students look back at a dance they made, pick one thing to improve, and practice until it feels right.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students come up with their own movement ideas and start turning them into a short dance. They explore what their body can do and make choices about how to move. | DA:Cr1.1 |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students arrange a short sequence of movements into a simple dance phrase, choosing which moves come first, next, and last. | DA:Cr2.1 |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students look back at a dance they made, pick one thing to improve, and practice until it feels right. | DA:Cr3.1 |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
-
Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students pick a short dance or movement to share with others, then think about what makes it worth showing.
-
Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a dance again and again, working on the details of their movements until the piece is ready to show an audience.
-
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students perform a dance they have practiced and show an idea or feeling through how they move. The movement itself carries the message.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students pick a short dance or movement to share with others, then think about what makes it worth showing. | DA:Pr4.1 |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a dance again and again, working on the details of their movements until the piece is ready to show an audience. | DA:Pr5.1 |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students perform a dance they have practiced and show an idea or feeling through how they move. The movement itself carries the message. | DA:Pr6.1 |
Responding
Responding
-
Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students watch a dance and talk about what they notice, like how the dancer moves fast or slow, or uses big and small shapes with their body.
-
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a dance and explain what they think the dancer is feeling or trying to say. They back up their thinking with what they saw in the movement.
-
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a dance and say what works and what could be better, using a simple reason to back up their opinion.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students watch a dance and talk about what they notice, like how the dancer moves fast or slow, or uses big and small shapes with their body. | DA:Re7.1 |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a dance and explain what they think the dancer is feeling or trying to say. They back up their thinking with what they saw in the movement. | DA:Re8.1 |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a dance and say what works and what could be better, using a simple reason to back up their opinion. | DA:Re9.1 |
Common Questions
What does dance class actually look like this year?
Students explore how the body moves through space. They make up short dances based on ideas like animals, weather, or feelings, practice moving safely with others, and watch dances to talk about what they noticed.
How can I support dance at home if we have no space or training?
A living room is plenty. Put on a song and ask students to show happy, sleepy, or stormy with their whole body. Five minutes of moving to music, followed by a quick chat about what they tried, does the job.
My child is shy about performing. Is that a problem?
Not at all. Performing at this age can mean showing a short movement to one family member or a small group. Start small at home by taking turns making up a shape and copying each other.
How should I sequence dance across the year?
Start with body awareness and safe movement in shared space. Move into basic elements like shape, level, speed, and direction. Save the year for short student-made dances tied to a story, season, or picture book so creating and responding build together.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
Students can make up a short movement phrase with a clear beginning and end, perform it for classmates without bumping into anyone, and say one specific thing they liked about a peer's dance.
How do I connect dance to what students are learning in other classes?
Pick a topic students already know, such as a story, weather pattern, or community helper, and ask them to show it through movement. This gives a real reason to create and makes the dance easier to talk about afterward.
How do I help my child talk about a dance they watched?
Ask two simple questions: what did the dancer's body do, and how did it make you feel? Pointing at specific moments, like a fast spin or a low shape, gives students the words to describe movement instead of just saying it was good.
Does my child need to memorize steps or routines?
No. The focus is on making movement up, not copying set routines. Practice at home should feel like play: trying out shapes, speeds, and pathways rather than drilling steps.