Moving with the body
Students explore how their bodies can move through space. They try out shapes, levels, and pathways, and start to notice the difference between a slow stretch and a quick jump.
What does a student learn in
This is the year dance becomes a way to tell a story on purpose. Students explore how their bodies can show ideas, feelings, and moments from their own lives through movement. They practice steps, shapes, and rhythms, then share short dances with classmates and talk about what they saw. By spring, students can make up a simple dance with a beginning, middle, and end, and explain what it means.
- Movement basics
- Making a dance
- Sharing performances
- Watching and responding
- Dance and feelings
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
Turning ideas into dance
Students use pictures, stories, and feelings as starting points for making up short dances. They pick movements on purpose to show an idea, like a windy day or a busy street.
- 3
Practicing and polishing
Students rehearse their dances and make them stronger. They work on staying balanced, remembering the order of moves, and dancing with a partner or small group.
- 4
Sharing and watching dance
Students perform for classmates and watch each other dance. They talk about what they saw, what the dance reminded them of, and what made it work.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 1.
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. A memory, a feeling, or a moment at home can shape the way they move or what their dance is about.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students connect dances they learn or create to the culture or time period they come from. Knowing where a dance was born helps students understand why it moves the way it does.
| 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 a moment at home can shape the way they move or what their dance is about. | DA:Cn10.1 |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students connect dances they learn or create to the culture or time period they come from. Knowing where a dance was born helps students understand why it moves the way it does. | DA:Cn11.1 |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students come up with their own ideas for dance movements, then start shaping those ideas into something they can actually perform.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students arrange movements into a short dance phrase that has a clear beginning and end. They make choices about what comes first, what comes next, and why.
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Refine and complete artistic work
Students revisit a dance they made, adjust moves that feel off, and finish it so it's ready to share.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students come up with their own ideas for dance movements, then start shaping those ideas into something they can actually perform. | DA:Cr1.1 |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students arrange movements into a short dance phrase that has a clear beginning and end. They make choices about what comes first, what comes next, and why. | DA:Cr2.1 |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students revisit a dance they made, adjust moves that feel off, and finish it so it's ready to share. | DA:Cr3.1 |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
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Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students choose a dance or movement to share with others and explain why it feels right for the moment.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a dance movement again and again, making small adjustments until it looks the way they want it to. They get their work ready to share with an audience.
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Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students perform a dance for an audience and use movement to express a clear idea or feeling. The goal is for the audience to sense what the dance means, not just watch steps.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose a dance or movement to share with others and explain why it feels right for the moment. | DA:Pr4.1 |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a dance movement again and again, making small adjustments until it looks the way they want it to. They get their work ready to share with an audience. | DA:Pr5.1 |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students perform a dance for an audience and use movement to express a clear idea or feeling. The goal is for the audience to sense what the dance means, not just watch steps. | DA:Pr6.1 |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students watch a dance and talk about what they notice, like how the dancer moves fast or slow, big or small. They start learning to look closely and describe what they see.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a dance and explain what they think the dancer is trying to say or show, using what they see in the movements and expressions.
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Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students pick a dance they have seen or performed and explain what made it good or hard to watch, using simple reasons like clear movements or staying with the music.
| 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, big or small. They start learning to look closely and describe what they see. | DA:Re7.1 |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a dance and explain what they think the dancer is trying to say or show, using what they see in the movements and expressions. | DA:Re8.1 |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students pick a dance they have seen or performed and explain what made it good or hard to watch, using simple reasons like clear movements or staying with the music. | DA:Re9.1 |
Common Questions
What does dance class look like this year?
Students explore how their bodies move through space at different speeds, levels, and directions. They make up short dances based on ideas like weather, animals, or feelings, and they watch classmates perform and talk about what they noticed.
How can families support dance at home?
Put on music and ask students to move high, low, fast, or slow. Ask what their movement reminds them of, or have them make up a short dance about their day. Five minutes of free movement in the living room counts.
Do students need any dance experience or special clothes?
No experience is needed. Comfortable clothes that allow easy movement and bare feet or soft shoes are usually enough. The focus is on exploring movement, not on performing trained steps.
How should the year be sequenced?
Start with body awareness and basic movement words like high, low, fast, slow, and pathways. Move into making short movement phrases, then into sharing and responding to each other's work. Save longer group pieces for later in the year once vocabulary is solid.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
Students can make up a short dance with a clear beginning, middle, and end. They can name what they see in a classmate's dance using simple movement words, and they can connect a dance to a feeling, story, or experience.
My child says they are not a good dancer. What do I do?
At this age, there is no right way to dance. Join in for a minute so it feels less like a performance, and praise specific choices like a big jump or a slow turn. Confidence grows when movement feels like play.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Holding a clear shape, ending a dance on purpose instead of trailing off, and using movement words to describe what a classmate did. Build in short repeated practice of freezing, starting, and stopping all year.
How is dance connected to other things students are learning?
Students often dance about books, seasons, animals, or feelings from class. A parent can ask what story or idea a dance was about, which helps students put words to their thinking and connects movement to reading and writing.