Moving and exploring
Students try out different ways to move their bodies through space. They learn to start, stop, and travel in safe ways while exploring fast and slow, high and low.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students learn that their bodies can tell a story. Students try out simple movements like skipping, swaying, and freezing in a shape, and they connect those movements to things they already know, like animals or weather. Students also watch others dance and talk about what they see. By spring, they can make up a short dance, perform it for the class, and say what it was about.
- Moving with purpose
- Making up dances
- Performing for others
- Watching and describing
- 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
Making up dances
Students invent short movements based on ideas like animals, weather, or feelings. They piece moves together into a small dance they can repeat.
- 3
Practicing to perform
Students rehearse their dances and clean up the parts that feel sloppy. They learn what it means to face an audience and finish strong.
- 4
Watching and talking about dance
Students watch each other dance and watch dances from other places and traditions. They share what they noticed and what the dance might be about.
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 they know or have felt to the dances they make and watch. A memory, a feeling, or something from their day can become part of the movement.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Dance is tied to where people live, how they grew up, and when they lived. Students begin to notice that different dances come from different places and tell stories about real life.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect something they know or have felt to the dances they make and watch. A memory, a feeling, or something from their day can become part of the movement. | DA:Cn10.k |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Dance is tied to where people live, how they grew up, and when they lived. Students begin to notice that different dances come from different places and tell stories about real life. | DA:Cn11.k |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students come up with their own movement ideas and start turning them into a simple dance.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students arrange movements into a short sequence, making choices about what comes first, next, and last in their dance.
-
Refine and complete artistic work
Students look back at their own dancing, pick one part to fix or make clearer, and practice it again 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 simple dance. | DA:Cr1.k |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students arrange movements into a short sequence, making choices about what comes first, next, and last in their dance. | DA:Cr2.k |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students look back at their own dancing, pick one part to fix or make clearer, and practice it again 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 choose a movement or short dance to share with others, thinking about why it feels right to perform.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a dance move again and again to make it look the way they want before showing it to others.
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Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students perform a short dance for others and show what the movement means to them.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose a movement or short dance to share with others, thinking about why it feels right to perform. | DA:Pr4.k |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a dance move again and again to make it look the way they want before showing it to others. | DA:Pr5.k |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students perform a short dance for others and show what the movement means to them. | DA:Pr6.k |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students watch a short dance and talk about what they notice, like fast or slow movements or whether the dancer used a lot of space.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a dance and say what they think the dancer is trying to show, using what they see in the movements to explain their thinking.
-
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a dance and say what they notice: what they liked, what was easy to follow, and what could change. They learn that opinions about movement can have reasons behind them.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students watch a short dance and talk about what they notice, like fast or slow movements or whether the dancer used a lot of space. | DA:Re7.k |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a dance and say what they think the dancer is trying to show, using what they see in the movements to explain their thinking. | DA:Re8.k |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a dance and say what they notice: what they liked, what was easy to follow, and what could change. They learn that opinions about movement can have reasons behind them. | DA:Re9.k |
Common Questions
What does dance class look like at this age?
Students explore how their bodies move through space. They practice basic shapes, levels, and speeds, and they try out simple movement ideas on their own and with a partner. Most of the work is playful and active, not formal routines.
How can families support dance learning at home?
Put on music and let students lead a movement game for five minutes. Ask them to show high and low, fast and slow, or a shape that looks like a tree or a rock. Watching short dance clips together and talking about what they noticed also helps.
Does a student need any dance experience to keep up?
No. The work starts from scratch and builds on movement students already do, like jumping, twisting, and tiptoeing. The goal is comfort with their own body, not technique.
How should the year be sequenced?
Start with body awareness and basic movement words like shape, level, and speed. Move into making short movement ideas, then sharing them with a small audience. Save reflection and simple feedback for the end of each unit so students have something real to talk about.
What usually needs the most reteaching?
Holding a shape still and moving with control at a slow speed. Many students rush or wiggle out of a pose. Short freeze games and slow-motion practice across the year help more than one long unit.
How does dance connect to other subjects?
Students can act out a story from reading time, count beats during music, or show shapes from math with their bodies. Pulling in a familiar book or song gives the movement a reason and makes the connection stick.
How is dance assessed at this age?
Mostly through watching and short conversations. Look for students who can copy a movement, make a clear shape, and say one thing they noticed in a classmate's dance. Written assessment is not the point.
How do I know a student is ready for first grade dance?
They can make and hold a simple shape, move at different speeds and levels on cue, and share a short movement idea in front of others. They can also point to something they liked in another student's dance and say why.