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This Lesson Plan came from the work the company did with choreographer Kaley Pruitt on a work called HOLD. It is based on the idea of abstracting different words and their meaning into movement. The dancers went through this lesson plan as they created movement for the piece under the direction of the choreographer.

In this lesson plan designed for fourth graders, students learn about parts of a sentence through movement exercises.

The goal of this lesson plan is to re-enforce the importance and power of abstract thinking and abstract movement in the choreographic process. This lesson plan can help teachers fight the pre-conceived notion that dance MUST TELL A STORY, that dance MUST BE ABOUT SOMETHING.

Often, young choreographers will select a pop song because they like the lyrics. As a result, they end up choreographing to the lyrics rather than the song itself: the mood, feeling, or other associations that go along with their dance’s theme. Hopefully, this lesson plan will showcase that often times, forgetting about the lyrics and finding a different “inspiration” from the music can be successful and, in fact, better than dancing to the lyrics.

This lesson plan can take place in two parts – however, part one can be done without part two.

This lesson plan is written for four groups; however, you can break your class into any number of groups as long as it is two or more. If using more or less than four groups, adjust the supplies and songs as needed.

Students will explore energy qualities and relationships within a group using inspiration from organisms in the Great Salt Lake food chain.

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What People are Saying

The diversity of the dancers really spoke to my students! It was great to see boys and girls dancing, and different races. The high level of engagement was so refreshing and got students excited about thecontent.
This activity was valuable because it helped students make connections between dance, rhythm, healthy lifestyles, and expression. The students were impressed by the talent of the dancers and it was motivating to them.
Opportunities for art and expression are so limited at school but so essential and valuable for all students, especially those who struggle to learn through traditional methods. My Kindergarteners have been dancing since you left!
This was so engaging. I looked around the auditorium and every student was watching. Not one person was talking or distracted
This activity is valuable to teachers and students because it gives them a creative outlet. We need movement in the classroom to engage, energize and deepen student learning.
I got great ideas on how to incorporate movement into math and science lessons.
I loved how you made movement and exercise relatable to the students. The dancers were full of energy and there was very little down time so students stayed engaged.
Our children were captivated by the performance. They listened to you and they were learning without knowing. They usually giggle when bodies are shown and talked about. But the way you presented it was so tastefully done, they now do poses and movement around the room and outside. You brokesome barriers and they took that permission and literally ran with it!