Moving and exploring space
Students learn how their bodies move through a room. They try walking, hopping, spinning, and freezing, and they practice using high, low, and middle levels 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 stretch, jump, and travel through space to show ideas and feelings. They watch each other dance and start talking about what they notice. By spring, students can make up a short dance with a clear beginning and end and share what it means.
- Body movement
- Making dances
- Watching and noticing
- Sharing a performance
- Feelings through dance
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 movement ideas
Students start inventing their own dance moves. They turn an idea like a windy day or a sleepy cat into motion, and they pick which movements feel right to keep.
- 3
Dancing with music and meaning
Students connect movement to music, stories, and feelings. They notice how a fast beat or a quiet song changes the way they move, and they share what their dance is about.
- 4
Sharing dances with others
Students rehearse short dances and perform them for classmates. They also watch others dance and talk about what they noticed and liked.
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. A memory, a feeling, or something they've seen can become part of how they move.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Dance connects to the world beyond the studio. Students explore how dances come from different places, people, and times, and talk about what those dances mean.
| 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 something they've seen can become part of how they move. | DA:Cn10.k |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Dance connects to the world beyond the studio. Students explore how dances come from different places, people, and times, and talk about what those dances mean. | DA:Cn11.k |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students make up their own dance moves and start to turn those ideas into short movement patterns.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students choose movements and put them in order to make a short dance. They practice the sequence until it feels like a complete piece.
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Refine and complete artistic work
Students revisit a movement or short dance sequence and make small changes until it feels finished and ready to share.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students make up their own dance moves and start to turn those ideas into short movement patterns. | DA:Cr1.k |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students choose movements and put them in order to make a short dance. They practice the sequence until it feels like a complete piece. | DA:Cr2.k |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students revisit a movement or short dance sequence and make small changes until it feels finished and ready to share. | 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, then talk about why they picked it.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a dance move until it looks the way they want it to, then perform it for others.
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Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students perform a dance for others and use movement to share an idea or feeling with the audience.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose a movement or short dance to share with others, then talk about why they picked it. | DA:Pr4.k |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a dance move until it looks the way they want it to, then perform it for others. | DA:Pr5.k |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students perform a dance for others and use movement to share an idea or feeling with the audience. | DA:Pr6.k |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students watch a dance and talk about what they notice, such as how the dancer moves fast or slow, or uses big or small shapes with their body.
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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 movement to explain their thinking.
-
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a dance and say what they liked and why. They start to notice what makes movement interesting or clear.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students watch a dance and talk about what they notice, such as how the dancer moves fast or slow, or uses big or small shapes with their body. | 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 movement to explain their thinking. | DA:Re8.k |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a dance and say what they liked and why. They start to notice what makes movement interesting or clear. | DA:Re9.k |
Common Questions
What does dance class look like at this age?
Students move their bodies in space to explore how dance works. They try out shapes, levels, speeds, and directions, often acting out ideas like a tree growing or a storm passing through. Most of the year is playful movement with a purpose.
How can I help with dance at home if I am not a dancer?
Put on a song and move together for a few minutes. Ask what shape a body can make, whether the music feels fast or slow, and how a movement could show a feeling. Watching and talking about it counts as much as moving.
What should students be able to do by the end of the year?
Students should make up short movements on their own, copy a simple sequence shown to them, and share a dance in front of others without freezing up. They should also be able to say one thing they noticed when they watched someone else dance.
How should I sequence the year?
Start with body awareness and basic movement words like high, low, fast, and slow. Move into making short pieces from a prompt, then into watching and responding to each other. Save group performances for after students are comfortable moving alone.
My child is shy about dancing. Is that a problem?
No. Many students start out watching from the edge and join in once it feels safe. Dancing at home in the kitchen or living room helps build comfort before being asked to move in a group.
What usually needs the most reteaching?
Moving with control instead of running, and stopping on a signal. Vocabulary like level, direction, and tempo also takes repetition before students use it on their own. Build these into short warm-ups all year rather than teaching them once.
How do I connect dance to what students already know?
Pull from stories, weather, animals, and feelings students talk about every day. A dance about a rainstorm or a hungry bear gives students something concrete to show with their bodies and makes responding to each other easier.
How do I know if my child is ready for first grade dance?
Students are ready if they can follow a simple movement prompt, make a shape with their body when asked, and watch a classmate dance and say something about it. Comfort performing in front of the class matters more than skill.