Moving and exploring
Students start the year noticing how their bodies can move. They try big and small movements, fast and slow, and learn to use space without bumping into classmates.
What does a student learn in
This is the year dance becomes a way to tell a story with the body. Students explore how moving high or low, fast or slow, can show an idea or a feeling. They make up short dances, practice them, and share them with classmates. By spring, students can perform a simple dance for a small audience and say what another dancer's movements made them think of.
- Moving with purpose
- Making up dances
- Practicing and sharing
- Watching dances
- 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 begin inventing their own movements. They turn ideas, like a storm or a animal, into short dances and put movements together in an order they choose.
- 3
Practicing and sharing
Students rehearse short dances and perform them for classmates. They learn that practice makes a dance clearer and that a dance can show a feeling or a story.
- 4
Watching and talking about dance
Students watch dances from different places and times. They describe what they see, share what a dance makes them think about, and say what they 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 they know or have felt in real life to a dance they make or perform. Personal experience shapes the movement.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Dance connects to real life. Students look at how movement and dances from different families, places, or times tell stories about where people come from and how they live.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect something they know or have felt in real life to a dance they make or perform. Personal experience shapes the movement. | DA:Cn10.k |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Dance connects to real life. Students look at how movement and dances from different families, places, or times tell stories about where people come from and how they live. | DA:Cn11.k |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students come up with their own ideas for movement and begin turning those ideas into a simple dance.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students choose movements and put them together to make a short dance. They decide what comes first, what comes next, and how the dance ends.
-
Refine and complete artistic work
Students revisit a dance they made and make small changes until it feels finished and ready to share.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students come up with their own ideas for movement and begin turning those ideas into a simple dance. | DA:Cr1.k |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students choose movements and put them together to make a short dance. They decide what comes first, what comes next, and how the dance ends. | DA:Cr2.k |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students revisit a dance they made 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 practice it so it's ready to perform.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice the same dance steps again and again to get ready to perform. They work on moving their body with care and control before showing the dance to others.
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Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students perform a 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, then practice it so it's ready to perform. | DA:Pr4.k |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice the same dance steps again and again to get ready to perform. They work on moving their body with care and control before showing the dance to others. | DA:Pr5.k |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students perform a 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 dance and share what they notice, describing movements like fast, slow, big, or small in their own words.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a dance and share what they think it means or how it makes them feel. There is no single right answer, just reasons behind what they notice.
-
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a dance and say what they liked and why. They start learning that opinions about art can be backed up with a reason.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students watch a dance and share what they notice, describing movements like fast, slow, big, or small in their own words. | DA:Re7.k |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a dance and share what they think it means or how it makes them feel. There is no single right answer, just reasons behind what they notice. | DA:Re8.k |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a dance and say what they liked and why. They start learning that opinions about art can be backed up with a reason. | DA:Re9.k |
Common Questions
What does dance class look like at this age?
Students move their bodies in different ways to explore space, shapes, and rhythm. They make up short movement ideas, copy steps, and dance to music or stories. Most of the work happens through play, not formal routines.
How can I support dance at home without any training?
Put on music and let students show you a shape with their body, a slow movement, and a fast one. Ask what the dance is about. Five minutes of movement in the living room counts and builds the same skills practiced in class.
My child is shy about performing. Is that a problem?
No. At this age, performing can mean showing one movement to a partner or a small group. Comfort grows with practice. Dancing together at home, even silly kitchen dancing, helps students feel more at ease moving in front of others.
How should the year be sequenced?
Start with body awareness and basic movements like bend, stretch, twist, and jump. Move into space and pathways, then tempo and energy. Save short making and sharing activities for later in the year once students have a movement vocabulary to pull from.
What skills usually need the most reteaching?
Personal space and stopping on a signal almost always need revisiting. Naming movements also takes repetition, since students often show a shape before they can describe it. Build in quick warm-ups that name body parts and movement words all year.
How do students respond to dance they watch?
They notice what a dancer's body is doing and start to say what a dance reminds them of. A simple prompt like what did you see and what did it make you think works well. Short video clips of different dance styles give plenty to talk about.
How will I know students are ready for first grade dance?
By spring, students should move safely in shared space, copy a short sequence of movements, and make up a few movements of their own based on an idea like weather or animals. They should also talk about a dance using simple words for body, speed, and shape.
Do students need to learn specific dance styles or steps?
Not at this age. The focus is on building a movement vocabulary and connecting movement to ideas, stories, and feelings. Exposure to different styles through short clips or guest dancers is a bonus, not a requirement.