Dance: Grade 7

Creating

Performing

Responding

Connecting

Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.

Refine and complete artistic work.

Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.

Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.

Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.

Perceive and analyze artistic work.

Interpret meaning in artistic work.

Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.

Relate and synthesize knowledge and personal experiences to inspire and inform artistic work.

Investigate ways that artistic work is influenced by societal, cultural, and historical context and, in turn, how artistic ideas shape cultures past, present, and future.

Choreographers are inspired by a variety of sources to convey concepts and ideas through movement for artistic expression.

The elements of dance, dance structures, and choreographic structures serve as both a foundation and a departure point for choreographers.

Choreographers analyze, evaluate, refine, and document their work to communicate meaning.

Space, time, and energy are basic elements of dance.

Dancers use the body-mind principles and develop the body as an instrument for artistry and artistic expression.

Dance performance is an interaction between performers, production elements, and audience that heightens and amplifies artistic expression.

Dance is perceived and analyzed to comprehend its compositional structure.

Meaningful interpretations of dance consider artistic intent, style, genre, the elements of dance, technique, structure, and context.

Criteria for evaluating dance vary across genres, styles, and cultures.

Personal experiences, knowledge, and contexts are integrated and synthesized to interpret and create dance.

Societal, cultural, historical, and community contexts both influence and are influenced by dance.

Compare a variety of stimuli (e.g. music/sound, dance exemplars, literary forms, notation, natural phenomena, personal experiences/recall, world news, or social issues) and make selections to expand movement vocabulary and artistic expression for choreography.

Explore the elements of dance in various movement vocabularies to express an artistic intent in choreography. Explain and discuss the choices made, using genre-specific dance terminology.

Use a variety of choreographic devices (e.g. counterpoint, solo vs. group, accumulation)and dance structures (e.g. theme and variation) with some teacher support to develop a dance study with a clear artistic intent. Articulate reasoning for movement, music and structural choices. Observe and describe peers' choreographic process.

Determine artistic criteria to choreograph a dance study that communicates personal or cultural meaning. Articulate how the artistic criteria inform the choreographic process.

Explore the possibilities of producing dance in a variety of venues and for different audiences, using production terminology to explain how production elements (e.g. music, props, costumes, lights, set, video) are handled in different situations. Analyze the impact of production and non-production professionals on the presentation of a dance.

Evaluate possible revisions of dance compositions and reconsider artistic criteria, based on self-reflection, and peer and teacher feedback. Explain rationale for choices and how they clarify artistic intent.

Investigate a recognized system of documentation to record a dance sequence by using words, symbols, or media technologies.

Expand movement vocabulary of spatial patterns/designs (floor and air). Incorporate and modify shapes and spatial elements from different dance genres and styles for interest and contrast.

Vary dance phrasing by using accents and timing variations within a phrase to add interest kinesthetically, rhythmically, and visually.

Compare and contrast movement characteristics from a variety of dance genres or styles. Examine the relationship between the movement dynamics, energy, and music. Discuss specific characteristics and determine what dancers must do to perform them clearly.

Embody technical dance skills (e.g. functional alignment, coordination, balance, core support, kinesthetic awareness, clarity of movement, weight shifts, flexibility/range of motion). Apply somatic strategies to facilitate the performance of dance skills.

Employ healthful practices in dance and everyday life (e.g. good nutrition, adequate sleep, safe warm-ups). Discuss benefits of practices and how choices enhance performance.

Collaborate with peers to practice and refine dances. Develop group performance expectations, based upon observation and analyses (e.g. view live or recorded professional dancers, and collaboratively develop group performance expectations in response to information gained from observations).

Recommend and implement various ways to adapt movements to a performance space. Document the process and progress over time in writing and in other media. Use performance etiquette and performance practices during class, rehearsal and performance. Post-performance, receive, record, and reflect upon notes from the choreographer, and apply corrections to future performances.

Explore, devise, and select solutions to adopt to interaction with production elements (e.g. music/sound, props, costumes, sets, lighting) to enhance the performance of a dance. Analyze the effects of various dancer interactions with production elements to intensify and heighten the artistic performance of a work, using dance and production terminology.

Compare, contrast, and analyze recurring patterns of movement, the organization of choreographic devices, and their relationships (e.g. transitions, contrasts) in a dance. Articulate how the dance is constructed.

Compare and contrast how the elements of dance are used in a variety of genres, styles, or cultural movement practices. Use terminology specific to the dance form or practice.

Speculate on the possible meanings of a dance. Explain how these meanings are expressed by the elements of dance, use of body, dance technique, dance structure, and context. Use genre-specific dance terminology.

Compare artistic intent, content, and context from dances to examine the characteristics of genres, styles, or cultural movement practices. Based on the comparison, refine artistic criteria, using genre-specific dance terminology.

Compare and contrast the movement characteristics or qualities found in a variety of dance genres. Discuss how they differ from one's own personal movement characteristics and qualities, and how different perspectives can be communicated through movement.

Research the historical development of a dance genre or style. Use knowledge gained from the research to create a dance study that evokes the essence of the genre or style. Share the study with peers as part of a lecture demonstration that tells the story of the historical journey of the chosen genre or style. Document the process of research and application.

Compare, contrast, and discuss dance works or practices performed by people in various localities or communities. Formulate possible reasons why similarities and differences developed in relation to the ideas and perspectives important to each social group. Analyze the effect of each dance work or practice, if any, on its context.