Residency & Workshop

Program Name: Step On Up!

 

This highly-energetic dance style uses the body as a percussive instrument to create intricate polyrhythmic beats. Students will learn the history and fundamentals of Step Dance - including its significance and the role it has played in society. The exercises in this workshop are designed to improve strength, balance, coordination and rhythmic timing. Through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic approaches, dancers will develop strong interpersonal skills, advance their musical knowledge, project their voices, execute learned choreography, and gain a more extensive understanding of pattern recognition. 

 

Grade level shown: 4th & 5th (*Programs are adjusted to Grade Level)

 

How many sessions? 10-15

 

Enduring Understandings:

 

• Students will leave this residency program with an understanding of Step Dance and its cultural context. 

• Students will gain a stronger sense of rhythm, timing, and dance vocabulary associated with Stepping. 

• Students will have at their disposal the knowledge of dance exercises they can use for strength, balance, coordination, and will have a concept of how dance classes are structured. 

• Students will know how to work as a team, have perspective on what goes into creating a successful performance (from start to finish), and will remember certain theatrical terms such as “dress rehearsal”, “curtain”, “tech rehearsal”, and “backstage”.

 

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Goals:

 

Students will become familiar with the style of dance known as Stepping, gaining an understanding of its rudiments and cultural context through the physical application of its form and movements. Students will accomplish the following:

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• Development of collaborative skills, through group learning

• Ability to perform any Choreographed Routine

• Development of improvisational skills

• An improvement in Rhythmic sensibility

• An understanding of the process of putting together a performance

• Successful completion of a final presentation, including both choreographed and student-written movements.

 

Essential Question(s):

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• What distinguishes Stepping from other forms of dance and which attributes are shared between their styles?

• What can we learn from improvisational moments and how can they be used for dance performances?

• What role does repetition play in solidifying our understanding of dance movements?

• How can elements of dance be used to express emotions and communicate with audiences?

• What is required in order to put on a successful dance performance?

 

Academic Standards:

 

Dance and Music Standards

• Creating

o AS 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Explore & Imagine.

• Performing, Presenting, Producing

o AS 5: Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation. Embody, Rehearse, Evaluate, & Refine. 

• Responding

o AS 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work. Interpret.

 

Social Studies Standards

• Unifying Themes

o 2: Development, Movement, and Interaction of Cultures: Cultural diffusion and change over time as facilitating different ideas and beliefs

• AS 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding. Relate. (Ideas: To share with students how this form of expression helped people to communicate - communication through dance, music, drums - a sense of freedom and expression… Themes of strength, resilience, and power.)

 

Scope & Sequence overview of session(s): 

 

1. Introductions to: Teacher, Students, and Dance form. Set Community Agreement (i.e. Rules for classroom), Present the Goal(s): To create a group routine that will be performed at the end of residency. Begin movement. 

2. Learn History of Step. Watch related materials: Excerpts of its use in HBCUs (1:09-1:54), fraternities (0:51-1:35), and Boot Mining (0:33-1:54). Establishment of routines: Our intro game and warm-up exercise structure.

3. Begin Stepping Vocabulary: Words are added to a ‘Word Wall’. Students learn the words/names of our foundational steps in relation to their associated movements. Students share their favorite songs with the Teaching Artist. 

4. Intro to Choreography: Students see the modern-day application of Stepping in current-day choreography. Students practice the steps they’ve learned to music that will be used for our final performance.

5. Solidifying Verse 1 Choreography: Students perform a teacher-student “role swap”, where they demonstrate their understanding by leading the movements for Verse 1 of our Dance.

6. Chorus & Pose: Students learn ‘Chorus’ Choreography, gaining a peek into the world of improvisation by posing at the end of their movements. Some inspiration can be found from watching related material: Dances of the Time. 

7. Introduction to Improvisation: Students explore their own movements, some of which will be added into the final Choreography.

8. Solidifying Verse 2 - Rhythm & Clues: Students learn to use cues in the music to help remember their moves. There is a focus on Rhythm as students learn Musical Counting

9. Bridging the Gap: Students go over all that has been learned thus far - to practice it before we learn next week’s final movements. The Teaching Artist will also determine individualized skill sets, Solo performance moments, and assign “spots”. Students are given spots for the dance and learn about Windows.