Moving Creatively
“Dance is the most immediate and accessible of
the arts because it involves your own body. When
you learn to move your body on a note of music,
it’s exciting. You have taken control of your body
and, by learning to do that, you discover that you
can take control of your life.”
—Jacques d’Amboise (2006)
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What Is Creative Movement?
Creative movement is open-ended so that
the dancers can use the creative process
to create unique ways of moving.
Dance is more formalized with repeated
patterned positions and steps.
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Physiology of Movement
Bodily movements are
controlled by the
interaction of our:
• Muscular and skeletal
system
• Kinesthetic awareness
• Vestibular
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning.
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Elements of Dance
(pg. 325)
Space Effort Connection
• Place • Time • To body
• Direction • Force • To objects
• Level • Flow • To people
• Path • Distance
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning.
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Importance of Movement
Why is movement
important?
(pg. 325)
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How does movement help children:
• Physically?
• Socially?
• Cognitively?
• Linguistically?
• Emotionally?
• (pp. 325-327)
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning.
All Rights Reserved.
Dance Standards
By the end of the primary years, children should:
1. Use the skills of movement and dance
2. Improvise and create original dance
sequences
3. Communicate ideas and feelings through
dance
4. Analyze movement using the dance
elements
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning.
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Dance Standards
By the end of the primary years, children should:
5. Understand and perform dance from other
cultures
6. Know the connection between good health
and dance
7. Connect dance with other arts and subjects
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Levels of Physical Control
• Precontrol
• Control
• Utilization
• Proficiency
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Designing Creative Movement
Activities
• One-on-one
• Explorations
• Group
movement
sequences
• (pp. 327-328)
Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning.
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Creating Movement Spaces
A safe environment for children moving
includes:
1. Adequate space
2. No sharp edges
3. Well-marked
boundaries
4. Appropriate
surface
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Moving Safely
Consistent signals keep children safe.
Establish signals by:
1. Explaining why the signals are needed
2. Modeling the signal
3. Practicing responding to the signal
4. Reviewing signals at the start of each
movement activity
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Music for Moving
Select music that:
• Makes you feel like moving
• Is instrumental
• Has a clear rhythm and melody line
• Expresses different emotions and
ideas
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Adding Props
Props help children move more
freely by:
• Taking the focus off themselves
• Enlarging their movements
• Tying their movements to those of others
or to a place
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Guiding Creative Movement
• Explore a movement idea.
• Provide free practice.
• Add rhythmic accompaniment.
• Add props.
• Add music.
• Repeat and extend.
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Meeting Special Needs
• Keep environment consistent.
• Eliminate hazards.
• Reduce distances and heights.
• Provide padded surfaces.
• Use adult or peer buddies.
• Mark path on floor or wall.
• Use props or supports.
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Dancing
Dance for young
children should
not focus on
learning the
steps, but on the
process of
moving.
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Dancing (continued)
Selecting dances:
• Consist of one to three repeated
movements.
• Allow creative changes.
• Represent many styles and cultures.
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