Dance in Physical Education

Nicolina VenezianoMiddle and High School Teachers

What is Dance?

• An art form that generally refers to movement of the body used as a form of expression, social

interaction, or spiritually

Why is Dance important?

Teaches students how to interact socially with a partner or a group

Teaches students how to memorize patterns and sequences

Teaches students to interrupt movement and how to put their own style into it.

Can incorporate other aspects of schooling within the dance

Types of Dances

The Hokey Pokey (The Hokey Pokey with shapes)

The Cha Cha Slide

The YMCA (Fitness YMCA)

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

The Hokey Pokey

Social dance

Teaches students body parts

Fun

Instructional song

Younger kids

Teaching The Hokey Pokey

Can have one large group or a bunch of little groups

Does anyone know the dance and can demonstrate it?

Can students lead the dance?

Important to be energetic and have fun!

The Hokey Pokey

• Listen and follow along to the lyrics1. Put body part in

2. Take body part out

3. Put body part in

4. Shake it all about

5. Turn in a circle

6. Repeat with all body parts

Elmo Hokey Pokey

The Cha Cha Slide

Social Dance

Fun

Instructional song

Middle and High School students

Teaching theCha Cha Slide

One large group

Ask what moves are in the dance

Demonstrate the moves before performing the dance

Can someone lead the class

Be enthusiastic!

Cha Cha Slide

1. Clap hands

2. To the left and right

3. Walk backwards

4. Hop

5. Stomp left and right foot

6. Cha cha

7. Turn

8. Repeat as said on the song

9. Slide to left and right

10.Criss-cross

11.Hands on your knee

12.How low can you go

13.Reverse

14.Charlie brown

Listen and follow along to the lyrics

Steps of the Cha Cha Slide

Cha Cha Slide

The YMCA

Social Dance

Free to dance how you feel then spell out YMCA

Fun

All ages

Teaching The YMCA

Does anyone know it?

Demonstrate how to spell it

Can someone lead the class

One large group or a bunch of small groups

The YMCA

When the song spells out YMCA you do the following:

Raise both arms over head to form a Y

Bend both arms inward over head to form a M

Swing both arms overhead to the left to form a C

Bring both arms to a point over head to form an A

Dance however you want for the rest of the song

Yankees Ground Crew doing the YMCA

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Social dance

Instructional song

Teaches body parts

Memorization

Younger kids

TeachingHead, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Kids can spread out where

ever they wantDoes everyone know all

their body parts?Make sure little kids know

which body parts are whichBe enthusiastic!!

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Very simple dance to follow along to

Point to each body part as the song goes along

Follow what is being said by the music

Wiggles Head Shoulders Knees and Toes

Challenges

Most dance can have a variation

on it

Use a variation to challenge the

students

Can make them think more or do

more physically

Can make a dance more fun

Hokey Pokey Variation

Can use shapes Instead of using body parts, put

shapes into the circleHelps teach kids their shapes

Can use different LanguageSay body parts in all different

languages Incorporate what their learning

in world language classes

YMCA Variation

Incorporate fitness into a fun song

Go over what fitness moves can be doneStudents demonstrate the moves

Have students call out what moves to do in between the YMCA’s

A more fun way to get kids warmed up before physical education class

Head, Shoulders, Kneesand Toes Variation

Challenge by making students perform in different positionsLay on the floor and find all the body

partsGet in a weird position then find

body parts

Makes students aware of their own body