Two 60 minute workshops are the standard, however, a longer residency may be arranged to build a more formal presentation performance.
In-School Workshop
October through May
$10
50
yes
In-Person , Phone , Email
Music and costume materials.Supplemental information about the animals selected by the children. "Giraffes Can't Dance" text.
Open space, auditorium, or gym floor.
Space suitable for active movement for the full class. 1) To meet with the Teaching Artists to discuss vocabulary and potential links to curriculum they are focusing on in the classroom. 2) To introduce the books before the first workshop (preferred) or to indicate if the teaching artist would do it in the first session.
I can communicate meaning through dance. I can describe how dance is informed by life and learning experiences. I can recognize and appreciate the differences in my classmates.
The workshops will be built around the book "Giraffes Can"t Dance" by Giles Andreae and illustrated by Guy Parker"“Reese (1999). It is a book generally recommended for children ages 4 to 8, but has been successfully used with older children because the illustrations and the layout of the text are all about movement. The book is a simple story that serves as an excellent framework to: teach the children about dance forms in historical and cultural context; building vocabulary; to use the vocabulary of emotions and feelings to identify real life situations; and to research the animal characters and present findings in order to be guided in the creation and performance of basic choreography. The first workshop will introduce the animals and their characteristics using the illustrations and dance styles to set the stage for the children to share their own stories, building vocabulary as they move. They will be introduced to the music and basic movement patterns suggested in the book and share what they know of other dance forms. The second session will build choreography that tells the basic story, with the children assuming roles of the characters, applying movements that illustrate their roles in the story. And they will be directed to "put it all together". We apply the principles of CLOSE reading to the interpretation of text and use that approach and standards of dance pedagogy to teach across skill and grade levels.
The program can work with more than one class at a time. The number of artists will be determined by class size. The school must have adequate space available for dance. While Stretching for Life's primary goal is for the participants to learn the basics of movement and to enjoy dancing, the program also represents a unique opportunity to expose children to diverse cultures, their music, movement and unique dance techniques
Spectrum in Motion encourages the involvement of whole families. Parents/caregivers are welcome to participate in the workshops! (As is the teaching staff.)
Grade K
Grade K: Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use #5: With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
Grade K: Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use #6: Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.
Grade K: Dance: Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
A. a. Recognize and name an emotion that is experienced when watching, improvising, or performing dance and relate it to a personal experience.
B. Observe a work of visual art. Describe and then express through movement something of interest about the artwork, and ask questions for discussion
concerning the artwork.
Physical Education: Standard 1. The physically literate individual demonstrates competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns.
Grade 1
Grade #1: Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use #5: With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
Grade #1: Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use #6: Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using frequently occurring conjunctions to signal simple relationships (e.g., because).
Grade #1: Dance: Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
A. . Find an
experience
expressed or
portrayed in a
dance that relates
to a familiar
experience. Identify
the movements that
communicate this
experience.
B. . Observe
illustrations from a
story. Discuss
observations and
identify ideas for
dance movement
and demonstrate
the big ideas of the
story
Physical Education: Standard 1. The physically literate individual demonstrates competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns.
Grade 2
Grade #2: Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use #5: Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
Grade # 2: Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use #6: Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using adjectives and adverbs to describe (e.g., When other kids are happy that makes me happy).
Grade #2: Dance: Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
A. Describe, create,
and/or perform a
dance that
expresses personal
meaning and
explain how certain
movements express
this personal
meaning.
B. Respond to a
dance work using an
inquiry-based set of
questions (for
example, See, Think,
Wonder). Create
movement using
ideas from
responses and
explain how certain
movements express
a specific idea.
Physical Education: Standard 1. The physically literate individual demonstrates competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns.
Grade 3
Grade #3: Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use #5: Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
Grade #3: Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use #6: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner that night we went looking for them).
Grade #3: Dance: Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
A. Compare the
relationships
expressed in a
dance to
relationships with
others. Explain how
they are the same
or different.
B. Ask and research
a question about a
key aspect of a
dance that
communicates a
perspective about
an issue or event.
Explore the key
aspect through
movement. Share
movements and
describe how the
movements help to
remember or
discover new
qualities in these
key aspects.
Communicate the
new learning in oral,
written, or
movement form.
Physical Education: Standard 1. The physically literate individual demonstrates competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns.
Grade 4
Grade #4: Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use #5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
Grade #4: Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use #6: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to a particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation).
Grade #4: Dance: Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
A. Relate the main
idea or content in a
dance to other
experiences. Explain
how the main idea
of a dance is similar
to or different from
one"s own
experiences,
relationships, ideas
or perspectives.
B. Develop and
research a question
relating to a topic of
study in school
using multiple
sources of
references. Select
key aspects about
the topic and
choreograph
movements that
communicate the
information. Discuss
what was learned
from creating the
dance and describe
how the topic might
be communicated
using another form
of expression.
Physical Education: Standard 1. The physically literate individual demonstrates competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns.
Grade 5
Grade #5: Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use 5#: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
Grade #5: Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use #6: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships (e.g., however, although, nevertheless, similarly, moreover, in addition)
Grade #5: Dance: Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
A. Compare two
dances with
contrasting themes.
Discuss feelings and
ideas evoked by
each. Describe how
the themes and
movements relate
to points of view
and experiences.
B. Choose a topic,
concept, or content
from another
discipline of study
and research how
other art forms
have expressed the
topic. Create a
dance study that
expresses the idea.
Explain how the
dance study
expressed the idea
and discuss how this
learning process is
similar to, or
different from,
other learning
situations.
Physical Education: Standard 1. The physically literate individual demonstrates competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns.