Leaving Certificate

Applied

Arts Education:

DanceModules 1&2

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In-service Handouts

Sharon Phelan

Table of Contents

Leaving Certificate Applied Dance Programme Page

Dance Appreciation 14

How to Organise a Dance Lesson 26

Dance : An Interdisciplinary Approach 27

Literacy through Dance 32

Task Ideas 34

Sample Lesson Plans: Folk Dance 35

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Sample Lesson Plans: Contemporary Dance 54

Resources 59

Dance Terms 61

Leaving Certificate AppliedLeaving Certificate Applied

Dance

Programme Elective Modules: Dance One & Dance Two Module Description Task Work Rationale Credits General Recommendations

Key Principles Integration across the Curriculum Basic Skills Active Teaching Learning Methodologies Reflection Links with the Community

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Module One: Units Anatomical / Physiological Elements & Dance Body Parts, Body Shapes, the Body Travelling Space Improvisation Choreography Performance Dance Appreciation

Module Two Development of Module One Dance Vocabulary Broadens Dance Appreciation becomes more intellectual Students acquire further chorographic Skills as they explore Dynamics & Accompaniment

Prerequisites? Module One

Module Two: Units

Anatomical / Physiological Elements & Dance Dynamics Accompaniment Improvisation Choreography Performance Dance Appreciation

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Anatomical / Physiological Elements & Dance

During Warm –Up / Cool - Down

o Centre the body when stretching and remember to mirror the students

o Raise the pulse rate by incorporating travelling actions into the warm-up

o Stay in one place generally when stretchingo Allow for equal repetition on both sideso Use even tempo music

The Body Body Parts

o Hands, feet, the head, fingers…

Body Shapeo Straight, wide, long, narrow, wide…

Activity

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o Travelling, turning, rolling, stillness, jumping…

Symmetry / Asymmetry

Flow of movemento Simultaneous or successive

Space

Personal Space & General Spaceo Personal Space

o Reach up/ downo Forward / backwardo Around

o General Spaceo Search for an open space in a crowded area

High, Medium & Low Levelso Jump higho Dive low…

Air Patterns

o Rise upo Sink downo Open outo Close ino Advance forwardo Retreat backward…

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Floor Pathwayso Linearo Zig zago Curved…

Dynamics: The Energies of Movement

o Controlledo Regularo Sustainedo Suddeno Erratic

Space & Dynamics

o Expansive / Constrained Space using the same dance piece – note the difference

Time

o Regularo Irregularo Fasto Slow

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Accompaniment: Music, Percussion, and Sound Effects

Music:

‘The relationship of music to dance is an intimate one. Music, through its pulse and rhythm, provides a driving force and an overall structure. Its influence can be positive or negative…the ideal relationship mutually supportive’.

Blom et al

Music can provide the background to a piece- it can establish a mood, highlight particular actions, provide parameters

Music can dictate the piece-students can choose to go with or against the music

Music can reflect the piece- culturally, artistically, socially

Look into the possibility of using live musicians-the school band, or a talented member of staff, parent or student

Percussion:

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Students can use bodhrans, drums, chimes, spoons, breathing rhythm, to provide a background, dictate or to reflect a particular dance style. Some suggestions might include:

Using a variety of sounds, African bongo rhythms, Jazz, Piano music, mood music, sound effects, film music, orchestral and popular beat. Students can experiment with using drums, shakers, bells, and guitars, tambourines, keyboards as accompaniment

Allowing the students to practice playing out a definite 4/4 rhythm accenting the first beat. The tutor changes the accent and ads syncopation, passing this around the group. Students hold the original rhythm until new one comes along

Tutor divides groups into threes and fours - giving each group a variation of the 4/4 rhythms to play. They continue on to play together with their individual grouping and individual rhythm structure

Body rhythms are added, when rhythms are familiar to everyone

Sounds:

Sounds can be vocal-singing, shouting, humming.

Let the students use sound effects [e.g. waves and wind] as stimuli for dance.

Students can appreciate the role played by sound effects in contemporary dance performances-integral or complimentary

Allow the students to work in partners…One student, [A], moves freely. The other, [B] charts the rhythm as h/she listens to the beat. Then, the pair devises a sequence to fit that particular rhythm. In this case, movement has dictated the rhythm

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Improvisation

Different Stimuli

Kinaesthetico A single piece if movement [a shape, phrase, gesture]

becomes the kinaesthetic stimulus from which the movement piece is derived

o E.g.: ‘Using the word ‘Dodge’ create a variety of shapes

Auditory

o Music, percussion, sound, silence, words, songs etco Auditory stimuli may accompany & / or inspire

dance pieceso An Example:

Listen to an auditory stimulus On a sheet of paper map the music [?] piece Use movement words which describe your

interpretation; strong, slow, jerky… Using both the drawing & the auditory stimulus

to create short movement phrases

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Visual

o Pictures, sculptures, artefactso Movement is created from observationo Visual stimuli can be a response from nature / man

made objectso The stimulus itself can influence the pathways,

dynamics [etc] of the piece

Ideational

o A specific idea, an unfolding story, poem…o For Example

Use a poem of preference Literally perform the actions, which you read in

this poem Now, use abstraction to develop this literal

movement into symbolic movement Select / Refine the movements to create a

performance piece

Tactileo The movements are inspired by toucho The tactile stimulus produces a kinaesthetic response,

which can inspire further movement

Different Ways of Movement

Space Dynamics The Body;

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Different accompaniment

Sound, silence, percussion. Music

Relationships: Groups, Pairs and Individuals

Forming

Sequencingo the order in which the movement appears; the

movement within the phrase…the phrase within the section…the ordering of the sections

o the order of the movements, phrases, sections support the stimulus

Transitions

o Hold the piece together; movements, phrases, sectionso Each transition should be logical, short & simpleo Define phrases within sections & the sections

themselveso Must evolve out of one phrase / section & introduce

the next

Repetitiono Used effectively, clarifies the themeo Can emphasise certain movements, motifso Can be used with variation

Using different dynamics, body parts, spatial designs, time…

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Variation & Contrast

o Provide interesto Consider

o Variation & contrast in motif, phrases, sectionso Variation & contrast in space, dynamics,

time…

Choreography

AB

ABA

Theme & Variation

Rondo [abacada]

Performance

An Aesthetic / artistic situation, where the Dancer enjoys dancing the specific piece for its own sake

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Criteria:

Ability to communicate the stimulus with the audience Commitment to the Dance being delivered; Energy, Effort &

Enthusiasm Effective choices of movements, forming [sequencing, repetition,

transition…] & compositional structures [AB, ABA…]

Dance Appreciation

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Leaving Certificate AppliedDance Appreciation

Resource Pack

Table of Contents

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Leaving Certificate Applied Dance Appreciation Units

Key Underlying Principles

A Basic Background to Dance Appreciation

Sample Dance Appreciation Assignments

Leaving Certificate Applied Dance Appreciation Units

Dance One

Unit 7: Dance Appreciation

The student will be able to:

Actively notice and pay attention to dance as an art form Describe a performer’s/choreographer’s use of the body, timing and

space Appreciate other students’ work, and comment constructively, with

due regard for their creative efforts

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Dance Two

Unit 9:Dance Appreciation

The student will be able to:

Identify appropriate/inappropriate use of body parts and shapes, ways of travelling, space, energy and time in movement pieces

Appreciate different dance pieces individually and in group situations and through written and oral work

Investigate when, how, why and where people dance, through questionnaires, surveys, interviews, the internet etc

Present his/her dance research findings to different audiences Observe two video recordings of different dance styles and discuss

orally the similarities, and notable differences between them

Key Underlying Principles

Guidelines:

The following are only suggestions where the Key Underlying Principles of Leaving Certificate Applied can be integrated into the Dance Appreciation Units of the Leaving Certificate Applied Syllabus

Teamwork:

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Allow students appreciate movement individually or in large and small group situations and through oral/written work

Students can appreciate each other’s work. [E.g. Did Group A use similar or different floor patterns than your group?]

Active Learning Methodologies

Students can complement their oral/written description of a piece through demonstrating parts of the piece themselves

Basic Skills [literacy]

Encourage students to use basic dance terminology [e.g. rhythm, set dance, space, waltz etc] when describing a piece

Let Students describe the travelling actions, [jumping, turning, skipping], the body parts employed [toes, hands, spine], and the body shapes [twisted, straight, wide] in a dance piece

Integration across the Curriculum

The student can identify the stimulus/stimuli behind any dance piece [e.g. Story, poem, word, and song, custom]

Links with the Community

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Encourage students to attend local dance shows and to provide oral / written reports of their evaluations

A Basic Background to Dance Appreciation

‘Aesthetics…is a branch of philosophy which has been developed to cover the values, concepts and judgements which are intrinsic to the understanding of art.’

[German: 1979: 23]

Many critics are not educated in dance, therefore, many dance reviews and critiques lack the reasoning and analysis found in good dance appreciation /criticism

‘The critic who resorts to bitchy comment or irrelevant detail displays the same disregard for the dance as the dancer or choreographer who refuses to discuss his work on the grounds that ‘it should speak for itself’.’

[German: 1979; 24]

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Scientists often make authoritative remarks about dance; yet, dancers rarely make more than tentative remarks about science. In addition, art forms are often seen as relaxing pastimes [Physics are not] and as a result are not viewed with the same seriousness

Without an understanding of the conceptual apparatus [form, context, technique…] a valuable critique is impossible.

So, what are the elements of good dance criticism?

Guidelines:

1. The dance must be described

2. The work must be placed in context [E.g. ‘the early modern dance of Isadora Duncan and her quest for freedom’]

3. The dance must be evaluated from two perspectives -performance and choreography

Performance [E.g. Did the performers meet established technical standards, Did they interpret the work in accordance to its choreography…]

Choreography [E.g. Has the work been placed in its historical context? Has it been placed in its stylistic context? [{Is it an example of the traditional Irish Step Dancing style of the late nineteenth century?}]

Most new choreography falls into the style of an established master [E.g. Martha Graham, Jeremiah Molyneaux…]…novel choreography does not necessarily guarantee merit

‘In general the test for worthwhile innovation is whether it enhances our sense of the potential of human movement.’

[Van Camp: 1996]

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Dance critics also have to allude to set, lighting, props, and accompaniment. The test is whether they are appropriate to the human movement and other elements on stage

Five Steps in Learning To Appreciate Dance

1. Perception Asks the person to actively notice and pay attention

2. Description Asks the person to give substance to their perception

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3. Analysis Asks the person to examine relationships, characteristics,

amounts…

4. Interpretation Encourages speculative [tentative] thinking

5. Evaluation Enters into preferences, opinion, and subjective layers of

response

Before embarking on a dance appreciation exercise, the class should always explore the background of the performing company:

Siamsa Tire is the national folk theatre of Ireland. Broadly speaking, it is a theatrical representation of Irish folk culture. Based in Tralee, Co. Kerry, it also has two training centres – one in Finuge, near Listowel in North Kerry and one in Carraig near Dingle. Pupils complete a three-year course in traditional Irish dance, music, singing and mime. During springtime each year a show opens especially geared towards school pupils in the theatre in Tralee.

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One show, Ding Dong Dedero, examines the life of Jerry Molyneaux a famed North Kerry dancing master. It explores his life and the legacy of dance that he left behind. The curtain opens with a prophet, who forecasts fame for the new–born blacksmith’s son [Jerry Molyneaux]. Later in the first act, dancing spirits emerge from the fires in the forge to perform a ritualistic dance around Molyneaux and he awakens into manhood.

In the second act, the ringing of a mass bell interrupts the men’s pagan ritualistic dance. The cast drift off stage holding rosary beads but the priest is not seen. As the chant of the rosary grows louder, Jerry Molyneaux dances to the rhythm of the rosary on the anvil. There is a suggestion that for this man his dance is his prayer and the anvil his alter. These scenes are reflective of the pagan influence already mentioned with reference to the Celts.

In An Damhsoir –the dancer, a piece devoted to the memory of Jack Lyons, [one of Molyneaux’s finer pupils], the dancers perform in Molyneaux’s unique style. It is a style often described as earthy, as the dancer performs close to the ground. [Molyneaux was said to write on the floor with his feet.] These steps are currently in Siamsa tire’s archives because Jack Lyons agreed to have them videotaped in 1983. Then he could only dance with the aid of a chair. The stage reflects this. Five dancers either sit or stand with the support of chairs.

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Dance Appreciation Exercise: The Chair Dance [Siamsa tire]

1. Can you name the dance form, the choreographic structure, the accompaniment, and the type of stimulus employed by the performers?

[Description]

2. Examine the use of space and the relationship between the performers. [Analysis]

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3.Investigate the use of lighting, sound and costume?[Analysis]

4. Were there original movements used that you had never seen before? [Analysis]

5. Why does the choreographer use periods of silence?[Interpretation]

Dance Appreciation Exercise: Fire dance [Riverdance]

Like the sun, fire is a source of heat and comfort, also something to be feared. Maria Pages represents fire – while her dance is attractive, it is still dangerous. Michael Flatley represents the early Celtic Settlers. While he is cautious at first, he eventually embraces and fully connects with the flame.

Michael Flatley and Maria Pages use space [personal/general, levels, and pathways] in different ways. How?

What does Maria Pages’ dance style tell us about her?

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What does Michael Flatley’s dance style tell us about him?

Describe the dancers’ relationship to themselves, their environment and to each other.

Is this a contemporary or traditional piece? Why?

How Do We Organise A Dance Lesson?

Pupils Change: Appropriate clothingJewellery removalHair tied back

Before the lesson begins: Students are told: What they are going to doWhy they are doing itHow this builds on what they have done before

Warm Up

Rise the body temperature / pulseActivities must: Mobilise the joints

Gently stretch the muscles

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Ideas Imput: Read & discuss a newspaper article, story, look at & discuss a photograph, art piece…

Movement Tasks: Should involve creating / performing / appreciating

What is the nature of the task?How is it linked to the ideas imput?How much time do the students have?

Teacher Assignment: Decide…

What to observeWho to observe

What to record

Feedback: Say what was done well & ask how it can be improved

Cool Down A quiet & gentle activity to calm down

End of Lessson: Involves teacher / student feedback * an indication of the next lesson [if possible]

Evaluation: What did you want toe students to learn / achieveWhat is the next step?

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Dance – An Interdisciplinary Approach

Stimuli for dance can be drawn from visual, aural and verbal starting points…

‘All art forms work from abstraction, form, style and intent, but the unique essence of each derives from its medium and cannot be readily captured in another medium. Nevertheless, many facets of the one art can be used as stimuli for another.’

Blom and Chaplin

Contemporary Dance – An Interdisciplinary Approach

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Artefacts, paintings, architecture, drawings, photographs are all potential dance stimuli. Teachers might like to consider the following suggestions:

Artefacts:

The movement patterns of working tools [knitting needles, butter churns, hammers] can be analysed and used as movement patterns for dance pieces.

Visual Art: Drawings, Paintings and Photographs…

Drawings, paintings and photographs can suggest a mood or a narrative [story or historical event]. They will always imply a particular social period. Examples may include:

Allowing students to choose a picture and to interpret it in terms of movement - line, dynamics, space and relationships

Using dance maps, which have linear, zigzag and curved pathways, printed on them. The students can explore different floor patterns by travelling along the same pathways. While appreciating different dance forms; Folk, Ballroom etc they can print the pathways these dance forms use

Letting students print pathways when they appreciate different dance forms; Ballroom, Modern etc

Architecture:

Examples can include:

Allowing the architectural design of different locations to influence material: a stairway, stage, crossroads, park

Moving in expansive spaces [e.g. field] and constrained spaces [e.g. stage] and noting the relationship between space and dynamics

Letting the function of particular locations stimulate movement ideas: a church, supermarket, town park, Zoo

Text

Students can use myths, legends, poetry lyrics, newspaper articles etc to stimulate a dance piece.

The dance can follow the form of the narrative [dance/drama] and tell the story

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Certain movements are suggested by some texts. For example, a modern novel might suggest the dynamics, space and actions familiar with rave dancing

Irish Dance – An Interdisciplinary Approach

Artefacts:

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The movement patterns of traditional working tools [knitting needles, butter churns, milk buckets] can be analysed and used as stimuli for new Irish Set & Group Dances

Drawings, Paintings and Photographs:

Drawings, paintings and photographs can suggest a mood or a narrative [story or historical event]. They always imply a particular social period. Examples may include:

Pictures of folk dancers inspiring an interest in different cultures and being interpreted in terms of movement- line, dynamics, space and relationships

Exploring floor patterns by travelling along the pathways in Set / Group Dance maps

While appreciating different set / group dances students can print their movement pathways

Comparing and contrasting Irish Dances in the students’ locality with Irish Dance pieces from other areas

Settings:

Examples may include:

Placing Irish Dance in different environments– a thatched cottage, stage, ceili, crossroads

Allowing the function of architectural settings to promote movement ideas: a church, town park, farms

Text:

Students can use traditional Irish myths, legends, poetry lyrics, etc to stimulate an original Irish Dance piece.

The dance can follow the form of the narrative [dance/drama] and tell the story. Certain movements are suggested by some texts. For example, a traditional tale

[e.g. Diarmuid agus Grainne] might suggest the dynamics, space and actions familiar with traditional Irish Dance, whereas a more modern story, [e.g. Circle of Friends], might suggest the dynamics, space and actions familiar with Contemporary Irish Dance

Aural Stimuli:

Music:

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Music can reflect, dictate and provide the background to Irish Dance - culturally, artistically, and socially. Traditional musicians in the school or a talented member of staff, parent or student can be used

Students can use bodhrans, drums, bones and spoons to provide a background, dictate or to reflect a particular dance type [hornpipes, reels, and jigs]. Body rhythms are added, when rhythms are familiar to everyone

Verbal Stimuli

Sounds:

Sounds can be vocal - singing, shouting, and humming. Students can also use sound effects, [e.g. waves and wind], as stimuli for original Irish Dance pieces and they can appreciate the role played by sound effects in a dance performance-integral or complementary

Literacy through Dance - Sample Task

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Case Study Textual Stimuli: Irish, French [etc.] Folk Tales and Legends

Objectives: The students [individually or as part of a group] will be able to:

1. Select and read one or more folk tales or myths

2. Choose one folk tale or legend and retell it to classmates

3.Write a programme on the dance piece he/she [they] are going to present

4.Choreograph individually or with a partner and present it to the class

5.Perform the piece for the rest of the class

6. Review each other’s dance pieces either by oral or written format

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Lesson Activities

1. The teacher can introduce students to a variety of Irish, French, and British, [etc.] legends, folk tales, and myths. [Alternatively request students to research their own stimuli]. Allow students can read one or more legends / folk tales independently. Then, they can choose one folk tale or legend and retell it through movement. Student [s] reread their choice several times until they feel comfortable with their choice of textual stimuli. [Alternatively, they can write their own story [English and Communication].

2. After the story has been selected, have students retell their story to classmates without using the printed text. Then they can question their peers on their choice of stimuli / request ideas [etc.]. [Encourage them to use dance terminology.]

3. Present examples of theatre programmes to the students. Then, using these examples the students can devise their own [information Technology] programme centred on the piece that they are going to present. [If creative writing was optional, request students to differentiate between actual folk tales, legends, myths and fictional stories.]

4. 1 Allow students to improvise individually, in pairs or in small groups. [Allow at least four forty minute periods, excluding warm- ups / cool-downs.]. Circulate among them while they are choreographing and offer advice.

5. On the day of the performance, the students can deliver programmes, allow time for their audience to read them and perform the dance piece that they [individually / or as past of a team] have choreographed.The students can review each other’s pieces verbally or by written format. Examples might include mock newspaper arts reviews, street interviews, completing dance appreciation forms, a class

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Task Ideas

Research the life of a Professional Dancer

To create and perform a dance piece-individually or as part of a group

A combination of dance and another area of the curriculum in a presentation

A questionnaire on the interest of students in dance, the different dance styles preferred etc

To organise a ceili

To organise a professional dance group to visit the school

Current Dance courses available in Ireland – a brochure

To compare and contrast two different dance performances using structured methods of appreciation

A project on the folk dances of different countries

My favourite dance form-ballet, Jazz etc

To teach dance to a local Primary School Group

To create a piece using a special prop

A survey on local dance classes/facilities

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