Description of Activity

Students work in pairs or small groups using action words as a stimulus to create a movement sequence.

Teacher Instructions

1. Place cards with action words around the room with space for students to move around them.
2. Students improvise shapes and movements in response to the action words.
3. They select their four favourite movements and perform them for another student.
4. Students observe their peers and discuss the use of action, levels and space.
5. They explore their shapes and movements using different levels.
6. Students refine their movements to develop a 16 count sequence.
7. They join with a partner or partners and combine their individual sequences to develop a 32 count sequence.
8. Students continue to improvise, develop, refine and organise the movement as a performance piece, using variations in action, levels, space and relationships.
9. They rehearse to music and perform their sequences for the class. Students have learnt about safe dance practice and the importance of warming up and cooling down. They have built up a series of shapes and transitions to create a locomotor/non-locomotor sequence. Students have explored symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes as well as contrasting and complementary shapes. They have manipulated the elements of time and shape, and created a movement sequence based on a stimulus 

     The suggested time for this activity is 3–4 lessons.