Resource 2: Refining our dance

Teacher resource for planning or adapting to use with pupils

Use the following questions to guide a discussion about each group’s dance. Note that you do not have to follow these questions in any particular order.

Creativity

  • Could you create more variation in your dance to communicate your ideas?
  • Could you, for example, swap partners, change directions, use different parts of the space, use different parts of the body or vary the space between the dancers?

Working with each other

There are lots of different ways of working together in a group dance. Consider some of the following variations:

  • working in groups within the large group, e.g. in twos;
  • swapping partners;
  • facing each other, dancing alongside, back-to-back or leaning against each other;
  • varying the distance between dancers;
  • creating a focus on one or more dancers at a particular time;
  • allowing one dancer to take the lead and the rest following.

Performance space

  • Do you need to adjust your dance to suit the performance space?
  • How will you position yourselves in the space to start?
  • How will you be positioned in the space when you finish?
  • How will you move around the space during your performance?

Awareness of the audience

  • Is it easy for the audience to see all the dancers in your group?
  • Could you adjust your dance so that the audience can see it better?

Other things to think about…

  • Does anybody in your group need extra support or help?
  • Could you enhance your presentation by wearing similar hats, scarves, particular colours etc.?

Resource 1: Stories of the Venda drum

Resource 3: Thinking back about dance