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Dance is a spatial and temporal art form which uses non-verbal communication in the creation of artistic form.
Dance embraces an intellectual, cognitive, and aesthetic body of knowledge providing both personal and social experience. It allows people to communicate with others in a way that is different from the written or spoken word and from other visual or auditory symbols. Like other art forms, knowing and perceiving in dance occurs on both the conscious and subconscious levels. Dance involves knowledge of movement vocabularies, compositional forms used to create specific works and their historical/cultural context.
Understanding and appreciation of dance is a pragmatic element of everyday life. Dance has an intimate relationship with various art forms such a music, drama, the visual arts, and language arts. In order to understand dance it is necessary for students to comprehend these relationships and recognize that dance is a basic form of expression known to all cultures.
Arts Education Principles/Standards: an
ICFAD Position, International Council of Fine Arts
Deans in cooperation with the American Council for the Arts,
1993.
Alaska Content Standard A: A student should be able to create and perform in the arts. |
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| Identifying and demonstrating movement elements and skills in performing arts | |||
| Performance Standard Benchmark 1 Ages 8-10 |
Performance Standard Benchmark 2 Ages 12-14 |
Performance Standard Benchmark 3 Ages 16-18 |
Performance Standard Advanced Ages 16-18 |
| participate in dance activities, showing understanding of personal and shared space | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways |
| accurately demonstrate nonlocomotor/axial movements (such as bend, twist, stretch, swing) | demonstrate the following movement skills and explain the underlying principles: alignment, balance, initiation of movement, articulation of isolated body parts, weight shift, elevation and landing, fall and recovery | demonstrate appropriate skeletal alignment, body-part articulation, strength, flexibility, agility, balance, coordination in locomotor and non-locomotor/axial movements | demonstrate a high level of consistency and reliability in performing technical skills |
| accurately demonstrate eight basic locomotor movements (such as walk, run, hop, jump, leap, gallop, slide, skip), traveling forward, backward, sideways, and diagonally, and turning | accurately identify and demonstrate basic dance steps, positions, and patterns for dance from two different styles or traditions | identify and demonstrate longer and more complex steps and patterns from two different dance styles/traditions | perform technical skills with artistic expression, demonstrating clarity, musicality, and stylistic nuance when performing individually and with others |
| demonstrate accuracy in moving to a musical beat and responding to changes in tempo | accurately transfer a rhythmic pattern from the aural to the kinesthetic | demonstrate rhythmic acuity | perform technical skills with artistic expression, demonstrating clarity, musicality, and stylistic nuance |
| demonstrate kinesthetic awareness, concentration, and focus in performing movement skills | demonstrate increasing kinesthetic awareness, concentration, and focus in performing movement skills | demonstrate projection while performing dance skills | perform technical skills with artistic expression, demonstrating clarity, musicality, and stylistic nuance |
| create shapes at low, middle, and high levels | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | perform technical skills with artistic expression, demonstrating clarity, musicality, and stylistic nuance |
| demonstrate the ability to define and maintain personal and shared space | accurately transfer a spatial pattern from the visual to the kinesthetic | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | perform technical skills with artistic expression, demonstrating clarity, musicality, and stylistic nuance |
| demonstrate movements in straight, curved, bent, and zigzag pathways | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | perform technical skills with artistic expression, demonstrating clarity, musicality, and stylistic nuance |
| not applicable at this age level | identify and clearly demonstrate a range of dynamics/movement qualities | create and perform combinations and variations in broad dynamic ranges | perform technical skills with artistic expression, demonstrating clarity, musicality, and stylistic nuance |
| attentively observe and accurately describe the action (such as skip, gallop) and movement elements (such as levels, directions) in a brief movement study | describe the action and movement elements observed in a dance, using appropriate movement/dance vocabulary | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | perform technical skills with artistic expression, demonstrating clarity, musicality, and stylistic nuance |
| not applicable at this age level | demonstrate accurate memorization and reproduction of movement sequences | demonstrate the ability to remember extended movement sequences | perform technical skills with artistic expression, demonstrating clarity, musicality, and stylistic nuance |
| Understanding choreographic principals, processes, and structure | |||
| Performance Standard Benchmark 1 Ages 8-10 |
Performance Standard Benchmark 2 Ages 12-14 |
Performance Standard Benchmark 3 Ages 16-18 |
Performance Standard Advanced Ages 16-18 |
| create a sequence with a beginning, middle, and end both with and without a rhythmic accompaniment. Identify each of these parts of the sequence | clearly demonstrate the principles of contrast and transition | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | perform technical skills with artistic expression, demonstrating clarity, musicality, and stylistic nuance |
| improvise, create, and perform dances based on own ideas and concepts from other sources | effectively demonstrate the processes of reordering and chance | use improvisation to generate movement for choreography | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways |
| use improvisation to discover and invent movement and to solve movement problems | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | perform technical skills with artistic expression, demonstrating clarity, musicality, and stylistic nuance |
| create a dance phrase, accurately repeat it, and then vary it (making changes in the time, space, and/or force/energy) | successfully demonstrate the structures or forms of AB ABA, canon, call and response, and narrative | demonstrate understanding of structures or forms (such as palindrome, theme and variation, rondo, round contemporary forms selected by the student) through brief dance studies | demonstrate further development and refinement of the proficient skills to create a small group dance with coherence and aesthetic unity |
| demonstrate the ability to work effectively alone and with a partner | demonstrate the ability to work cooperatively in a small group during the choreographic process | choreograph a duet demonstrating an understanding of choreographic principles, processes, and structures | perform technical skills with artistic expression, demonstrating clarity, musicality, and stylistic nuance |
| demonstrate the following partner skills: copying, leading and following, mirroring | demonstrate the following partner skills in a visually interesting way: creating contrasting and complementary shapes, taking and supporting weight | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | perform technical skills with artistic expression, demonstrating clarity, musicality, and stylistic nuance |
| use new and traditional dance technique and choreography | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | perform technical skills with artistic expression, demonstrating clarity, musicality, and stylistic nuance |
| Making connections between dance and healthful living | |||
| Performance Standard Benchmark 1 Ages 8-10 |
Performance Standard Benchmark 2 Ages 12-14 |
Performance Standard Benchmark 3 Ages 16-18 |
Performance Standard Advanced Ages 16-18 |
| explain how healthy practices (such as nutrition, safety) enhance the ability to dance, citing multiple examples | explain strategies to prevent dance injuries | effectively communicate how lifestyle choices affect the dancer | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways |
| Making connections between dance and other disciplines | |||
| Performance Standard Benchmark 1 Ages 8-10 |
Performance Standard Benchmark 2 Ages 12-14 |
Performance Standard Benchmark 3 Ages 16-18 |
Performance Standard Advanced Ages 16-18 |
| create a dance project that reveals understanding of a concept or idea from another discipline (such as pattern in dance and science) | create a project that reveals similarities and differences between the arts | create interdisciplinary project based on a theme identified by the student, including dance and two other disciplines | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways |
| respond to a dance using another art form; explain the connections between the dance and the response to it (such as stating how one's painting reflects the dance) | cite examples of concepts used in dance and another discipline outside the arts (such as balance, shape, pattern) | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways |
DANCE
Alaska Content Standard B: A student should be able to understand the historical and contemporary role in the arts in Alaska, the nation, and the world. |
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| Demonstrating and understanding dance in various cultures and historical periods | |||
| Performance Standard Benchmark 1 Ages 8-10 |
Performance Standard Benchmark 2 Ages 12-14 |
Performance Standard Benchmark 3 Ages 16-18 |
Performance Standard Advanced Ages 16-18 |
| perform folk dances from various cultures with competence and confidence | competently perform folk and/or classical dances from various cultures; describe similarities and differences in steps and movement styles | perform and describe similarities and differences between two contemporary theatrical forms of dance | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways |
| not applicable at this age level | competently perform folk, social and/or theatrical dances from a broad spectrum |
perform or discuss the traditions and techniques of a traditional dance form | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways |
| learn and effectively share a dance from a resource in the community; describe the cultural and/or historical context | learn from resources in the community (such as people, books, videos) a folk dance of a different culture or a social dance of a different time period and the cultural/historical context of that dance; effectively sharing the dance and its context with their peers | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways |
| accurately answer questions about dance in a particular culture and time period (for example, In colonial America, why and in what setting did people dance? What did the dances look like?) | accurately describe the role of dance in at least two different cultures or time periods | create and answer twenty-five questions about dance and dancers prior to the twentieth century | create a time line illustrating important dance events in the twentieth century, placing them in their social/historical/cultural/political contexts |
| not applicable at this age level | not applicable at this age level | analyze how dance and dancers are portrayed in contemporary media | compare and contrast the role and significance of dance in two different social/historical/cultural/political contexts |
DANCE
Alaska Content Standard C: A student should be able to critique the student's art and the art of others. |
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| Applying and demonstrating critical and creative thinking skills in dance | |||
| Performance Standard Benchmark 1 Ages 8-10 |
Performance Standard Benchmark 2 Ages 12-14 |
Performance Standard Benchmark 3 Ages 16-18 |
Performance Standard Advanced Ages 16-18 |
| explore, discover, and realize multiple solutions to a given movement problem; choose a favorite solution and discuss the reasons for that choice | create a movement problem and demonstrate multiple solutions; choose the most interesting solutions and discuss the reasons for the choice | create a dance and revise it over time, articulating the reasons for the artistic decisions and what was lost and gained by those decisions | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways |
| observe two dances and discuss how they are similar and different in terms of one of the concepts of dance (such as space, body shapes, levels, pathways) | demonstrate appropriate audience behavior in watching dance performances; discuss opinions about the dances with peers in a supportive and constructive way | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways |
| not applicable at this age level | compare and contrast two dance compositions in terms of space (such as shape and pathways), time (such as rhythm and tempo), and force/energy (such as movement qualities) | use a set of aesthetic criteria and apply it in evaluating own work and that of others | discuss how skills developed in dance are applicable to a variety of careers |
| not applicable at this age level | identify possible aesthetic criteria for evaluating dance (such as skill of performers, originality, visual and/or emotional impact, variety, and contrast) | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | analyze the style of a choreographer or cultural form; then create a dance in that style |
| not applicable at this age level | not applicable at this age level | not applicable at this age level | analyze issues of ethnicity, gender, social/economic class, age and/or physical condition in relation to dance |
| be able to exhibit appropriate audience skills | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways |
DANCE
Alaska Content Standard D: A student should be able to recognize beauty and meaning through art in the student's life. |
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| Understanding dance as a way to create and communicate meaning | |||
| Performance Standard Benchmark 1 Ages 8-10 |
Performance Standard Benchmark 2 Ages 12-14 |
Performance Standard Benchmark 3 Ages 16-18 |
Performance Standard Advanced Ages 16-18 |
| observe and discuss how dance is different from other forms of human movement (such as sports, everyday gestures) | effectively demonstrate the difference between pantomiming and abstracting a gesture | formulate and answer questions about how movement choices communicate abstract ideas in dance | examine ways that a dance creates and conveys meaning by considering the dance from a variety of perspectives |
| take an active role in a class discussion about interpretations of and reactions to a dance | observe and explain how different accompaniment (such as sound, music, spoken text) can affect the meaning of a dance | demonstrate understanding of how personal experience influences the interpretation of a dance | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways |
| present own dances to peers and discuss their meanings with competence and confidence | demonstrate and/or explain how lighting and costuming can contribute to the meaning of a dance | create a dance that effectively communicates a contemporary social theme | compare and contrast how meaning is communicated in two of own choreographic works |
| not applicable at this age level | create a dance that successfully communicates a topic of personal significance | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways |
| consider individuals and/or cultures beliefs about dance | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways |
| not applicable at this age level | not applicable at this age level | investigate careers in dance aesthetics | same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways |