Learning Goals

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to…

  • Express a range of emotions through movement
  • Identify how engaging with our emotions through dance can inform us of what’s wrong with the world and how it can liberate us from oppressive pressures
  • Collaborate with others to express an idea through movement
  • Use Laban’s effort actions and levels to communicate feelings in movement pieces
Materials
  • Painters tape
  • Music
  • Music system
  • Markers
  • Chart paper
  • Appendix 7 Feelings, Access, Freedom & Pressures in Dance
  • Appendix 8 Barriers & Liberation Assignment
  • PDF #9 Barriers & Liberation Rubric
  • PDF #10 Peer Feedback Handouts
Terminology

Minds On

Whole Class > The Line 

Before the beginning of class, divide the class by using a strip of painters' tape down the middle. Start by telling the students that this activity will be done in silence. 

Prompt: Not everyone will answer the questions the same and that is okay. This activity acknowledges our diverse experiences and feelings about dance. 

Students start standing on the line. Let them know that moving forward from the line means that they strongly agree, and moving backward from the line means that they strongly disagree 

Note: You can put down lines for strongly agree and strongly disagree at the front and the back of the room, making it a more visual spectrum if you like.

Remind students that you will read several statements, and they will move away from the line, either forward or backward, accordingly. There is no wrong answer. They can stand anywhere along the spectrum. Start with some easier statements and then progress to ones that are a little more challenging.

Statements can include:

  • “I feel confident dancing in front of others.”
  • “I enjoy learning new dance styles.”
  • “I’ve had positive dance experiences in school.”
  • “Dance allows me to express parts of myself I can’t always say out loud.”
  • “Dance has helped me feel more connected to my culture or identity.”
  • “I’ve witnessed or experienced exclusion in dance.”
  • “I believe everyone should have access to dance education, regardless of ability or background.”
  • “I feel like my identity is reflected in the dance styles taught at school.”
  • “Dance is political.”
  • “I’ve had to hide part of who I am to feel accepted in dance spaces.”
  • “I’ve been stereotyped based on how I dance.”
  • “Dance can be a powerful tool for change.”

Whole Class > Discussion

Debrief the Line activity.

Questions for Discussion:
  • What did you notice?
  • What influences us in dance spaces?

Action

Individual > Feelings, Access, Freedom & Pressures

Hang 4 chart papers around the room - each one with a different heading:

  • Feelings in dance
  • Access to dance
  • Freedom and dance
  • Pressures and dance

Before they begin, discuss the concept of access needs with students. Students circulate with their own markers and add what those headings mean to them. Leave these hanging in the room for guidance and reference for the remainder of the period. See the teacher resource Appendix 7 Feelings, Access, Freedom & Pressures in Dance to guide a debrief, and to reframe medical understandings of mental health if they appear to highlight the role of external oppressive pressures.

Next, students will quickly write an entry in their journal answering some of the following prompts:

  • What external pressures might you experience while dancing?
  • How might dancing liberate you?
  • Does dance feel like survival for you? Why might that be?
  • Why do you dance?
  • What holds you back from dancing?

Next, invite students to create a short movement phrase (30 seconds), inspired by the words in a category from the opening activity. Encourage students to incorporate the elements of dance explored in Lesson 3 and coach them to avoid literal interpretations and focus on the emotions that the words in that category connect to.

Pairs > Emotional Movement Creation

Put students in pairs (it can be a random selection or intentional - combining like or opposing categories). Once paired, students continue with their independent pieces but must find ways to blend their different movements and share the space (possibly lining up a moment of connection of opposition or stillness…). This can be created with or without music.

Pairs > Emotional Movement Presentation

Students present their piece to the class. This should be in a relaxed setting, so you could have two groups share at the same time.

Small Group > Barriers & Liberation

In small groups, students will create a movement piece blending parts; see Appendix 8 Barriers and Liberation Assignment. 

Liberation is not linear and it is not an easy response to a barrier or unmet access needs. Encourage students to consider the ways that they can use the choreographic patterns they explored in Lesson 4 to represent the continuous flow between oppressive pressures, unmet access needs, feelings, and liberation. 

MOTIF 1 - The Barrier

  • Students pick a barrier: an unmet access need or an oppressive pressure (physical, emotional, societal, etc.)
  • Students use movement to express the feeling/struggle/restriction

MOTIF 2 - The Liberation

  • Students use movement to represent the liberation: connection, the (re)claiming of wholeness, empowerment, celebration or relief
  • Students use movement to show the release, celebration, and empowerment

Students should also consider how they can use the Elements of Dance to enhance their message.

Teacher Prompts:

  • What formations (or space relationships) can you use to explore the connection between ideas?
  • How might you use unison and other timing relationships to demonstrate flow between barriers and liberation?
  • How might you represent community or isolation at different moments in your piece? Which elements might you contrast?

Small Group > Presentations

Provide the groups with 10 minutes to review and prepare before presenting their pieces to the class.

The audience will use PDF #10 Peer Feedback Handouts to record several observations while thinking about what barrier is being explored and how the movement choice is used to communicate the barrier and the liberation.

Consolidation

Individual > Reflection

Invite students to reflect in their dance journals.

Questions for Reflection:
  • How might dance be liberating or restricting for a person?
  • How did you feel performing your piece for the class?
Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Observation checklist

Assessment as Learning (AaL)
  • Critical reflection
  • PDF #10 Peer Feedback Handouts
Assessment of Learning (AoL)
  • Reflective journal
  • PDF #9 Barriers & Liberation Rubric

What's Next?

You're off to a strong start! Consider these CODE resources for your next steps: