Tips for Dancing in the Classroom

Renee Dawn of Teacher Ink is with us today, sharing her ideas on how to incorporate dancing in the classroom. She shares several fun ways to get your kiddos up and moving in a safe and fun way!

 

Kids love to dance--we all know that. So why not incorporate dancing in the classroom? When implemented intentionally and with structure, dancing in the classroom is a fun way to build community, let off steam, and make memories!

Here are some cool tips and links for dancing in the classroom every day.

Dancing is fun—and good for you. But sometimes, kids have to be reminded. You’ve seen it; kids glued to their desks or computers, unwilling to pry themselves away. Did you know scientists have found that, because dancing involves emotions as well as the intellect, it stimulates the brain more than almost any other activity? So by all means, let’s dance!

 

Safety First

 

But first, let’s talk shop.  Here’s a free poster of my Dance Rules for the Classroom:

Kids love to dance--we all know that. So why not incorporate dancing in the classroom? When implemented intentionally and with structure, dancing in the classroom is a fun way to build community, let off steam, and make memories!

Discuss the rules with your children. After joining in the dance, rule number 2 is: Stay in your own space or spot. Why? So you don’t bump or hurt the next guy while you’re dancing. It might seem obvious, but kids have to say it and think about it.

Don’t talk, twirl, touch others, or thump your feet. Why are these rules important? Because they help you stay safe, and they make it possible to hear and enjoy the music.

Above all, be respectful! Be kind, caring, helpful, considerate, and thoughtful. That’s the mother of all rules.

Warm-Up

From experience, I’ve learned that it’s best to practice without music. With the kids sitting at the meeting area, have them stretch their arms upward, hold, and then stretch down with their elbows lowermost, and repeat. Stretch again, but this time, twist the wrists.  Then, twist and snake the arms.

Next, show the kids two dance steps. The first is a simple march. You or a child can demonstrate marching softly, so you’ll be able to hear the music when it plays. For now, you’re still practicing without sounds.

The second move is: Step to the right, and bring your left foot next to it, step to the left, and bring your right foot next to it; step-together, step-together…

The whole class can practice these two standing moves.  Then add the arm motions, slowly up and down. And finally, “float down gently like a balloon and sit.”

 

Add Music and Stir

 

Remind the kids that when we add music the rules are the same: no talking, no turning, and no touching. Just move in your own, personal space.

At last, crank it up! Play an MP3 using an iPod with speakers, or a Smartboard, or even a good old boom box with a CD—not too loud at the beginning, so the kids will stay on task.

Put a finger to your lips and motion for the class to stand, march softly, and stretch slowly up and down. This sets the tone that dancing is fun and also safe.

As the kids show they’re responsible, you can give them more freedom. Let them free-dance within their space at the meeting area, while still following the rules. If a child needs extra space, let him dance a bit off to the side. You can also have kids dance in spots around the room, or in a line that circles or snakes around the classroom. Eventually, if they can do it safely, allow kids to free-dance and even move around the room as they please.  That’s a glorious thing to behold.

Kids love to dance--we all know that. So why not incorporate dancing in the classroom? When implemented intentionally and with structure, dancing in the classroom is a fun way to build community, let off steam, and make memories!

 

Dance in the Content Areas

Would you like to integrate dance with academics?  For reading, you can play music that goes with your story’s mood, setting, or cultural background.  If you read Come On, Rain, you can play the blues.  For Rainbow Fish, play “You’ve Got a Friend.”

Kids love to dance--we all know that. So why not incorporate dancing in the classroom? When implemented intentionally and with structure, dancing in the classroom is a fun way to build community, let off steam, and make memories!

 

Green Eggs and Ham has an animated video with a jazzy show tune, available on YouTube.  Kids love acting out the entire book and dancing to the music, along with Sam I Am.  It’s 8 ½ minutes of zany joy.  You may have to convert the video into an MP4 file in order to play it on your SMART Board, as some school computers block YouTube.  Do you want to double the fun?  Try a second version of Green Eggs and Ham with on-screen text and cartoony music, and compare the two.

 

Kids love to dance--we all know that. So why not incorporate dancing in the classroom? When implemented intentionally and with structure, dancing in the classroom is a fun way to build community, let off steam, and make memories!

 

Math Counting Songs, with a soothing voice over relaxing instrumentals, are ideal for slow dancing.  I created a pack that includes Counting to 100, Skip Counting, Counting On, Counting Backward; and a freebie, Counting to 20—which is perfect as a cool-down or transition.

 

Social Studies offers plenty of dance opportunities.  You can play patriotic songs or indigenous tribal music.  Kids can bring in music from their original homeland, and describe their culture and dance steps.  For added punch, Google photos of these places, or native dances, on your SMART Board.

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Holidays are a natural for dancing: the Irish Jig (St. Patty’s), Chinese Parade Music (Chinese New Year Dragon Dance), Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker music (Christmas) with the Land of the Sweets from Russia, China, Spain, and more.

 

Play jazz in February for Black History Month, and women composers or singers in March for Women’s History Month. Play pop music or classical to open up a range of cultural experience.

There are tons of science MP3s, like the retro and quirky The Balance of Nature, from Nature Songs by Marais and Miranda.

Any Song Will Do

 

It’s fun to learn while you dance, but the truth is, the dance is the thing, and any music will do. Whether it’s in the class, or in the gym, or in the schoolyard with a boom box, dance is not only fun, it’s essential.

Nothing beats the shared memories of dancing with your kids. It gets the wiggles out and lets life in.

Please, share with us your favorite tips and links for dancing in the classroom—we can never get enough!


Renee Dawn

Renee Dawn has been a New York City public school teacher for over 20 years.  Her approach is creative, combining the common core, music, dance, meditation, conversation, and a big dollop of laughs. Please stop by her TeachersPayTeachers storePinterest, and her blog, Teacher Ink, for more tools to teach, calm and inspire kids!

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