Search the California Content Standards

Enduring Understanding: Choreographers use a variety of sources as inspiration and transform concepts and ideas into movement for artistic expression.
Essential Question(s): Where do choreographers get ideas for dances?
Process Component(s): Explore

Performance Standard(s):
a. Respond in movement to a variety of sensory stimuli (e.g., music/sound, visual, tactile). b. Find a different way to do several basic locomotor and non-locomotor movements.

Enduring Understanding: The elements of dance, dance structures, and choreographic devices serve as both a foundation and a departure point for choreographers.
Essential Question(s): What influences choice-making in creating choreography?
Process Component(s): Plan

Performance Standard(s):
a. Improvise dance that starts and stops on cue. b. Engage in dance experiences moving alone or with a partner.

Enduring Understanding: Choreographers analyze, evaluate, refine, and document their work to communicate meaning
Essential Question(s): How do choreographers use self-reflection, feedback from others, and documentation to improve the quality of their work?
Process Component(s): Revise

Performance Standard(s):
Respond to suggestions for changing movement through guided improvisational experiences.

Enduring Understanding: Space, time, and energy are basic elements of dance.
Essential Question(s): How do dancers work with space, time and energy to communicate artistic expression?
Process Component(s): Express

Performance Standard(s):
a. Identify and demonstrate directions for moving the body in general space (e.g., forward, backwards, sideways, up, down, and turning) and finding and returning to a place in space. b. Identify speed of movement as fast or slow. Move to varied rhythmic sounds at different tempi. c. Move with opposing dynamics.

Enduring Understanding: Dancers use the mind-body connection and develop the body as an instrument for artistry and artistic expression.
Essential Question(s): What must a dancer do to prepare the mind and body for artistic expression?
Process Component(s): Embody

Performance Standard(s):
a. Demonstrate basic full body locomotor, non-locomotor movement, and body patterning with spatial relationships. b. Move in general space and start and stop on cue while maintaining personal space. c. Identify and move body parts and repeat movements upon request.

Enduring Understanding: Dance performance is an interaction between performer, production elements, and audience that heightens and amplifies artistic expression.
Essential Question(s): How does a dancer heighten artistry in a public performance?
Process Component(s): Present

Performance Standard(s):
a. Dance for others in a designated area or space. b. Use a prop as part of a dance.

Enduring Understanding: Dance is perceived and analyzed to comprehend its meaning.
Essential Question(s): How is a dance understood?
Process Component(s): Analyze

Performance Standard(s):
a. Identify a movement in a dance by repeating it. b. Demonstrate an observed or performed dance movement.

Enduring Understanding: Dance is interpreted by considering intent, meaning, and artistic expression as communicated through the use of the body, elements of dance, dance technique, dance structure, and context.
Essential Question(s): How is dance interpreted?
Process Component(s): Interpret

Performance Standard(s):
Observe a movement and share impressions.

Enduring Understanding: Criteria for evaluating dance vary across genres, styles, and cultures
Essential Question(s): What criteria are used to evaluate dance?
Process Component(s): Critique

Performance Standard(s):
Find a movement in a dance that was fun to watch. Repeat it and explain why it is fun to watch and do.

Enduring Understanding: As dance is experienced, all personal experiences, knowledge, and contexts are integrated and synthesized to interpret meaning.
Essential Question(s): How does dance deepen our understanding of ourselves, other knowledge, and events around us?
Process Component(s): Synthesize

Performance Standard(s):
a. Recognize an emotion expressed in dance movement that is watched or performed. b. Observe a dance work. Identify and imitate a movement from the dance, and ask a question about the dance.