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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. Compare two dances with contrasting themes. Discuss feelings and ideas evoked by each. Describe how the themes and movements relate to points of view and experiences. b. Choose a topic, concept, or content from another discipline of study and research how other art forms have expressed the topic. Create a dance study that expresses the idea. Explain how the dance study expressed the idea and discuss how this learning process is similar to, or different from, other learning situations.

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. Observe the movement characteristics or qualities observed in a specific dance genre. Describe differences and similarities about what was observed to one’s attitudes and movement preferences. b. Conduct research using a variety of resources to find information about a social issue of great interest. Use the information to create a dance study that expresses a specific point of view on the topic. Discuss whether the experience of creating and sharing the dance reinforces personal views or offers new knowledge and perspectives.

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. Embody technical dance skills (e.g., alignment, coordination, balance, core support, clarity of movement) to accurately execute changes of direction, levels, facings, pathways, elevations and landings, extensions of limbs, and movement transitions. b. Apply basic anatomical knowledge, proprioceptive feedback, spatial awareness, and nutrition to promote safe and healthful strategies when warming up and dancing. c. Collaborate as an ensemble to refine dances by identifying what works and does not work in executing complex patterns, sequences, and formations. Solve movement problems to dances by testing options and finding good results. Document self-improvements over time.

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. Refine partner and ensemble skills in the ability to determine distance and spatial design. Establish diverse pathways, levels, and patterns in space. Maintain focus with partner or group in near and far space. b. Use combinations of sudden and sustained timing as it relates to both the time and the dynamics of a phrase or dance work. Accurately use accented and unaccented beats in a variety of meters. c. Use the internal body force created by varying tension within one’s musculature for movement initiation and dynamic expression. Distinguish between bound and free flowing movements and appropriately apply them to dance phrases.

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. Expand movement vocabulary of floor and air pattern designs. Incorporate and modify differently designed shapes and movements from a variety of dance genres and styles for the purpose of expanding movement vocabulary. b. Vary durational approach in dance phrasing by using timing accents and variations within a phrase to add interest kinesthetically, rhythmically, and visually. c. Compare and contrast movement characteristics from a variety of dance genres or styles. Discuss specific characteristics using dance terminology and descriptive language to describe them. Determine and demonstrate what dancers must do to perform them clearly.

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. Apply body-use strategies to accommodate physical maturational development to technical dance skills (e.g., functional alignment, coordination, balance, core support, kinesthetic awareness, clarity of movement, weight shifts, and flexibility/range of motion). b. Utilize healthful practices and sound nutrition in dance activities and everyday life. Discuss benefits of practices and how choices enhance performance. c. Collaborate with peers to practice and refine dances. Develop group performance expectations through observation and analyses (e.g., view live or recorded professional dancers and collaboratively develop group performance expectations based on information gained from observations).

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. Compare and contrast the movement characteristics or qualities found in a variety of dance genres. Discuss how the movement characteristics or qualities differ from one’s own movement characteristics or qualities and how different perspectives are communicated. b. Research the historical development of a dance genre or style. Use knowledge gained from the research to create a dance study that evokes the essence of the style or genre. Share the study with peers as part of a lecture demonstration that tells the story of the historical journey of the chosen genre or style. Document the process of research and application.

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. Relate connections found between different dances and discuss the relevance of the connections to the development of one’s personal perspectives. b. Investigate two contrasting topics using a variety of research methods. Identify and organize ideas to create representative movement phrases. Create a dance study exploring the contrasting ideas. Discuss how the research informed the choreographic process and deepens understanding of the topics.

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. Embody technical dance skills (e.g., functional alignment, coordination, balance, core support, clarity of movement, weight shifts, flexibility/range of motion) to replicate, recall, and execute spatial designs and musical or rhythmical dance phrases. b. Evaluate personal healthful practices in dance activities and everyday life including nutrition and injury prevention. Discuss choices made, the effects experienced, and methods for improvement. c. Collaborate with peers to discover strategies for achieving performance accuracy, clarity, and expressiveness. Articulate personal performance goals and practice to reach goals. Document personal improvement over time (e.g., journaling, portfolio, or timeline).

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. Sculpt the body in space and design body shapes in relation to other dancers, objects, and environment. Use focus during complex floor and air patterns and/or pathways. b. Analyze and select metric, kinetic, and breath phrasing and apply appropriately to dance phrases. Perform dance phrases of different lengths that use various timings within the same section. Use different tempi in different body parts at the same time. c. Direct energy and dynamics in such a way that movement is textured. Incorporate energy and dynamics to technique exercises and dance performance. Use energy and dynamics to enhance and project movements.