Search the California Content Standards

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 that was noticed in a dance. Demonstrate the movement that was noticed and explain why it attracted attention.

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 movement and describe it using simple dance terminology.

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. Find a movement that repeats in a dance. b. Demonstrate or describe observed or performed dance movements.

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 and with others in a designated space. b. Select a prop to use as part of a dance.

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 same side and cross-body locomotor and non-locomotor movements, body patterning movements, and body shapes. b. Move safely in general space and start and stop on cue during activities, group formations, and creative explorations while maintaining personal space. c. Move body parts in relation to other body parts and repeat and recall movements upon request.

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. Make still and moving body shapes that show lines (e.g., straight, bent, and curved), change levels, and vary in size (large/small). Join with others to make a formation and work with others to change its dimension. Find and return to a place in space. b. Demonstrate tempo contrasts with movements that match the tempo of the stimuli. c. Identify and apply different dynamics to movements.

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. Demonstrate locomotor and non-locomotor movements that change body shapes, levels, and facings. Move in straight, curved, and zigzagged pathways individually and with others. Find and return to place in space. b. Relate quick, moderate and slow movements to duration in time. Recognize steady beat and move to varying tempi of steady beat. c. Demonstrate movement characteristics along with descriptive vocabulary (e.g., use adverbs and adjectives that apply to movement).

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 a range of locomotor and non-locomotor movements, body patterning, body shapes, and directionality. b. Move safely in general space through a range of activities and group formations while maintaining and changing personal space. c. Modify movements and spatial arrangements 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 space where audience and performers occupy different areas. b. Explore the use of props to enhance performance.

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. Find a movement that repeats in a dance to make a pattern. b. Demonstrate and describe observed or performed dance movements from a specific genre or culture.