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. Experiment with a variety of self-identified stimuli (e.g., music/sound, text, objects, images, notation, observed dance, experiences) for movement. b. Explore a given movement problem. Select and demonstrate a solution.

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. Identify and experiment with choreographic devices to create simple movement patterns and dance structures. b. Develop a dance phrase that expresses and communicates an idea or feeling. Discuss the effect of the movement choices.

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):
Revise movement choices in response to feedback to improve a short dance study. Describe and document the differences the changes made in the 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. Judge spaces as distance traveled and use space three dimensionally Demonstrate shapes with positive and negative space. Perform movement sequences in and through space with intentionality and focus. b. Fulfill specified duration of time with improvised locomotor and non-locomotor movements. Differentiate between “in time” and “out of time” to music. Perform movements that are the same or of a different time orientation to accompaniment. Use metric and kinesthetic phrasing. c. Change use of energy and dynamics by modifying movements and applying specific characteristics to heighten the effect of their intent.

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. Replicate body shapes, movement characteristics, and movement patterns in a dance sequence with awareness of body alignment and core support. b. Adjust body-use to coordinate with a partner or other dancers to safely change levels, directions, and pathway designs. c. Recall movement sequences with a partner or in group dance activities. Apply constructive feedback from teacher and self-check to improve dance skills.

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. Identify the main areas of a performance space using production terminology (e.g., stage right, stage left, center stage, upstage, and downstage). b. Explore production elements for a dance performed for an audience in a designated specific performance space.

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 pattern that creates a movement phrase in a dance work. b. Demonstrate and explain how one dance genre is similar to and different from another, or how one cultural movement practice is similar to and different from another.

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):
Select specific context cues from movement. Explain how they relate to the main idea of the dance using basic dance terminology.

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):
Select dance movements from specific genres, styles, or cultures. Identify characteristic movements from these dances and describe in basic dance terminology ways in which they are similar and different.

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 the relationships expressed in a dance to relationships with others. Explain how they are the same or different. b. Ask and research a question about a key aspect of a dance that communicates a perspective about an issue or event. Explore the key aspect through movement. Share movements and describe how the movements help to remember or discover new qualities in these key aspects.