Hello everyone and welcome to my fifth and final post for my dance multimodal portfolio. It's a shame we are ending as quickly as we started but all classes and blogs must eventually come to an end. That being said, let's take full advantage of this post by exploring the concept of unison movement and how it relates to dance and the classroom.
What is Unison Movement?
Why tell you when I can just show you:
It really is amazing to see how visually striking unison dance performances can be. It should be noted that this performance is pretty advanced but could be used to generate interest in unison dance. The Ontario Curriculum defines unison movement as "A movement or action performed in exactly the same way by two or more people at the same time" (165). As can be seen in the definition and the video above, unison movement in dancing can be quite complex. On the other hand, this video is also valuable for education because it clearly illustrates how kids and younger dancers in general are capable of great things.
How Unison Movement Might Look in a Classroom
I found myself intimidated by the prospect of having to teach unison movement when I first encountered it due to how complex it looks while being performed. A short trip to YouTube landed me with an excellent resource that shows a few examples of unison movement activities that can be done in small groups. I felt that this video and the activities it displays really made me feel more confident about teaching unison movement in the classroom. Remember, it never hurts to start small!
After watching this video I found myself remembering to take everything one step at a time. Create a basic choreography that is easy to remember and fun to do. Once students (and myself as a teacher) become more comfortable with the exercise we can always add to the choreography one step at a time. Don't be afraid to let students practice dance moves individually to develop their confidence personally before syncing with the rest of the group!
Resources to Support Unison Movement in the Classroom
To support students learning unison movement in the classroom, consider going "old school" by using anchor charts that will allow students to quickly see a basic description of a movement and/or movement sequence. This should help students understand that memorizing the individual movements is secondary to having fun and moving in unison with your group. For example, teachers could start by posting a row of movements from the following chart for their class to refer to.
I like this anchor chart because the movements are basic and a good introduction to unison for younger students.
Another idea that comes to mind is to use YouTube as a resource for more advanced dance students. For example, I could use YouTube as a resource to help students if wanted to create a hip hop style unison dance and were asking me questions I did not have the answer to. There are so many great videos that are short, to the point, and appropriate for students that it takes the pressure of us as teachers to be experts in all areas of dance.
Accommodations and Modifications
The following recommendations come from an article on a website called Teaching Visually Impaired. (Click here for website).
I think that it is valuable to be aware of all of these accommodations and modifications so that we can properly use them when we have a student who requires assistance.
If you liked what you have read please feel free to check out my other educational blogs! As always thank you for tuning in. Although this is the end of my dance blog, who knows where blogging will take me next!
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