Sport of the Month: Dance
This month’s featured activity is dance! Dance is one of the only ‘must be taught’ activities in the PE curriculum. If you use a planning tool, make sure dance is covered in any primary pe schemes chosen. If dance were classified as a performing art and not PE, then schools would have a choice as to whether to teach it or not. We believe all children should experience dance at school, here are just a few reasons why:
Creativity
Dance give pupils a rare opportunity to be genuinely creative in PE and express emotions and feelings through movement to music. This creativity can be shaped in many ways including exploring themes, music, dance styles and patterns as well as drawing on their own imagination through activities such as role play.
Primary pe schemes
With topic teaching being back in fashion what a better way to bring ideas to life than through dance? Almost anything can be made into a dance from natural events to sporting ones. If you’re studying a historical topic, learning a traditional dance can transport children back in time! Some primary pe schemes will have topic based dance. The English Folk dance and Song Society have produced a lovely resource to give you a head start with some traditional English Dance.
Collaboration
The new national curriculum talks a lot about pupils working collaboratively. Dance is an excellent way for children to discuss ideas, refine movements, choose skills and devise movement patterns and dances together. Working as a team is not just reserved for team sports!
Social impact
Dance has developed from humans desire to be personally expressive and to connect socially. To dance feels good and it is an innate part of who we are. Allowing children the opportunity to connect with themselves, each other and the world around them through dance is a special kind of gift we can give our pupils!
For further reading on the benefits of dance for children check out Stage Coaches fantastic article on this subject.
We are currently writing Reception Dance Unit 2, and this will be on the website shortly. To be the first to know about our new PE lesson plan uploads sign up for our newsletter by entering your email address on our homepage.
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