This month’s featured activity is dance! Dance is one of the few ‘must be taught’ activities in the PE curriculum. If you use a PE planning tool, make sure dance is covered in any Primary PE scheme chosen. We believe all children should experience dance at school; here are just a few reasons why:
Creativity
Dance gives 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, narratives, music, dance styles and patterns, as well as drawing on their own imagination through activities such as role-play.
Primary PE scheme of work
With topic teaching back in fashion, what 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 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.
Dance is more than just a requirement in the PE curriculum – it’s a gateway to creativity, collaboration, and meaningful social connection. Whether it’s expressing emotions through movement, exploring historical themes, or building teamwork skills, dance offers unique opportunities for growth and pupil development. To help you bring the excitement of dance to your children, we’d love to offer you a free dance lesson on us. It’s the perfect way to inspire creativity and movement in your classroom.
