Finding ideas for movement
Students start the year by pulling movement ideas from their own lives, from stories, and from things they see around them. Parents may hear them talk about a dance they are sketching out.
What does a student learn in
This is the year dance starts carrying real meaning. Students take an idea from their own life or something they have read about and shape it into a short piece, with choices about steps, timing, and space that they can explain. They rehearse to sharpen their movement and watch other dancers with a more careful eye. By spring, they can perform a short dance they helped create and talk about what it is trying to say.
- Choreography
- Performing a dance
- Movement technique
- Watching dance
- Dance and culture
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Shaping a dance
Students take rough ideas and build them into short dances with a clear beginning, middle, and end. They try different orders and spacing until the piece holds together.
- 3
Building dance skills
Students work on the body itself: balance, control, timing with music, and clean transitions. They learn to repeat the same movement the same way so a dance looks ready for an audience.
- 4
Performing with meaning
Students perform their dances for classmates and think about what the movement is saying. They make choices about energy, facial expression, and focus so the meaning comes through.
- 5
Watching and responding
Students watch dances from different cultures and time periods and talk about what they notice. They use simple criteria to give feedback on their own work and the work of classmates.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 6.
Connecting
Connecting
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Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art
Students connect what they already know and what they've lived through to the dances they make. Personal memories, ideas from other subjects, and real-world observations all shape the creative choices students bring to their work.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students connect a dance piece to the time, place, or culture it came from. That context helps them understand why the movement looks and feels the way it does.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect what they already know and what they've lived through to the dances they make. Personal memories, ideas from other subjects, and real-world observations all shape the creative choices students bring to their work. | DA:Cn10.6 |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students connect a dance piece to the time, place, or culture it came from. That context helps them understand why the movement looks and feels the way it does. | DA:Cn11.6 |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students brainstorm movement ideas and start shaping them into a dance. This is the early creative stage where imagination drives the work.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students take their movement ideas and shape them into a structured dance phrase, making choices about timing, space, and how one movement flows into the next.
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Refine and complete artistic work
Students revisit a dance they've been building, make specific changes to improve it, and bring it to a finished state ready to share or perform.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students brainstorm movement ideas and start shaping them into a dance. This is the early creative stage where imagination drives the work. | DA:Cr1.6 |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students take their movement ideas and shape them into a structured dance phrase, making choices about timing, space, and how one movement flows into the next. | DA:Cr2.6 |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students revisit a dance they've been building, make specific changes to improve it, and bring it to a finished state ready to share or perform. | DA:Cr3.6 |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
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Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students review a piece of choreography or movement sequence, decide what it expresses, and choose whether it is ready to show an audience.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice and improve their dance skills to get ready for a real performance. They refine how they move, focus on technique, and work through problem spots until the piece is ready to share with an audience.
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Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students perform a dance to communicate a specific idea or feeling to an audience, making intentional choices about movement so the meaning lands clearly.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students review a piece of choreography or movement sequence, decide what it expresses, and choose whether it is ready to show an audience. | DA:Pr4.6 |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice and improve their dance skills to get ready for a real performance. They refine how they move, focus on technique, and work through problem spots until the piece is ready to share with an audience. | DA:Pr5.6 |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students perform a dance to communicate a specific idea or feeling to an audience, making intentional choices about movement so the meaning lands clearly. | DA:Pr6.6 |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students watch a dance performance and break down what they see: how the dancers move, how the parts fit together, and what choices the choreographer made to shape the whole piece.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students explain what a dance is trying to say and why the choreographer made specific choices, such as using slow movement or a tight group formation to express an idea or emotion.
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Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students use a set of criteria to judge a dance, explaining what works, what doesn't, and why, based on specific elements like timing, movement quality, or use of space.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students watch a dance performance and break down what they see: how the dancers move, how the parts fit together, and what choices the choreographer made to shape the whole piece. | DA:Re7.6 |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students explain what a dance is trying to say and why the choreographer made specific choices, such as using slow movement or a tight group formation to express an idea or emotion. | DA:Re8.6 |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students use a set of criteria to judge a dance, explaining what works, what doesn't, and why, based on specific elements like timing, movement quality, or use of space. | DA:Re9.6 |
Common Questions
What does dance class actually look like at this grade?
Students create short dances, practice steps and shapes, perform for classmates, and talk about what they saw. The work moves between making up movement, refining it, showing it, and giving feedback. Expect a mix of solo, partner, and small-group work.
My child isn't a trained dancer. Will they fall behind?
No. Sixth grade dance is about making ideas with the body, not technique alone. Students who have never taken a class can do this work well if they show up willing to try movement and talk about it.
How can I support dance at home in ten minutes?
Ask what idea or feeling a dance was trying to show, and what choices the dancers made to show it. Watching a short clip together and asking why a movement was fast, slow, sharp, or smooth builds the same thinking used in class.
How should I sequence the year?
Start with movement vocabulary and short improvisations so students build a shared language. Move into making and refining short pieces, then into performing with intent and responding to peer work. Saving formal presentation for later in the year gives students more material to draw from.
Which part of the work usually needs the most reteaching?
Refining. Students can generate movement and perform it, but going back to edit a piece based on feedback feels unnatural at first. Building short revision cycles into every making unit helps this become a habit.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
Students can take an idea or source, such as a poem, image, or personal experience, and shape it into a short dance with clear choices. They can perform it with focus and explain why they made the choices they did.
How is dance graded if it's so personal?
Grades come from observable choices, not talent. Teachers look at whether a student generated ideas, refined the work, performed with intent, and gave thoughtful feedback to others. A student who works hard and thinks carefully can earn a strong grade without being the most polished mover.
How do I know students are ready for seventh grade dance?
They should be able to choreograph a short piece from a prompt, rehearse and adjust it based on feedback, and discuss another dancer's work using specific movement language. If those three habits are in place, the next grade builds on solid ground.