Lesson Plan

Dance
Main Idea - Statement of Purpose: Teaching about the benefits and joy of dance for
individuals and families.

Supporting Ideas:
● Communication is a key part of dance because it helps develop verbal and nonverbal
skills to communicate someone’s wants and needs.
● Teamwork is an important part of dance because it forces family members to learn to
work together in order to create a performance.
● Vulnerability/Trust is essential in dance and will help create less emotional walls within a
family and will help create feelings of trust between family members.

Unit Objectives (SMART):

1. By the end of class, they will learn that dance can be an intergenerational activity and a
variety of ages can participate in it by discussing why it is a good activity.
2. They will learn how to work with 2-3 new people through a warm up activity and by
partnering up with them for different dance activities.
3. They will learn how to express if they feel uncomfortable but are overcoming it by
discussing it with classmates.

Equipment and Materials:

● Speaker
● Chairs
● Snacks!
● Resource for music (phone, laptop)

Learning Activities:
Stretch and Questions
Freeze Dance
Polka
Virginia Reel Dancing
Cotton Eyed Joe
Musical Chairs
Choreography
Remembering Dance Moves

Assessment: Family members will be able to communicate better with each other, and they will
learn that it is okay to be vulnerable when you may not be the best at something. They can still
have fun and try something new while building stronger relationships.
 Stretch and Questions
Type: Ice-breaker
Purpose: To get family members moving and bodies loose. To help get to know the other people
around them.
Ages: 2+
Number: Any
Equipment: N/A
Instruction:
● Small groups are formed (encourage them to make groups with someone they don’t
normally talk to in class)
● Within the groups, have them share 1 deep fear, 1 life goal, 1 thing they are proud of in
life
● Light stretches will be done within these groups
Evaluation: When sharing vulnerable things with people creates a small trust within those
groups. When dancing with a partner, complete trust is necessary.
Submitted By: Chaele Spittle Date: 20 October 2022

Freeze Dance
Type: Ice-Breaker
Purpose: To break the ice and to help get out of the ‘comfort zone’ to just have fun!
Ages: 2+
Number: Any
Equipment: Speaker with music
Instruction:
● One person is chosen to be “it” or the “leader”
● The “leader” will play the music and stop it and random times
● The other members of the family will dance while the music is playing and must “freeze”
when the music is stopped
● If someone moves when the music has stopped, they will become “it”
● Repeat until done and everyone seems loose and having fun
Evaluation: Family members should be having fun with the freestyle type of dance and feel a bit
vulnerable if they do not like dancing.
Submitted by: Chaele Spittle Date: 20 October 2022

Polka
Type: Performances
Purpose: Teamwork, communication, vulnerability
Ages: 5+
Number: Even Number amount of people
Equipment: Speaker, Music (phone, CD, etc.)
Instruction:
● Get a partner.
● Hold hands facing your partner.
● Learn 3 step basics: Sashe step (step left, right, left, or right, left, right).
● Once the basics are somewhat mastered, learn to make a half turn every time you do a
basic step.
● Learn heel-toe step then sashe forward.
● Chicago hop step (if there is more of an advanced group)
Evaluation: Family will hopefully have fun while learning how to communicate and work
together in pairs. They will learn how to be vulnerable while trying something new and learning
to trust one another.
Submitted by: Clarissa Sandstrom Date: 10/23/22

Virginia Reel Dancing

Type: Performances
Purpose: to enjoy learning a set of dance steps and help other family members follow the steps
and rhythm.
Ages: 10+
Number: any even number, preferably 5-8 couples
Equipment: speaker, music, space for dancing
Instruction:
● Have each member partner up, preferably one boy and one girl
● Have the boys line up on the right and girls on the left, facing each other
● Teach them these dance steps:
○ Step forward and back in 8 beats
○ Right hand turn your partner in 8 beats
○ Left hand turn your partner in 8 beats
○ Both hand turn clockwise in 8 beats
○ Right shoulder do-si-do in 8 beats
○ Left shoulder do-si-do in 8 beats
○ Head couple join hands and sashay to the end of the line in 8 beats
○ Head couple sashays back to their original spots in 8 beats
○ Head couple reels down the set by turning with right elbows 1 ½ turns and then
swing left elbows with the second person in line (opposite gender)
○ Repeat down the line until you’ve swung with the last person
○ Head couple joins hands and sashays back to the front of the line
○ Head couple peels the banana by splitting and walking around the outside of the
lines of people to the back of the line and everyone else follows
○ Head couple creates an arch with their arms for everyone to run under
○ The second couple is now the new head couple, and start from the beginning
Evaluation: the family learns how to remember steps and follow each other's lead. Ultimately,
they have fun and laugh a lot, even if they don’t do great.
Submitted By: Sage Ricks Date: 10/23/22

Cotton Eyed Joe

Type: Performances
Purpose: Learn a new dance and work on remembering the steps. Building social skills by
interacting with those around you.
Ages: 5+
Number: Any
Equipment: Speaker, Music
Instruction:
● Grapevine to the right
● Grapevine (add turn if wanted) to the left
● Two steps forward with the right (lasso upward)
● Four hops to the back (alternating sides and lassoing to the front)
● Kick right twice
● Kick left twice
● Right kick
● Left Kick
● Turn to the left (heel click to turn left)
Evaluation: The family learns a popular line dance that requires memory and repetition. It
builds their social skills by learning how to help others and communicate while dancing and is
ultimately a fun and easy dance to learn.
Submitted by: Clarissa Sandstrom Date: 10/23/22

Musical Chairs
Type: Competition
Purpose: build social skills by navigating sticky situations, listen to each other and move with
the music
Ages: 3+
Number: 4 and up
Equipment: chairs, speaker, music
Instruction:
● Count the number of players
● Collect chairs equivalent to the number of players minus one
● Arrange the chairs in a double line, back to back
● Start the music
● Instruct the players to walk clockwise in a tight circle around the chairs
● Stop the music suddenly and all the players need to sit quickly in an empty chair
● One person will be left standing without a chair and they will be out of the game
 ● Another chair is then removed
● The game continues until there is only one person seated in a chair
● That person is the winner of the game
Evaluation: this game teaches to resolve arguments peacefully, deal with disappointment and
practice patience.
Submitted by: Lisa Kaygorodova Date: 10/22/22

Choreography - find the leader

Type: Creative/Competition
Purpose: gather and organize movements into order and pattern
Ages: 2+
Number: any
Equipment: space, energy, music
Instruction:
● Participants create their dances
● one person leave the room
● One person is selected to lead everyone in a dance that he created
● When person who left the room returns, start the music
● Everyone should do their best to follow the moves of the leader and try not look at him
● If the person who left the room guesses who the leader is before the end of the song, the
leader will be leave the room and another person is selected as a leader
Evaluation: choreography develops creativity and helps to connect with family. Those are
important aspects of expression, creativity, and learning more about each member of the family.
Submitted by: Lisa Kaygorodova Date:10/22/2022

Remembering Dance Moves

Type: Creative
Purpose: to help family members exercise creativity and their memory
Ages: any
Number: any
Equipment: speaker, music, space to dance
Instruction:
● Have the family stand in a circle
● Start with one person doing a dance move, and everyone repeating the dance move
around the circle
● Have the next person do a dance move, and then have everyone do the first person’s
move and then the second person’s move
● Repeat those steps all the way around the circle and see who can remember everyone’s
moves
Evaluation: the family learns how to pay attention to each other and remember which person did
which dance move. They bond together by coming up with fun dance moves.
Submitted By: Sage Ricks Date: 10/23/22

Family Recreation: Dancing

Dance is a form of recreation that has thrived through the ages. It has been used to tell

stories, perform, socialize, express cultural identity and so much more. Dance is also an amazing

physical exercise because it strengthens muscles, improves balance, and burns calories. Dancing

within families can be a way to incorporate all of these benefits into a fun activity. Families who
dance together can strengthen their communication, build great teamwork, and learn how to be

vulnerable with and trust one another.

Communication

Communication is the key to building relationships among family members. People feel

valued when they know others really are listening. Listening and speaking skills are needed to

communicate effectively and solve issues when they arise. Also, unspoken rules help each family

member know what to expect in day-to-day interactions. Pleasant interactions build relationships

and create memories. Busy families can find simple ways to have fun in their everyday lives to

strengthen their relationships and connect. Set ground rules to protect planned activities from

turning into conflicts. Nonverbal behaviors are powerful. Dance could be one of the activities to

unite family and work together to learn something new. Dance as nonverbal communication

through physical movement that comes from a deep inward desire to connect with those you care

about and love. It’s been observed that “dancing as an art will always be undergoing a rebirth…

as a social custom, it perpetually emerges afresh from the soul of the people”. When dance is a

way of communication from a soul, it takes on a relevancy of the performing arts. Therefore,

dance should not be ignored. Indeed, dance is a way of communicating needs and desires in

order to thrive, in order to share the feelings of the heart, and most importantly, in order to truly

live and be happy as an individual and as a family unit.

Teamwork

Unless performing a solo, dance is always a team effort. Whether you are dancing with a

partner or in a group, you have to work together in order to fully enjoy dancing and performing.

The goal is to look and feel as one whole. This requires being open with your team about how

you are doing in the movement, whether you need help with something or have an opinion, or if
you are helping someone else to remember the steps. In family recreation, this can be beneficial

when building relationships and working out differences in the home. You come to know how

others work, how they can best be helped, and how they have the most fun. You have to

communicate in teamwork, as well as be vulnerable enough to let others help you or work with

you.

Vulnerability

One crucial aspect when interacting with your family and with others, is being vulnerable

enough to share your thoughts and feelings with them. Dance forces people to become

vulnerable and trust those they are dancing with as a dancer must give up complete motor control

of their body to their partners. As well, dance evokes strong emotions and feelings both with the

music and the choreography. “Dance is considered an interesting medium because apart from

helping individuals express themselves, through dance individuals can also build relationships

with others.” (Yaslim, 2021). Dance enables a person to share an emotion because one may feel

safety in that relationship. Families need this safe environment to create and maintain trust

throughout the hard times and throughout life. A strong relationship can only be built upon the

feelings of safety, love, and mutual respect for one another. Without these three essential

characteristics, a relationship will not be long lasting. Dance provides opportunities to jump out

of an individual’s comfort zone and be completely open and vulnerable with those around them.

As families incorporate aspects of dance into their lives and family life, parents, children, and

siblings will gain greater relationships that will be everlasting.

Conclusion - Sage

Dance helps build communication by teaching nonverbal skills in order to portray wants

and needs. It also helps build teamwork because the goal is to work together as a whole to
understand the movements and create a performance. Vulnerability also increases within a

family through dance because it can evoke strong emotion and take people out of their comfort

zone. Overall, dance can help families strengthen their relationships and learn how to have casual

fun together. Dancing can be a brain break and help families learn about different styles and

cultures. It can be something that connects them and aids in connecting them with the world.

References

Yaslim, N. (2021). Discovering dance & movement in counseling. SSRN Electronic

Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3935615.

Warburton, E., Reedy, P., & Ng, N. (2014). Engaging families in dance: An investigation of

moving parents and children together. International Journal of Education & the Arts,
 15(1). Retrieved from http://www.ijea.org/v15n1/.

Wiley, A.R. (2007). Connecting as a couple: Communication skills for healthy relationships. The

Forum for Family and Consumer Issues, 12(1).

Doherty, W. (1997). The intentional family: Simple rituals to strengthen family ties. New York:

Avon Books, Inc.

Gottman, J. (2004). The seven principles for making marriage work. New York, NY: Three

Rivers Press.

Lieberman, Daniel E. “More Evidence on the Value of Dance.” (19 Jan. 2016).