Units of Study / ARTS ACHIEVE DANCE UNIT: HIGH SCHOOL

Choreography on Social Injustice

IN THE STYLE OF A FAMOUS CHOREOGRAPHER

UNIT SUMMARY | STANDARDS | OUTCOMES | RESOURCES

LESSONS 1-3 | LESSONS 4-6 | LESSONS 7-8

Lessons 1-3

At the outset of their unit on creating dances in the style of a contemporary choreographer, students were assigned small groups and given an iPad. Video samples of their choreographer’s work were pre-loaded on the iPads. Using worksheets, students identified the style/genre as well as ‘signature’ movements - or recurring elements - of their choreographers’ dances. For research, students collected interviews, photos, and videos. They stored the research in digital portfolios they created with the iPad app, Easy Portfolio.

After each group selected a strand of social injustice to focus on, they worked with a checklist that stipulated what to include in their dance. By the third lesson, they initiated the choreographic process.