ESSENTIAL LEARNINGS IN DANCE I

TECHNIQUE
Students will demonstrate technical proficiency and knowledge of the body through warming up the body, proper nutrition, adequate hydration, sleep, conditioning, and injury prevention. Students will also develop knowledge of the body through conditioning, strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination, and agility.  Students will develop knowledge and skills in floor pattern, using the eight basic loco motor movements:
Even: walk, run, hop, jump, and leap.  Uneven: skip, slide, and gallop.

Develop an awareness of performing techniques. Demonstrate basic concepts of performing techniques using kinesthetic awareness, focus, rhythm, space, and energy in themselves and other dancers. They will also demonstrate appropriate rehearsal and class behavior when performing and being an audience member.

ELEMENTS OF DANCE
Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills in the elements of time, space and energy by:
Perform directional spatial concepts: forward, sideways, backward, and diagonal.
Improvise on pathways while performing floor patterns.
Demonstrate level changes.
Create symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes.
Demonstrate contrasting tempos.
Identify and perform various accents in metric phrasing.
Accurately move in 4/4 and 3/4 time.
Demonstrate the forces of strength and flow.
Demonstrate the forces of weight
Identify the basic qualities of movement.
                       
CHOREOGRAPHIC PROCESS
Students will understand choreographic principles, processes, and structures:
Structured improvisation.
Perform a structured improvisation based on one of the elements of dance.
Perform a structured improvisation based on an idea or activity.
Demonstrate choreographic principles, processes, and structures.
Create, perform, and evaluate a sequence or dance study with a beginning, middle, and end.
Create, perform, and evaluate a dance study, with a beginning, middle, and end, in a small group.
Create and perform a movement sequence based on a dance element.
Demonstrate partner skills using the element of shape in a visually interesting way.
Demonstrate the ability to work cooperatively in small groups during choreographic process

ESSENTIAL LEARNINGS IN DANCE II

TECHNIQUE
Students will demonstrate technical proficiency and knowledge of the body through warming up the body, proper nutrition, adequate hydration, sleep, conditioning, and injury prevention. Students will also develop knowledge of the body through conditioning, strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination, and agility.  Students will perform complex axial sequences including loco motor movements demonstrating dynamic alignment and dynamic balance; articulation of the spine promoting mobility and stability, the use of breath to integrate movements, movement initiation from the center of the body, and movement connectivity.

Students will develop an awareness of performing techniques. Demonstrate basic concepts of performing techniques using kinesthetic awareness, focus, rhythm, space, and energy in themselves and other dancers. They will also demonstrate appropriate rehearsal and class behavior when performing and being an audience member.

ELEMENTS OF DANCE
Develop knowledge and skills in space. Demonstrate an understanding of spatial pathways, directions, and facings. Create a spatial floor pattern.  Demonstrate knowledge of contrasting spatial planes:  vertical, horizontal, diagonal, lateral. Create independent and interdependent shapes with partners. Develop shape relationships with transitions with a partner, and in a group.

Develop knowledge and skills in time. Demonstrate rhythmic phrasing. Investigate even and uneven intervals within a metric phrase. Demonstrate accent. Clap and move in syncopation. Demonstrate non-metric (breath) rhythm.       

Develop knowledge and skills in energy and motion. Perform the six basic qualities of movements exploring the qualities of movement found in other curricular areas. Create a group composition that clearly defines two or more contrasting qualities.                        

CHOREOGRAPHIC PROCESS
Demonstrate choreographic principles, processes, and structure: Define the compositional elements of continuity, sequence, repetition, variety, unison, contrast, transition, and climax.  Create and perform a dance study using two compositional principles as a focus. Create and perform a dance sequence with a beginning, middle, and end with musical accompaniment.

MEANING
Demonstrate the process of abstraction altering time, space, energy through reordering, repeating, diminishing, and/or inverting the movement. Analyze how each alteration may change meaning.
Create, abstract, and perform a movement pattern based on a gesture, response, visual image, or idea.

Identify and demonstrate through composition how elements of continuity, sequence, transition, repetition, variety, and
climax communicate meaning in dance. Analyze and demonstrate how personal experience influences interpretation of
a dance. Create a composition that successfully communicates a topic of personal significance.

Essential Learnings in Dance Company

TECHNIQUE
Students will value dance as contributing to healthy human development. Implement goals for improving individual patterns and habits contributing to a safe, healthy body. Develop knowledge of the body through conditioning, strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination, and agility.

Develop knowledge and skills in floor pattern, loco motor steps and axial movement. Perform more complex axial sequences demonstrating dynamic alignment and dynamic balance, articulation of the spine, integration of the spine promoting mobility and stability, the use of breath to integrate movements initiation from the center of the body, and movement connectivity. Demonstrate intricate movement combinations that incorporate various axial and loco motor combinations.

Develop an awareness of performing techniques. Demonstrate basic concepts of performing techniques using kinesthetic awareness, focus, rhythm, space, and energy. Identify performing techniques in other dancers.
Demonstrate appropriate rehearsal and class behavior when performing and observing.

ELEMENTS OF DANCE
Students will develop knowledge and skills in space demonstrate an understanding of spatial pathways, directions, and facings. Create a spatial floor pattern. Demonstrate knowledge of contrasting spatial planes:  vertical, horizontal, diagonal, lateral. Create independent and interdependent shapes with partners. Create shapes through an energy improvisation. Develop shape relationships with transitions with a partner, and in a group.

Develop knowledge and skills in time. Demonstrate rhythmic phrasing, investigate even and uneven intervals within a metric phrase adding accents, and including syncopation. Students will also demonstrate non-metric (breath) rhythm.        
Develop knowledge and skills in energy and motion, performing the six basic qualities of movements. Perform an improvisation based on two or more qualities of movements.  Explore the qualities of
movement found in other curricular areas. Create a group and individual composition that clearly defines two or more contrasting qualities.                      

CREATIVE/CHOREOGRAPHIC PROCESS
Students will demonstrate structured improvisation. Improvise within a structure to generate movement for
choreography. Improvise within a structure based on an element of dance. Improvise alone and with a group using AB, ABA, with or without music.

Students will demonstrate in a group and individually, choreographic principles, processes, and structures. Define the compositional elements of continuity, sequence, repetition, variety, unison, contrast, transition, and climax. Create and perform a dance study using two compositional principles as a focus. Create and perform a dance sequence with a beginning, middle, and end with musical accompaniment.

MEANING
Students will develop knowledge and skills in the creative process of abstraction. Demonstrate the process of abstraction altering time, space, energy through reordering, repeating, diminishing, and/or inverting the movement. Analyze how each alteration may change meaning. Create, abstract, and perform a movement pattern based on a gesture, response, visual image, or idea.  Analyze why a choreographer chooses a particular movement to communicate an idea in dance.

ESSENTIAL LEARNINGS IN CREATIVE WRITING II

Creative writing is an academic elective that builds on the writing and language arts skills students have acquired throughout elementary and middle school, while allowing students a creative outlet to explore writing.  All students will develop their voice by exploring various genres of writing including: short stories, script writing, poetry, journal keeping, essays, magazine and news articles, advertising, and an autobiography.  Skills in pre-writing, proof reading, peer editing, and revising are stressed.  Critical thinking skills will be enhanced through patterns of language usage and reading.
Course Goal - For each student to become a better writer!

- By practice the writing process from pre-writing, rough drafts, revising, and editing.
- Students will understand terms and demonstrate use in writing. Such as: character, conflict, setting, point of view, theme, structure, and tone.