Dance / Year 5 and 6

Curriculum content descriptions

Explain how the elements of dance and production elements communicate meaning by comparing dances from different social, cultural and historical contexts, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance (ACADAR012)

Elaborations
  • discussing the purpose of movements, elements of dance, production elements, and use of projection and focus, and how these affect the mood of audience and the relationship between dancers and the audience
  • Considering viewpoints – evaluations: For example – Which dance elements were used well and for which purpose? How was your mood changed by this dance? (refer to: the energy, shapes, tempo, music, staging in your answer)
  • identifying and discussing meanings and significance intended by the choreographer’s use of movement, space and energy, referring to their knowledge of the context in which the dance was created, for example, an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander dance, a Chinese ribbon dance, or a Sumatran tambourine dance
  • Considering viewpoints – meanings and interpretations: For example – How is the movement of the body used to represent a story, character or idea? How does did you use space, costume and/or multimedia to communicate meaning in this dance?
  • discussing social and cultural influences to recognise the role of dance and dancers in societies, cultures, environments and times, for example, conventions of a Kecak dance from Bali, or the protocols for performing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance, including when it is not able to be viewed
  • Considering viewpoints – societies and cultures: For example – What are the traditions, customs and conventions of this dance? What different performance spaces are used for dances and why?
  • accessing real or virtual performances that are representative of different times and places and comparing how elements of dance and production elements communicate meaning in each
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • Intercultural understanding Intercultural understanding
  • Personal and social capability Personal and social capability
Cross-curriculum priorities
ScOT terms

Social settings (Narratives),  Aboriginal art,  Torres Strait Islander art,  Dance,  Media arts

Video

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Video

Dancing The Torres Strait winds to Life: Zey

Torres Strait Islander choreographer Elma Kris created the dance 'About' as an expression of the effects of the winds (Gub) on the land, sea and community. The four seasons in the Torres Strait Islands relate directly to the type and direction of the winds. Kris has explored the effects of the Zey (pronounced Zay) - cool ...

Video

Dancing the Torres Strait winds to life: Kuki

Inspired by the natural environment, Torres Strait Islander choreographer Elma Kris created the dance 'About' as an expression of the effects that the winds (Gub) have on the land, sea and community. This clip shows the segment 'Kuki' (pronounced Cook-ee), which is inspired by the strong north-west winds that blow between ...

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Australian Ballet: primary school resources

The Australian Ballet's EduHub provides a range of resources about ballet including information on past and present productions. This web page provides short synopses of the stories behind four classic ballets from past and present Australian Ballet seasons. The ballets include: Cinderella, COPPÉLIA, Swan Lake, and The ...

Video

Kindred spirits: dancing our identity

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Online

The Nutcracker: primary and secondary school resources

The Australian Ballet's EduHub provides a range of resources about ballet including information on their productions. In this re-imagining of Tchaikovsky's the Nutcracker, the story of Clara is transported to 1950s Australia where the once famous Russian ballerina is reflecting on her past life and its triumphs and travails ...

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How can movement and music tell a story?

In this teaching activity, students will choreograph a sequence of ballet movements to tell a story. Students will explore conceptual and practical elements of classical ballet and learn basic ballet vocabulary through demonstration.

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Indigenous Australian collection

This federated search from the QAGOMA database features a selection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artworks from the collection. The searchable database provides artwork images, background information about the artist and the artwork, a map of major Indigenous regions in Australia, classroom activities, a glossary ...

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Australian collection

This database features a selection of Australian artworks from QAGOMA. The searchable database provides artwork images, background information about the artist and the artwork, classroom activities, a glossary of key terms and curriculum alignment information for teachers. Search results can be refined by theme, period, ...