A. Dance / C. Music · Music and Dance

Dance: Comparing Dances and Growing as a Dancer

A2.1 A2.2 A2.3About 30 minutes

Learning goals

I can describe how my dance phrase is the same as (similar to) someone else's.
I can use dance words to name the elements in a dance and say what they communicate.
I can name my strengths and a next step as a dance creator and as an audience member.

Words to know

similar
Almost the same, or alike in some ways.

dance vocabulary
Dance words, like level, pathway, tempo, energy, locomotor and contrasting.

strength
Something you already do well.

area for growth
Something you want to get better at. It is your next step.

dance creator
A person who makes up a dance. Another name is choreographer.

audience member
A person who watches a performance.

Two dancers, one idea

Maya and Leo both made a dance about rain.

Maya started high and fluttered her fingers down to a low level, slowly and lightly.
Leo also fluttered his fingers down from high to low, but then he jumped and splashed in puddles with strong, sharp jumps.

How are their dances similar? They both used fluttering fingers, moving from high to low, to show rain falling. Noticing what is alike helps us see how dancers share ideas.

Raindrops splashing into a puddle on a path, making rings, next to wet green leaves. — Raindrops falling into a puddle. Maya showed light, fluttering drops, and Leo added strong, splashing jumps. Both dances were about the same rain. AI-generated image

A Venn diagram compares two dances. The middle shows what is similar: both dancers used fluttering fingers moving from high to low to show rain.

How to compare dances

When you watch a dance, look at each element. Ask:

Body: What shapes? What body parts? Locomotor or non-locomotor moves?
Space: Which levels, pathways, directions?
Time: Fast, slow, pauses?
Energy: Strong, light, smooth, sharp?
Relationship: Alone or with a partner? Matching or contrasting?

Then say what is similar: "We both used a zigzag pathway to show lightning."

Element	My dance (snowstorm)	My cousin's dance (snowstorm)	Similar?
Body	spinning, wide shapes	spinning, curved shapes	✔ both spin
Space	zigzag pathway, high to low	curved pathway, high to low	✔ both go high to low
Time	fast, then slow	fast the whole time	✔ both start fast
Energy	strong	strong and sharp	✔ both strong
Ending	melt to the floor	freeze	✘ different

A comparison chart helps you find what is similar.

What does each element communicate?

Dance words help us explain meaning:

"The low, curved shape made her look sad or tired."
"The fast, zigzag pathway showed the squirrel was scared."
"The strong stomps showed the giant was angry."

Just for fun

Two dancers made almost the same move for "rain" without peeking. Great minds move alike!

Growing as a dancer

Every dancer has strengths (things they do well) and areas for growth (next steps). This is true for brand-new dancers and for famous ones!

You can grow as a dance creator (making up dances) and as an audience member (watching dances).

Sentence starters:

"One strength I have as a dance creator is..."
"Next time, I want to try..."
"As an audience member, I did well at..."

Worked example

Example: Comparing two dance phrases

Sam's dance about a cat: she crawls on hands and knees, arches her back in a curved shape, then pounces with a sharp jump. Priya's dance about a cat: she tiptoes lightly in a curved pathway, then curls up low in a ball to sleep. How are they similar?

Look at body: both use curved shapes (arched back, curled ball).
Look at space: both use a low level for part of the dance.
Look at energy: Sam's pounce is sharp; Priya's tiptoe is light. That is a difference.
Say it in a sentence using dance words.

"Sam's and Priya's dances are similar because they both use curved body shapes and both go to a low level to show a cat."

Worked example

Example: Reflecting on myself

After his dance about a hockey game, Omar thinks about how he did as a creator and how he did as an audience member when his sister danced.

Creator strength: "My skating moves were smooth, and I changed levels when I shot the puck."
Creator area for growth: "My ending was wobbly. Next time I will hold my freeze for 3 seconds."
Audience strength: "I watched my sister's whole dance quietly and clapped."
Audience area for growth: "I want to tell her something specific I noticed, not just 'good job'."

Omar named a specific strength and a specific next step for both roles. Specific is better than "I was good".

Omar names one strength and one next step as a dance creator. Both are specific, so he knows exactly what to keep and what to practise.

Hands-on activity

Dance and compare

You need: a partner (grown-up, sibling or friend) and a topic like wind, a bird, or a fire truck.

You and your partner each make a short dance about the same topic, without watching each other.
Take turns performing. The audience watches quietly.
Fill in a chart like the one above together: body, space, time, energy, ending.
Say two ways your dances were similar using dance words.
Each person says one strength and one next step.
Try each other's best move!

Your turn

What does similar mean?

Two dancers both show a rocket taking off by rising from low to high quickly. Name what is similar.

Name one dance word for each element: body, space, time, energy.

What might a slow, low, curved shape communicate?

Finish the sentence: "One strength I have as a dance creator is..."

Name one thing a good audience member does.

Change this to be more specific: "Your dance was good."

More practice: warm-up

Is zigzag a body word or a space word?

Is strong a time word or an energy word?

What is another name for a dance creator?

Is "Next time I will hold my freeze longer" a strength or an area for growth?

Is "I watched quietly the whole time" a strength or an area for growth?

More practice: on your own

Dancer A: a butterfly that flutters lightly at a high level. Dancer B: a bird that glides smoothly at a high level. Name two similarities.

Dancer C shows a robot with sharp, angular moves. Dancer D shows a robot with sharp, angular moves and a stiff walk in a straight pathway. What is similar, and what did Dancer D add?

What does a zigzag pathway with fast tempo usually communicate?

Give one area for growth for a dancer who forgets the order of their moves.

Why is it helpful to name a strength, not just an area for growth?

Challenge

Watch a grown-up do two different "wind" dances. Then describe two similarities and one difference using dance words.

Two dances are about the same idea, but one feels happy and one feels sad. Which elements might be different? Explain.

Write a goal for yourself as a dance creator AND as an audience member for your next dance.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Two dancers both use a zigzag pathway to show lightning. This is a ___.

Which is a space word?

Which is the most specific comment for a dancer?

"Next time, I will make my ending freeze stiller." This is ___.

A dance creator is also called a ___.

Fast, light hops in a zigzag pathway might show a ___.

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 2 students describe similarities between their own dance phrases and those of others, identify the elements of dance using dance vocabulary and how each communicates meaning, and name strengths and areas for growth as dance creators and audience members.

How to help:

Model specific feedback: name the element and what it showed ("Your strong stomps made you look like a giant").
Watch short clips of dancers online together (for example, a ballet, a powwow, a hip-hop crew) and ask, "What is the same about these two dances?"
Keep a simple dance journal: one strength and one next step after each dance.

Common difficulties:

Only saying "good" or "I liked it". Offer a sentence frame: "I noticed you used ___. It showed ___."
Only noticing differences. Grade 2 focuses on similarities. Ask "What did you both do?"
Being hard on themselves. Insist on a strength first. Next steps are for growing, not for feeling bad.