Grade by Grade
A. Dance / C. Music · Music and Dance

Dance: Why People Dance, Here and Around the World

A3.1 A3.2 A2.2About 35 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can name reasons why people dance (to celebrate, to tell stories, to have fun, to heal, to worship, to stay healthy, to be together).
  • I can name places where people dance (social gatherings, ceremonies, theatres, the media, the classroom).
  • I can describe dances I have seen from different communities, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, using dance words.
  • I can watch and talk about dances from other cultures with respect.

Words to know

culture
The ways of life, beliefs, languages, foods, music and dances shared by a group of people.
social dance
A dance people do together for fun at parties, weddings and gatherings.
ceremony
A special event with important actions, words, songs or dances, sometimes spiritual or sacred.
regalia
The special clothing and items that First Nations dancers wear. It is not a costume; it is personal and meaningful.
sacred
Very special and spiritual. Sacred dances belong to a community and are not to be copied as a game.
theatrical dance
Dance performed on a stage for an audience, like ballet.

Why do people dance?

Think about the last time you saw people dancing. Was it at a wedding? A birthday party? On TV? At a powwow? At a school assembly?

People all over the world dance, and they dance for many different reasons.

People of many ages dancing on the grass at an outdoor summer evening concert in a park by a lake, with a band playing under a wooden shelter.
At a summer concert in the park, people of all ages dance together. Why do you think they are dancing: to have fun, to celebrate, or to be together? AI-generated image
ReasonExample
To celebrate 🎉dancing at a wedding, a birthday, Canada Day, Diwali, Lunar New Year or a powwow
To tell a story 📖a ballet like The Nutcracker; Bharatanatyam dancers from South India use hand gestures to tell stories
To have fun and be together 🤝a square dance, a school dance, dancing in the kitchen with family
To heal and help others 💚the jingle dress dance, a healing dance that comes from Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) communities
To pray or worship 🙏some faiths and communities dance as part of worship or ceremonies
To stay healthy 💪dance fitness classes, dancing to get your heart pumping at recess
To perform for an audience 🎭dancers in theatres, on TV, in music videos, and in competitions
Some reasons people dance. Many dances have more than one reason!
Why dopeople dance?celebratetell a storyhave fun togetherhealpray or worshipstay healthyperform
People dance for many reasons. Many dances have more than one reason at the same time!

Where do people dance?

  • Social gatherings: weddings, family parties, festivals, community dances.
  • Ceremonies: special and sometimes sacred events, like some First Nations ceremonies.
  • Live performances: theatres, school concerts, festival stages, parades.
  • The media: TV, movies, videos.
  • The classroom: your own dances with your class!
ABCsocialweddings, partiesceremoniesspecial eventslive showsstages, paradesmediaTV, moviesclassroomyour class!
Five kinds of places where people dance, from family parties to ceremonies, stages, screens and your own classroom.

Dances from communities in Canada and around the world

Canada is home to First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, whose dances have been part of life on this land for a very long time and are still danced today. Canada is also home to families from all over the world, who bring their dances with them.

DanceCommunityWhat you might notice (dance words!)
Jingle dress danceFirst Nations (Ojibwe/Anishinaabe origin; now danced at powwows across North America)Light, quick, bouncing steps close to the ground. Rows of metal cones on the dress ring like rain with every step. It is a healing dance.
Hoop danceMany First NationsOne dancer uses many hoops to make shapes, such as an eagle or a butterfly. Fast footwork and quick, smooth arm moves.
Smoke danceHaudenosauneeVery fast footwork to a quick drum beat. It is a social dance shared at gatherings, and there are smoke dance contests too.
Red River JigMétisQuick, light, fancy steps to fiddle music. When the fiddle tune changes, the dancers change their steps.
Drum danceInuitA drummer dances while beating a large, flat frame drum on its rim with a stick, turning and swaying while others sing.
Irish step danceIrish communitiesArms held still by the sides, upper body tall and straight, feet moving very fast.
BharatanatyamSouth India (Tamil Nadu)Bent-knee shapes, stamping feet, and hand gestures and faces that tell stories.
HopakUkrainian communitiesBig jumps, squats and spins, with strong energy.
BalletStarted in Italy and France long ago; danced around the worldPointed feet, turns, leaps and smooth, graceful arms. Often tells a story on a stage.
A few of the many dances you might see in Canada.

Watching with respect

  • Use the right words: a powwow dancer wears regalia, not a costume.
  • Some dances are sacred and belong to a community. We can watch and learn about them, but we do not copy them as a game.
  • At a powwow, the announcer sometimes invites everyone to join an intertribal dance. Join in only when you are invited.
  • Watch quietly, follow the announcer or host, and clap when it is the right time.
  • Say "That is new to me" instead of "That is weird."
Worked example

Example: Describing a dance I have seen

Lily went to a summer powwow with her family. She saw jingle dress dancers. How can she describe what she saw using dance words and the reason for the dance?

  1. Where: "I saw it at a live social gathering, a powwow."
  2. Body and time: "The dancers did quick, light steps and small bounces."
  3. Space: "They travelled around the dance circle in a curved pathway."
  4. Reason: "The announcer said the jingle dress dance is a healing dance."
  5. Respect: "We stood when we were asked, and we didn't take photos when the announcer asked us not to."

Lily described where she saw the dance, used dance words (quick, light, curved pathway), named a reason people do it (healing), and showed respect.

Worked example

Example: Same reason, different dances

A Ukrainian hopak at a festival and a Métis Red River Jig at a gathering are both danced to celebrate. How are they similar in movement?

  1. Both have fast tempo footwork.
  2. Both are danced to lively music (the Red River Jig is danced to fiddle music).
  3. Both show skill and energy, and people cheer and clap for the dancers.

Different communities, but both dances use fast footwork and lively energy to celebrate and show skill.

Just for fun

Why is a fancy dance party called a ball? The word comes from an old Latin word, ballare, which means "to dance". So a ballroom is really a dance room... and nobody bounces a ball there!

Hands-on activity

Dance detective

You need: a grown-up and a device to watch short videos (or a live festival in your town).

  1. With your grown-up, watch two short dance videos from different communities. Good choices: a jingle dress dance or hoop dance shared by a First Nation, a Métis jigging video, an Inuit drum dance, a ballet, a bhangra dance.
  2. For each dance, say:
  • Where were they dancing? (a stage, a gathering, outdoors?)
  • Why do you think they were dancing? (celebrate, tell a story, heal, have fun?)
  • Two dance words for what you saw.
  1. Draw a picture of your favourite moment.
  2. Ask your family: "Is there a dance from our family or culture?" Learn a few steps if there is one you are invited to learn.

Your turn

1

Name three reasons people dance.

2

Name two places where people dance.

3

What do we call the special clothing of a powwow dancer?

4

Which dance is a healing dance that comes from Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) communities?

5

In Irish step dance, what do the arms usually do? What do the feet do?

6

You see a dance that is new to you. What could you say instead of "That's weird"?

7

Describe a dance you have seen (in real life or on a screen). Use one dance word.

More practice: warm-up

1

True or false: People dance only on stages.

2

Is dancing at a birthday party mostly for celebrating or for healing?

3

Which community does the Red River Jig come from?

4

What instrument does an Inuit drum dancer play?

5

Should we copy a sacred dance as a game?

More practice: on your own

1

Why might a dance at a fitness class be different from a dance at a ceremony?

2

A ballet tells the story of a toy soldier and a mouse king. What is the main reason for this dance?

3

Describe the hoop dance using two dance words.

4

Name one dance from a First Nations, one from Métis and one from Inuit communities.

5

You are at a powwow and the announcer invites everyone to join an intertribal dance. Is it okay to join?

Challenge

1

Choose a dance from this lesson. Tell where people do it, why, and use two dance words to describe it.

2

Bharatanatyam and ballet can both tell stories. How does each one help the audience understand the story?

3

Why is it important to learn about a community's dance from people of that community?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which is a reason people dance?

2.

The special clothing a powwow dancer wears is called ___.

3.

The Red River Jig is a dance of the ___.

4.

Which dance is known for still arms and very fast feet?

5.

What is the most respectful thing to do at a powwow?

6.

A dance class at the community centre helps people get their hearts pumping. The main reason for this dance is ___.

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 2 students describe, with guidance, dances from communities around the world that they have seen (in the media, at live performances, at social gatherings or in class), and identify reasons people dance and contexts where they dance.

Teaching respectfully:

  • Use specific names (Ojibwe/Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Cree, Métis, Inuit) and present tense. These are living cultures.
  • Distinguish social dances (sometimes open to all when invited) from sacred or ceremonial ones (watch and learn about only). When unsure, treat a dance as not for imitation.
  • Choose videos shared by the communities or performers themselves. Many First Nations hold public summer powwows; check each event's etiquette (photos, Grand Entry, intertribals).
  • We chose well-documented facts for this lesson. If your child asks something you do not know, it is fine to say, "Let's find out from a source from that community."

How to help:

  • Share your own family's dances and celebrations.
  • Attend free cultural festivals and describe the dances together using dance words.

Common difficulties: Children may call unfamiliar dances "funny." Model curiosity: "What do you notice? Why do you think they dance this way?"