A. Dance / C. Music · Music and Dance

Dance: Dance Patterns (AB, ABA and More)

A1.3 A1.4 A2.2About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can make dance phrases that follow a pattern, like AB, ABA or ABACA.
I can use repetition and contrast so the audience can see my pattern.
I can expand my movement vocabulary by changing a move with the elements in different sections of my dance.
I can make interconnected shapes with a partner.

Words to know

pattern
Something that repeats in a way you can predict, like A B A B.

section
One part of a dance. Each section gets a letter: A, B, C.

repetition
Doing a move or section again.

contrast
Making something different on purpose, so it stands out.

movement vocabulary
All the moves a dancer knows and can use, like the words you know for writing.

variation
A move or section that is the same idea but changed a little, for example faster, bigger or lower.

interconnected shapes
Shapes two or more dancers make that link together, like puzzle pieces, without pulling or leaning on each other.

Patterns are everywhere

You know patterns from math: 🔴🔵🔴🔵. Patterns are in music and stories too. Dancers use patterns so the audience can follow the dance and remember it.

In dance, we give each section (part) a letter. The first section is A. A different section is B. If A comes back, we call it A again.

Six autumn leaves in a row on a light wooden floor, alternating red maple leaves and yellow oak leaves. — Red, yellow, red, yellow: a repeating AB pattern made of leaves. Dance sections can follow patterns too. AI-generated image

Pattern	What happens	Example
AB	two different sections	A: march in place for 8 counts. B: spin and sink for 8 counts.
ABA	A, something different, then A comes back	A: hop like a frog. B: freeze and float like a lily pad. A: hop again.
ABAB	two sections take turns	A: wave arms high. B: stamp feet low. A. B.
ABACA	A keeps coming back between new sections (B and C)	A: a clap-and-turn "home" phrase. B: a jump phrase. A. C: a crawl phrase. A.

Some pattern forms for dance.

In ABACA, the A section is like coming home after each new adventure.

Repetition and contrast

Repetition (doing it again) helps the audience recognize a section. "Hey, that's the A part again!"
Contrast (making it different) helps sections stand out. If A is fast and high, make B slow and low.

A good pattern needs both!

Grow your movement vocabulary

Your movement vocabulary is all the moves you know. Just like you learn new words to write better stories, dancers learn new moves to make better dances.

A great trick: take one move and change it with the elements in each section.

Body: use a different body part or body base (do it sitting on your seat!). Lead with the front or the back of your body.
Space: change the level, direction (forward, backward, sideways), pathway or size.
Time: make it fast, slow or sustained, or add a freeze.
Energy: make it strong or light, smooth or percussive.
Relationship: do it with a partner in interconnected shapes, or one after the other.

Each change is a variation. Now your one move has become many!

Worked example

Example: Building an ABA dance from one move

Let's start with a simple arm wave and build an ABA dance about the wind.

Section A (8 counts): wave both arms high and smoothly side to side, like a breeze in the treetops. Sway your body with it.
Section B (8 counts): change the wave! Do it low, fast and percussive (sharp, choppy waves), and travel sideways across the room. Now it is a gusty storm.
Section A again (8 counts): return to the high, smooth wave. The wind is calm again.
Ending: freeze in a tall shape.

Our dance is ABA. B contrasts with A (low instead of high, fast instead of smooth). A repeats at the end. We also expanded our movement vocabulary: one arm wave became two different moves.

Just for fun

Riddle: What has a beginning, a different middle, and then the same beginning again?

A sandwich! Bread, filling, bread: that's ABA form you can eat.

Worked example

Example: Interconnected shapes

Two dancers want to end their dance with interconnected shapes. How can they do it safely?

Dancer 1 makes a wide, low shape, kneeling with one arm reaching out.
Dancer 2 makes a high shape that fits around it, reaching one arm over Dancer 1's arm without touching.
They look like two puzzle pieces fitting together.
They do not pull, push or lean their weight on each other. Each dancer holds their own balance.

Interconnected shapes link together like puzzle pieces. They can be close or even lightly touching, but each dancer keeps their own balance.

Interconnected shapes. Dancer 2's arm reaches over Dancer 1's arm without leaning on it.

Hands-on activity

Pattern cards dance

You need: 3 pieces of paper, a marker, and open space.

Write A, B and C on the papers.
Make up a short phrase (8 counts) for each letter. Make each one contrast with the others: one high, one low; one fast, one slow.
Lay the cards on the floor in a pattern, like A B A or A B A C A. Dance it!
Change the order of the cards and dance the new pattern.
Grow your vocabulary: the last time A comes back, change it one way (bigger, slower, on a different body base). Can your family spot the variation?
If you have a partner, end with an interconnected shape.

Your turn

A dance goes: jump, spin, jump. What is its pattern?

Make an AB dance: A is a high move, B is a low move.

What is repetition?

What is contrast?

Take a march. Make a variation by changing its size.

Dance the pattern ABAB using clapping (A) and turning (B).

A dance goes: wiggle, stomp, wiggle, slide, wiggle. Write it with letters.

More practice: warm-up

What do we call the first section of a dance?

In ABA, which section comes back?

What is your movement vocabulary?

Show a move with your seat as your body base.

True or false: in interconnected shapes, dancers pull on each other to balance.

More practice: on your own

Your A section is fast and light. Describe a B section that contrasts with it.

Why do dancers use repetition?

Take a wave of the hand. Make three variations and name the element you changed each time.

A dance goes A B A, but both A sections look exactly the same as B. What is the problem?

Make an interconnected shape with a family member or a chair. Describe it.

Challenge

Make an ABACA dance about a day at a winter carnival. Describe A, B and C.

The last time A comes back, a dancer does it slowly and at a low level. Is it still A? What could we call it?

Explain how one move (a jump) could be used in three different sections of a dance so each section looks different.

Check your understanding

Quiz

A dance goes: spin, hop, spin. What is its pattern?

What is contrast in dance?

Which pattern has A coming back between two different new sections?

A dancer does her twist slower, then lower, then bigger. What is she doing?

Interconnected shapes are shapes that ___.

Why do dancers repeat the A section?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 3 students create dance phrases using a variety of pattern forms (A1.3) such as AB, ABA and ABACA, and show how the elements can expand movement vocabulary across different sections of a larger pattern (A1.4). The Grade 3 elements include body bases (such as the seat), body zones (front and back), and interconnected shapes with a partner.

How to help at home:

Link to math: dance patterns are like the repeating patterns your child studies in math.
Use paper letter cards (A, B, C) so your child can see and rearrange the pattern.
Count out loud: 8 counts per section keeps sections even and easier to remember.

Common difficulties:

Calling every new move a new letter. A section is a short group of moves (a phrase), not a single step.
Sections that look alike. Ask, "How is B different from A? Level? Speed? Energy?"
Partner shapes that pull or lean. Remind dancers that each person keeps their own balance. Safety first.