Dance is Home - Getting to Know You

#1: Birthday Chance Dance

Dance Is Home is back and focusing on lessons for getting to know new and returning students while we continue to embrace our unique dance spaces. Personal stories will drive each lesson and inspire future topics, playlists, and culturally relevant teaching.

Distance learning has inspired me to organize each unit with activities that stand on their own but can be combined into a multi-layered piece. 

The first unit will focus on birthdays. We all have one. The dates, astrology signs, stories, and traditions create a fun platform for dance making and conversation. I’m looking forward to sharing this new series.

Let’s celebrate our special day with some dance making during #distancelearning

Project #1: Birthday Chance Dance
Still at home, birthday celebrations continue.

In your house:
Lesson 1:

• Create a short phrase with your birthday, month and day, using the movement numbers below, (In sequential order).

Month_ _/ Day_ _
0- Jump
1- Run
2- Spin
3- Punch
4- Melt
5- Rise
6- Skip
7- Explode
8- Balance
9- Kick

Example: 11/08= Run, run, jump, balance.
*if your number repeats, create two variations of the movement.

Lesson 2:

• Look up your astrology sign and choose two personality traits that represent you best.
• Create two shapes that describe each word.
• Determine how you form the shapes (this can be added to the more advanced classes). 

Lesson 3:

• Write about a memorable birthday.
• Write about your families birthday traditions or how you celebrate with them.
• Choose a sentence from one of the above writing prompts and make it into a movement sentence. 

Lesson 4:

• Movement practice: choose a short section of the warm-up from the dance class.

Lesson 5: Put it all together!

• Construct a dance using a chance procedure of your choice.
• Demonstrate how you determined your order in photos or video.

DETAILS:
HOW TO MAKE YOUR BIRTHDAY CHANCE DANCE:

• Use a chance procedure to determine the sequence. Make sure you include Shape #1, Shape #2, Movement Sentence, Birthday Chance Dance and Warm-up phrase.
• Record a demonstration of your chance procedure using Time lapse, photos, or other create ways. Example: time lapse the mathematical equation you used to create the sequence, video record the procedure of choosing the sequence out of a hat.
• Add music. Consider music that reminds you of birthday celebrations at home, festive songs, etc.
• Choose a location in your home to record the dance. Decorate? Use furniture or props?
• 45-90 seconds maximum. Make sure you get all four movement tasks and the chance procedure demo in this time frame.
• Have fun and make it festive!

​Suggested educational resources:
Bringing words to life: (Lesson 2 & 3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=gb67f2HLVGM&feature=emb_logo

Bill T Jones discusses Story/Time.
The creative process and putting stories together in a random order. (Lesson 1 & 5)
https://vimeo.com/34480831

Merce Cunningham and Chance Procedure (Lesson 1 & 5)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=11&v=zhK3Ep4HiI0&feature=emb_logo

*Academic schedules vary, determine the lesson order to fit your particular needs, environment, and level of the dancer.