Colorado(Todd)

 Colorado Model Content Standards for Dance Dance Is Important to Life and Learning Dance serves as one of humanity's deepest rivers of continuity. It connects each new generation to those who has gone before. Students need dance to make these connections and to express the otherwise inexpressible. Dance education benefits the student because it cultivates the whole person, gradually building many kinds of literacy while developing intuition, reasoning, imagination, and dexterity into unique forms of expression and communication. If dance education is to serve its proper function, each student must develop an understanding of such questions as these: What is the dance? How do dance artists work and what techniques do they use? How do traditional, popular, classical, and modem dance forms influence one another? Why is dance important to me and my society? As students seek the answers to these questions, they develop an understanding of the essence of dance, and of the knowledge and skills that enliven it. The content and the interrelatedness of the Standards, especially, go a long way toward producing such understanding. But meeting the Standards cannot, and should not, imply that every student will acquire a common set of artistic values. Ultimately, students are responsible for their own artistic values. Standards provide a positive and substantive framework for those who teach young people why and how dance is valuable to them as persons and as participants in a shared culture. The affirmations below describe the values that can inform what happens when the Standards, students and their teachers come together. These expectations draw connections among dance, the lives of students, and the world at large: As students work at increasing their understanding of such promises and challenges presented by dance, they are preparing **to make their own contributions to the nation's storehouse** of culture. The more students live up to these high expectations, the more empowered our citizenry will become. Indeed, helping students to meet the standards is among the best possible investments in the future of not only our children, but also of our country and civilization.  DANCE RATIONALE The study of dance builds strength, coordination, musicality, and flexibility, contributing to lifelong fitness and well being. As students achieve proficiency in dance skills, they experience increased self-esteem, contributing toward their physical, mental, and emotional development as productive, healthy people. Kindergarten & Fourth students will: In grades K-A what students know and are able to do includes Fifth & Eighth students will: As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes Ninth & Twelfth students will: As students in grades 9-12 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes RATIONALE A nonverbal idea can be expressed through choreography. The ability to put together a dance depends on finding appropriate movements to communicate an idea. These movements can then be put into dances which show an understanding of the choreographic craft. Kindergarten & Fourth students will: In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes Fifth & Eighth students will: As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes Ninth & Twelfth students will: As students in grades 9-12 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes RATIONALE Dance develops imagination, perception, appreciation, and tolerance through non-verbal experiences. Movement transcends language and cultural barriers while developing a respect for the work of others. This non-competitive atmosphere allows students to explore, discover, and realize various solutions to creative problems. Kindergarten & Fourth students will: In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes Fifth & Eighth students will: As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes Ninth & Twelfth students will: As students in grades 9-12 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes RATIONALE Dance has been interwoven in society throughout history, helping to create and define all cultures. By understanding dance as an integral part of history, the student learns how artistic creation is influenced by society and how society is reflected in and changed by art. Through the study of dance students learn to understand their own expression in relation to the expression of others. Kindergarten & Fourth students will: In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes Fifth & Eighth students will: As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes As students in grades 9-12 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes Standard 5: Students will understand the benefits of dance for lifelong fitness. RATIONALE Dance is one of the few fitness activities that students can participate in during their entire lives. Students learn to improve dance skills and abilities and prevent injuries through an understanding of how the body works. Dance addresses the mental, emotional, and physical aspects of the student which improves self-image and promotes overall fitness in a non-competitive environment. Kindergarten & Fourth students will: In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes Fifth & Eighth students will: As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes Ninth & Twelfth students will: As students in grades 9-12 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes RATIONALE The study of dance incorporates the movement of a human body in relationship to gravity, time and space, and with the use of energy. These fundamental elements of dance are also fundamental elements of other disciplines showing how dance crosses the boundaries to many other areas of study. In studying dance, students are challenged to take universal principles which are theoretical and apply them to practical and physical experiences. Kindergarten & Fourth students will: In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes Fifth & Eighth students will: As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes Ninth & Twelfth students will: As students in grades 9-12 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes Pretty basic for all k-4, 5-8, 9-12 **2. Coherence** **—**Do the standards convey a unified vision of the discipline, do they establish connections among the major areas of study, and do they show a meaningful progression of content across the grades? yes **3.** ** Focus —**Have choices been made about what is most important for students to learn, and is the amount of content manageable? yes **4.** ** Specificity —**Are the standards specific enough to convey the level of performance expected of students? not really **5.** ** Clarity/Accessibility —**Are the standards clearly written and presented in an error-free, legible, easy-to-use format that is accessible to the general public?
 * Dance has both intrinsic and instrumental value; that is, it has worth in and of itself and can also be used to achieve a multitude of purposes (e.g., to present issues and ideas, to teach or persuade, to entertain, to design, plan, and beautify).
 * Dance is a way of knowing. Students grow in their ability to comprehend their world when they learn the dance. As they create dance works of art, they learn how to express themselves and how to communicate with others.
 * Dance is indispensable to freedom of inquiry and expression.
 * Dance provides forms of nonverbal communication that strengthen the presentation of ideas and emotions.
 * Dance plays a valued role in creating cultures and building civilizations.
 * Dance has values and significance for daily life. It provides personal fulfillment, whether in vocational settings, avocational pursuits, or leisure.
 * Lifelong participation in dance is a valuable part of a life fully lived and for life-long fitness and should be cultivated.
 * Appreciating dance means understanding the interactions among the various professions and roles involved in creating, performing, studying, teaching, presenting, and supporting the dance, and in appreciating their interdependent nature.
 * Openness, respect for work, and contemplation when participating in dance as an observer or audience member are personal attitudes that enhance enjoyment and should be developed.
 * Because dance offers the continuing challenge of situations in which there is no standard or approved answer, those who study dance become acquainted with many perspectives on the meaning of "artistic value."
 * The modes of thinking and methods of the dance disciplines can be used to illuminate situations in other disciplines that require creative solutions.
 * Attributes such as self-discipline, the collaborative spirit, and perseverance, which are so necessary to dance, transfer to the rest of life.
 * Awakening to folk arts and their influence on dance deepens respect for one's own and for others' ethnic communities.
 * Each person has a responsibility for advancing civilization. The dance encourages taking this responsibility and provide skills and perspectives for doing so.
 * 1) Students will understand and demonstrate dance skills.
 * 2) Students will understand and apply the principles of choreography.
 * 3) Students will create, communicate, and problem solve through dance.
 * 4) Students will understand and relate the role of dance in culture and history.
 * 5) Students will understand the benefits of dance for lifelong fitness.
 * 6) Students will understand the relationships and connections between dance and other disciplines.
 * Standard 1:** **Students will understand and demonstrate dance skills.**
 * observing and demonstrating a series of movements in a given order that create a movement phrase through basic non-locomotor and locomotor movement
 * demonstrating accuracy in moving with a rhythmic beat and responding to changes in tempo
 * demonstrating awareness of spatial dimensions by moving and creating shapes within each dimension
 * demonstrating accurate memorization and reproduction of movement sequences using different styles
 * transferring a rhythmic pattern from the auditory to the kinesthetic, and a spatial pattern from the visual to the kinesthetic
 * identifying and demonstrating mechanical movement skills
 * identifying and demonstrating a range of dynamic energies and movement qualities
 * defining and demonstrating more complex mechanical movement skills
 * identifying and demonstrating longer and more complex movement combinations in a broad dynamic range from different dance styles/traditions
 * demonstrating rhythmic accuracy
 * demonstrating performance skills
 * Standard 2:** Students will understand and apply the principles of choreography.
 * creating simple movements phrases through improvisation
 * developing variations of phrases
 * creating complex movement phrases through improvisation
 * developing variations of movement phrases
 * using a variety of sources to structure a complete dance study
 * creating more complex movement phrases through improvisation
 * using a variety of sources to structure a complete dance showing and understanding of form and craft
 * contributing creative ideas to group choreography
 * Standard 3:** Students will create, communicate, and problem solve through dance.
 * discovering solutions to a movement problem and discussing reasons for that solution
 * discussing how dance is different from other forms of movement
 * presenting and discussing dances with peers
 * creating and evaluating movement while justifying artistic choices
 * demonstrating the difference between literal and non literal movement
 * comparing and contrasting dance compositions
 * creating a dance that communicates a topic of personal interest
 * establishing, applying, and evaluating artistic criteria in one's own work and that of others
 * discussing how personal experiences influence the creation and interpretation of dance
 * understanding how movement choices communicate abstract ideas in dance
 * observing and explaining how musical accompaniment, lighting, and costuming can affect and contribute to the meaning of a dance
 * Standard 4:**Students will understand and relate the role of dance in culture and history.
 * performing and discussing dances from various cultures
 * describing dance in relation to historical periods
 * performing and evaluating dances from various cultures
 * performing, describing, and comparing dance in relation to historical periods
 * performing and discussing the tradition and techniques of dance
 * discussing the historical perspectives of dance and dancers in all historical periods
 * analyzing how dance is viewed throughout history
 * identifying fitness components and their relation to dance
 * discussing how warmup activities prepare the body and mind for an activity
 * identifying personal goals and methods to improve dance skills and fitness levels
 * describing a logical class progression based on principles of fitness
 * communicating how lifestyle choices affect the dancer
 * comparing and contrasting the training of dancers and other athletes in fitness activities
 * evaluating strategies to increase fitness, improve dance skills, and prevent dance injuries
 * comparing and analyzing historical and cultural images of the body in dance as depicted in all media
 * Standard 6**: Students will understand the relationships and connections between dance and other disciplines.
 * creating a dance that combines an idea from another discipline
 * responding to a dance by creating an image, discussing an idea or concept that relates to that dance
 * creating a project that reveals similarities and differences between dance and the other arts
 * discussing examples of similar concepts used between dance and other disciplines outside of the arts
 * creating an interdisciplinary project based on a theme using dance and other disciplines to create a desired solution
 * identifying commonalties between dance and other disciplines
 * demonstrating and discussing how technology can be used to impact a dance idea in an interdisciplinary project
 * 1. Rigor** **—**What is the intellectual demand of the standards?

yes **6.** ** Measurability —**Is each standard measurable, observable, or verifiable in some way? yes