STEINER EDUCATION AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIAN STEINER CURRICULUM
FRAMEWORK
The Arts
CREATIVE MOVEMENT
(DANCE B) CURRICULUM
(Class Teacher Creative Movement)
Kindergarten/Foundation to Year 6
From Class 7 to 10, schools may use the ASCF Steiner Curriculum for Eurythmy,
or the Australian or relevant State dance curriculum.
April 2015
The Australian Steiner Curriculum: Creative Movement / Dance was developed to meet the
recognition and equivalence given to alternate internationally recognised curricula by the
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and follows their format
and staging.
While this process is currently not available for the Arts, Steiner Education Australia has made
this curriculum available for Steiner Schools to use to meet state requirements based on the
Australian Curriculum.
© Steiner Education Australia
www.steinereducation.edu.au
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE CURRICULUM K-6
Version: April 2015
Revisions included in this document:
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 2 of 25
Dance Curriculum B - Creative Movement
[In this document, which covers Kindergarten / Foundation to Class 6,
Dance may be referred to as Creative Movement.
From Class 7 to 10, schools may use the ASCF Steiner Curriculum for
Eurythmy, or the Australian or relevant State dance curriculum.]
Rationale
In the Australian Steiner Arts Curriculum each strand has its rationale and justification based in the
interpretation of Rudolf Steiner’s writings and indications on pedagogy as they reveal the evolving picture
child development, and compared with ACARA requirements. This Alternate Dance Curriculum is
informed further though consultation with Class teachers, Dance teachers, Specialist Eurythmy teachers,
Music, and Speech and Drama teachers all of whom work constantly with movement in their lessons. It is
particularly relevant to acknowledge other subjects in the shaping of a Dance curriculum, because many
components of dance content will be taught and integrated into the Main Lesson curriculum and included
in other lessons by the class teacher. Furthermore, music and the creative use of the voice for song,
poetry and story give foundations on which to build the dance activities.
Creative Movement is taught to all students from Kindergarten to Class 6, regardless of ability or
inclination. It is therefore a highly inclusive socialising activity, with a strong collaborative focus.
Dance, or Creative Movement, is a medium for the age-appropriate development of harmony, agility,
awareness and dexterity in individual movement and for the expression, through movement, of cultural
and poetic content drawn from the wide spectrum of cultural and developmental themes backgrounding
each class level.
Creative Movement will not only be taught as a stand-alone activity. It is a subject, which enables
students to deepen the learning experience across all academic content – from Maths to English,
Science to History. This is possible because it allows the artistic, non-verbal, embodied interpretation and
experience of ideas and themes.
As an artistic medium, Creative Movement fosters a progressive increase in the harmonious and
conscious control of movement that is in accord with the stage of development of the growing human
being and is based in the understanding of the physical and spiritual nature of the child.
Creative Movement promotes social harmony and awareness through classes or groups moving together
artistically, regardless of individual talent or leaning. It encourages the externalisation through movement
of inner experience in an age appropriate way.
Through accompanying intellectual learning with Creative Movement, students grow into a balanced
relationship between their inner, imaginative and expressive experience and the thought content of their
learning; they become more flexible and assured in their thinking and develop more intuitive approaches
to problem solving. Through developing movement skills both individually and by moving as a group,
overall self-assurance is increased, observation skills are extended, and healthy social interactions are
explicitly fostered.
Creative Movement in this context actively supports child development, acknowledging, through the
content chosen, and the manner of its delivery, the transitions in consciousness as described by Rudolf
Steiner. These are transitions in the way children experience themselves and the world. One of these,
accompanied by such outer developments as the change of teeth, occurs towards the end of the
Kindergarten period. The so-called ‘Rubicon Crossing’ follows at age 9-10, when in a – sometimes
subtle and not so easily discernible way - children‘s behaviour gives evidence of an inner struggle, a
certain instability and loss of confidence in the world that had always supported them. There is a ‘Golden
Age’ around 11, when the rhythm of the heart stabilises and emotional development often achieves a
kind of harmony. Children still move freely and with an innate levity, before descending into – and having
to overcome - the physical heaviness of puberty, and the emotional turbulence of the successive stages
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 3 of 25
of adolescence. So the engagement with movement can become progressively more conscious, and
possibilities for meaningful free movement increase.
The emphasis on harmony, and on developing a sense for beauty in movement also fosters an
appreciation, care and reverence for the natural, inborn capacity of the human being to move artistically,
and reinforces the growing child’s innate sense of connection to the world around them and to the
cosmos, where all forms of beautiful, rhythmical movement abound. It counters thereby a tendency
towards early- and over- sexualisation in dance, which is characteristic of much of the dance children
today will see on dance shows, music videos, You-Tube clips and other media.
In addition to ongoing skill development, two underlying principles of dance experience can be thus
recognised. On the one hand there is dance which emphasises more the “being part of a whole’, (eg
immersion in repetitive circle dances with a group or movement making visible ‘cosmic’ patterns such as
the contracting or expanding qualities of seasons and rhythmical movement (which emerges out of the
inner experience of the relationship between heart rate and breathing). Included in this dimension is all
inspiration for movement drawn from observation and imitation of the natural world. This we can loosely
describe as belonging to the more ‘etheric’ dimension of dance.
On the other hand dance enables the expression of more personal, individual experience and the reliving
of content through movement. This is achieved through the interpretation of a poem, or of the ‘feeling’
aspects of a story, or the response to moods or imaginations. It encompasses in an artistic medium, the
‘meeting with the other’-as experienced in all social dances. The development of trust while moving with
others, and self-confidence in movement also belong in this dimension of personal experience and
growth. These elements we can ascribe to the more ‘astral’ or feeling dimension of dance.
Creative Movement can play a complementary role in building and maintaining a healthy and respectful
community within a class over the course of their 12 years of shared schooling. Individual achievement
is highly encouraged however the pursuit of excellence as a group is paramount, with the implicit
expectation being that all students can confidently participate and contribute.
Performance is a powerful pedagogical tool in the curriculum and it needs to be used wisely so that all
children benefit from it. What happens when we perform? Being watched- and knowing that we are being
watched- causes us to watch ourselves, to become self-consciousness. We look at ourselves as if
through another’s eyes, and we judge ourselves. Education is a continuing pathway towards true selfjudgment. In the curriculum ‘performance’ will be managed differently at each age level so that it truly
accompanies and supports the unfolding of healthy self-judgment. In the early years performance is just
a sharing of daily activity. Gradually through the middle years and into high school performances become
more and more audience oriented, however without ever losing their inclusive character.
Performing regularly in the supported and inclusive context of their class builds confidence, and confirms
that everyone’s best effort is valuable and contributes to success of the whole. It fosters in the students
the gradual awakening to awareness of their own gifts and the gifts of others without this leading to vanity
and competition on the one hand, or insecurity and fear on the other. With this in mind teachers will give
roles and positions in a performance thoughtfully, not only favouring the more skilled, so the children
support each other and the class can give its best.
Dance is of course an art form in itself and brings its own rewards. In the context of the Steiner
Curriculum, Eurythmy is the form in which it is comprehensively developed as an independent discipline.
This Alternate Dance Curriculum is aimed at highlighting the Dance or Creative Movement components,
which can be worked with productively by Class Teachers and Subject Teachers. It may also be of some
use to Eurythmy specialists.
Watching, creating and performing are integral to any balanced Dance education. In this curriculum, out
of the integrative principle based in the understanding of the expression “educating the whole child”,
there is also a major focus on the active use of dance elements as a means of enhancing learning in
other curriculum areas. Throughout the curriculum there is the endeavour to draw the stimulus for the
dance content from the content of lessons currently being studied, or from the understanding of the stage
of spiritual, emotional and physical development of the students as characterised by Rudolf Steiner, so
that they have the greatest possibility of relating naturally, and with a sense of inner connection, to the
material presented to them.
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 4 of 25
Aims
In addition to the overarching aims of the Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework, the following
knowledge, understanding and skills are developed in students through individual and collaborative work:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The ability to communicate with others through movement
The ability to move rhythmically and with dexterity, coordination and spatial awareness
The ability to move with expressiveness and enjoyment
The ability to interpret cultural content through movement
A sense for the role harmonious and creative movement can play in developing and maintaining
good health
6. A love for the social aspect of interacting with each other through aesthetic movement
Learning through Creative Movement
Through the years of engaging in, watching, performing and creating movement students grow
progressively in their skills and understanding. This is fostered initially through immersion while they are
in their ‘pre-self-reflective years. As they mature, it extends to an ever-increasing reflective, conscious
understanding and mastery.
In this curriculum, the language of dance/ movement includes the elements of: whole-body movement,
gesture, step, rhythm, polarities, dynamics, structure / form, duration, levels, balance, sequence, space,
geometry.
Although Dance is a movement subject, it involves a high level of listening activity, so that,
simultaneously, the ability to speak and sing well can be fostered by engaging artistically in movement. It
is very natural for children to respond to what they HEAR- to music, chanting, poetry or stories- through
movement, and the curriculum builds on this natural relationship to develop movement, aural and
speaking skills.
In the early stages creativity is practised through the activities of observing and imitating their teacher’s
movement, which expresses an imaginative relationship to content. For example a ‘Sun’ gesture would
not be a matter of pointing towards the sun, but would more likely have raised opened arms, ‘welcoming’
the warmth flowing towards us. In this way, children are guided to develop a meaningful and expressive
scope of artistic movement, with which they can have an inner connection.
Performing can take many forms. Children begin performing sequences together on a daily basis in the
classroom, then progress to performing to peers, and finally to more formal performances at assemblies,
festivals, and within the context of plays. In this way performing evolves as a natural part of daily life.
Until the age of the “Rubicon Crossing”, performing is generally with the whole class together and
supported by the teacher. Formal performing alone or in small groups, requires quite a high level of selfawareness, and is not embarked on until children have reached the next stage in their development.
Knowledge
Most healthy young children’s natural movement is beautiful and completely unselfconscious. This is not
achieved through thinking knowledge. They are born into the world in which they naturally belong, and
bring this ‘natural knowledge’ as a gift. As their bodies grow and change, as their thinking develops, as
they mature, this ‘natural knowledge’ must be transformed through a process of conscious learning.
In the early years of the Creative Movement curriculum they will gain knowledge through their bodies
first. Why? This can be likened to learning to speak our mother tongue. We engage first in the
movements (of mouth and larynx etc) unconsciously. In this way language becomes thoroughly
embodied. Later we can learn another language through a more intellectual pathway. In the Creative
Movement context children can benefit from learning first through embodying movement then gradually
augment this through the observation of what they- and others-are doing, and through their thinking and
reflection.
The emphasis in the first stages is therefore on knowledge gained through an internalised experience,
through the engagement with movement, with little intellectual reflection. It means knowledge (just like
language) becomes manifest in the way they move both individually and together.
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 5 of 25
Even at later stages an experiential process for critiquing and reflection is given precedence. The
personal engagement of all students with creative movement is given high value, as is the engagement
of all students with each other in a creative movement social process. If students are asked to move in
front of mirrors, or look at film of themselves performing, they will view themselves in comparison to
others in absolute terms. This works counter to an inclusive educational principle. If, instead, they are
asked to observe each other performing live and then reflect on peers and their own performance, they
can still reach objectivity in their observations and their self -assessment.
Knowledge evolves first through experience, of what is harmonious in movement, aesthetically well
formed, rhythmical, accurate and precise, balanced, and to what scale movements are fitting to a context
(for example when dancing in pairs or group), In latter stages this is complemented by observation and
reflection.
Skills
In the creative movement context, knowledge and skills cannot be entirely separated, given that
knowledge, as indicated above, is also in part ‘body knowledge’. Students will however specifically
develop physical dexterity, body awareness and general agility. In one direction this will extend gradually
to achieving a level of coordination and embodied sense of timing which enable them (for example) to
pass and throw bean bags/ balls /wooden staves to each other in complex patterns whilst moving/
speaking/ chanting.
In group or ensemble work, students begin by moving in unison in the circle and over time, learn to
negotiate increasingly complex and challenging geometric and ‘free’ group formations, moving with and
around one another in all spatial directions (ie forwards, backwards, sideways), and with changes in
orientation.
Through the process of practising and repeating, practising and repeating, children learn to gain
satisfaction from developing the tenacity, self-discipline and persistence which allow them to achieve
their goals. These are ‘skills’, which bring a deep and enduring reward.
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 6 of 25
Foundation to Year 2 Overview
Kindergarten / Foundation:
At this level, children learn primarily out of their natural capacity for imitation enabling them to immerse
themselves in movement accompanying imaginative pictures and stories told by the teacher. This can be
called a ‘pre- self-reflective’ activity that needs to be particularly nurtured if children are not to lose their
natural capacity for a living experience of their world. Knowledge and skill are developed indirectly and
are only ‘corrected’ by encouraging the deepening of engagement through imagination. Creative
movement is integrated into many aspects of the day’s activities.
Children work through imitation of their teacher, so the teacher will always strive to move in a way that is
worthy of imitation. This means taking care that there is an aesthetic quality to movement. It also means
always modelling a genuine heartfelt engagement with movement and choosing simple movements that
relate in a meaningful way to the content and images of the stories, poems and music. Foundation age
children still have a natural capacity for reverence that will be visible in their movement if the teacher
models it in a fresh, unsentimental way.
Generally speaking, finer well-formed hand and arm movements are more fitting than movements that
are overly expansive or random. Furthermore, it is important that movements accompanying a particular
story, verse or song are consistent over days or weeks, so that children can ‘dream’ into the images, and
deep embodied learning is encouraged by repetition.
Rather than using recorded music, which has a ‘disembodied’ sound, the teacher will have learnt the
content by heart and will aim to speak, chant or sing it in such a way that it is lively, without being
dramatic and has a certain musicality that supports the children’s movement. This means, for example,
paying attention to rhythms, using a singing register that is akin to the children’s so they can sing along
without straining, enjoying the sounds of words themselves and letting, at times, the play of sounds and
rhythms (for example in nonsense rhymes) give rise to movement sequences.
It is important to have a harmonising balance between polar types of movement and to make sure that
the imaginative content of a lesson allows for extensive and varied movements. This is particularly
important in the early years, to ensure the healthy development of the proprioceptive system as a
precursor to effective academic learning. Examples of this are: following moving fast by moving slowly;
moving lightly by moving more heavily; moving in an expansive way by moving in a more contained,
inward way; following big limb movements (eg galloping, skipping etc) by fine movements (eg finger
plays). It also means taking care with transitions in movement so that children can follow the teacher’s
movements without difficulty.
Children’s inner engagement and listening skills are also activated through movement to songs and
simple tunes played on acoustic instruments such as lyre or recorder.
Class 1
Class 1 children continue to learn largely through imitation, however the range of content that provides
stimulus becomes a little more varied.
In addition to poems, songs and seasonal verses, (recited or sung by the teacher and /or the children as
accompaniment) maths now also becomes a context for movement as the children learn; number
sequences, or times table to movement sequences, chanting together as they move. In this way,
theoretical learning is supported by rhythmical movement that engages and synchronises hands and feet,
and in fact the whole being of the child.
In the class play, children benefit most from doing simple movements in unison, as they speak their lines,
together. The teacher participates and models movement, so that the children are carried along by the
group, without yet becoming self-conscious. In this way, their movements more easily retain a natural
grace and lightness, and they have a relaxed upright stance. Similarly their light-footedness and the
natural levity of their arm movements can be encouraged.
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 7 of 25
Class 1 children continue to practise simple limb exercises such as diverse types of stepping e.g. light,
heavy, slow, fast, hopping, skipping, stamping, bear jumps, crawling and galloping, both forwards and
sideways. They work with passing balls and bean bags.
In order to build firm foundations for more complex movement later, children are best served by
practising simple, undifferentiated rhythms. This means keeping to a simple steady rhythm suitable to the
mood of the song/ poem/ verse. For example short beats (smooth tiptoe running for the flight of a golden
bird), or long beats (giants striding) or medium beats (passing bean bags to a poem or song). Through
movement they gain a good sense of 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 beats.
In later years they will work with differentiated rhythms which need to be grasped more intellectually such
as: short, short long; long, short, long; and myriad other combinations of long + short or heavy + light
elements.
Immersion in simple steady rhythms supports the sound development of listening skills as children
experience each rhythm. Overall the teacher will aim for an overarching rhythm in a lesson so that the
children experience a harmonising balance between polar movement types. This means taking care with
the order of activities so that there is an ‘in-’ and ‘out-’ breathing within the lesson itself.
Class 1 children experience different levels, (such as up, down, under, over) in response to imaginative
content framing the movement. Similarly, their relationship to the three dimensions of space (Lived
Geometry) can be extended now as they practise hand movements behind, in front, above, below, or
gallop side to side. Backwards stepping should only be introduced gradually. For Class 1 children,
stepping in to the centre of a circle and then out again backwards with no one behind them, is enough.
Children develop a sense for good form, through taking care to begin and end movements ‘tidily’, and in
sync with the group.
The Spring festival offers a performance opportunity for the children to show their folk dances in which
they practise both circle and partner work. Festivals are also the occasions on which children watch and
can be inspired by the more complex work of older classes.
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 8 of 25
Class 2
Class 2 children continue to learn by imitation, and movement continues to be accompanied by the
teacher’s voice, and by their own reciting or singing. Pentatonic tunes played on recorders can also be
used as accompaniment. Gradually more independent work is introduced such as an increase in working
in pairs. Through pair-work children learn social skills, and in so doing experience their own movement
more consciously. They continue to work in the circle but can now learn to be aware of a partner on the
opposite side. They practise moving in two concentric circles (perhaps with the inner and outer rings
rotating in opposite directions). In pace with their emerging self-awareness, they become more awake to
their own movement in relation to others in the class or group.
Students gain more control of their limbs, and develop coordination and dexterity further through
exercises and movement sequences with increasing complexity, and with more conscious transitions.
They learn to stop and start movements quickly, to change direction on call, or to change from one kind
of stepping or rhythm to another.
Fables, animal stories, and saint’s stories offer rich material to interpret through movement. In these
stories and in the Class 2 play, individual characters might be moved by small groups of children,
although much of the speaking will still be in unison, and the teacher will take care to avoid too much
premature self-consciousness.
‘Dancing maths’ continues, and now moving geometric forms such as square and triangle can be
introduced, with children picturing and moving them individually or creating geometry together. This can
be incorporated into dances, games and stories in which 3-part or 4-part pictures or ideas come to
expression.
Content Description
Content Elaborations
Exploring and
experiencing ideas
organised through
guided imaginative
movement sequences
Kindergarten Content Elaborations
K-2.1 Engage with and
experience simple
ensouled dance
movements integrated in
an imaginative response
to the story, verse and
music.
K.1.2 The teacher will sing in a way that children can move to, with a
good sense of rhythm. Careful transitions between movements are
made, so that children can easily imitate.
K.1.1Children imitate the teacher speaking, singing and moving to
verse, poems and stories. Themes may include every day life
activities; experience of seasonal changes; fairy tales; stories created
by the teacher that encourage a sense of delight and trust in the
world.
(The children generally move with the teacher in a circle so all can
see and the movement flows along smoothly.)
K.1.3 Children move the story or verse in the same way each day
over a week - or longer if it is in preparation for a festival, so that
movement is embodied, without the need to intellectualise at this
stage.
K.1.4 Children learn to sing and move to simple tunes and songs,
predominantly in the open ‘mood of the fifth’, or pentatonic tunes
(typical of most nursery rhymes).
Class 1 and 2 Content Elaborations
1.1.1 In Class 1 fairy tales are added as a primary source of
imaginative content and are used to inspire a rich variety of
movement much in the same way as in Foundation year.
2.1.1 In Class 2, children experience Celtic stories, Fables, Saint
stories as imaginative stimuli for movement.
1-2.1.2 Children learn the class play as a ‘movement choir’ with the
teacher participating, and children speak, sing and move in unison.
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 9 of 25
Content Description
Content Elaborations
Class 2, begin to have small groups play a character, but work mostly
in unison.
1-2.1.3 Children learn folk dances to perform at spring festival.
1-2.1.4 Children participate in school Bush Dances where young and
old dance together.
Use fundamental
movement skills and
practise technical skills
Kindergarten
K-2.2 Through imagining
the content, the children
live- into the movement,
and in the process
‘practise’ quite un-selfconsciously and so
develop skills.
K.2.2 Children develop more harmonious movement through the
balancing effect of alternating between polarities:
K.2.1 In the imaginative context, children practise a wide range of
movements. They use expressive arm movements that are more
suggestive and contained than large and dramatic.
K.2.2a Expansive movements include for example: reaching arms up
to the sun, stretching to the top of the trees, spreading wide as bird’s
wings. Contracting could be hiding small as a mouse, curling up in a
snail’s shell, or guarding a butterfly carefully in cupped hands.
K.2.2b Introduce different characters to vary weight and tempi in
stepping; for example giants stomp or ants run lightly; ponies gallop
or cats pad silently; prince and princess inspire noble upright walking;
ducks waddle with out-turned feet and so on.
K.2.3 Using their imagination, children practise controlling limb
movements with the emphasis on gross over fine motor skill
development; emphasis on music which is melodic rather than
accentuating the beat.
Class 1 and 2
1-2.2.1 Practise skipping singly, and develop social skills through
group skipping with the long rope.
1-2.2.2 Practise crawling, rolling, bear jumps and obstacle courses
for general agility. Add hula hooping in Class 2.
1-2.2.3 Practise times tables, through rhythmic stepping, clapping,
Practise simple maths operations in movement.
1-2.2.4 Children pass beanbags hand-to-hand, in front, behind, high,
low, crossing the midline, and developing left and right hand and foot
awareness to spoken rhymes or poems. They work with an increased
difficulty level in Class 2, adding figure eights, widening and
narrowing spirals, dropping back and front (not yet throwing) ,working
in pairs, and using simple body percussion rhythms.
1-2.2.5 Walk curved and straight lines, practise spirals and circles.
For balance in Class 2 add walking backwards, walking toe to heel on
low beam.
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 10 of 25
Content Description
Content Elaborations
Presenting artwork through
performance.
Kindergarten
K-2.3 Present dances that
arise out of imagined content
drawn from each year level
themes. There will be themes
related to cultural connections
in the community, including
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander culture.
Observing and Responding
to dance and creative
movement
K-1.3.1 Children perform as they would in a normal practise time, but
are now witnessed by parents and family, so children are little aware
of their audience and move quite naturally in the imagination of the
story.
Class 1 and 2
1-2.3.1 Performance is still very ‘low key’ and children participate with
the teacher at school assemblies, seasonal and cultural festivals or in
their classroom, sharing with families.
2.3.3 They express ideas to their audience chosen from the range of
content explored and experienced that may include Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander themes.
Class 1 and 2
1-2.4.1 Children are inspired by the performances of older classes
K-2.4 Experience dance and
movement sequences
performed, (including those by
older classes) or visiting
cultural groups
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 11 of 25
Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Movement at Kindergarten
In Kindergarten, students extend their natural capacity for imitation enabling them to immerse
themselves in movement, accompanying poems, stories and songs. Knowledge and skill are
developed indirectly and ‘corrected’ via engagement through imagination. Creative and rhythmical
movement are integrated into many of the day’s activities:
Body



Body awareness - in relation to space, gestures, objects and other people
Body parts and actions - including parts of the body and different ways of moving (for
example, hands, feet, fingers, arms, with stamping, clapping )
Order- ability to begin and end movements in an ordered manner
Space






Levels – ability to move through a range of zones including low, medium and high (for
example, crouching, standing and moving in the middle, stretching, reaching)
Orientation – ability to work in circle, centre-facing orientation; ‘follow the leader’ formations
Direction – ability to move forwards and backwards, towards and away from, the centre of the
circle
Dimension – ability to expand and contract; to carry out large and small gestures
Personal and general space – ability to concentrate on individual movement (self-awareness)
and on moving with others in the circle (social-awareness)
Pathways – ability to follow simple weaving and patterning; finger, hand and foot games (e.g.
open ‘doors’, close ‘doors’), moving objects in the air (e.g. veils), moving to explore under,
over, around, above and through
Time





Tempo – ability to increase/ decrease tempo in time to the music/songs, story elements
Listening - establishing listening skills
Rhythm/Beat- ability to clap simple rhythms with hands, tap with toes, heels and the whole
foot
Heart learning- the ability to gain satisfaction through deep repetition i.e. (over weeks) of
movement content without ‘intellectual boredom’ resulting from shallow attention span
Endurance- ability to sustain movement for 20 minutes
Dynamics




Tension and release – emerging ability to control energy level/degree of relaxation and
muscle tension
Mood – ability to move in ways reflecting moods in story or music such as climbing up a
mountain proudly, tripping over bridge carefully or flying through the air freely
Weight - heavy/light; soft/loud (for example, soft, elf-like tiptoe and loud giant steps)
Differentiation- ability to differentiate between heavy/ light, big/ small
Relationships


Interaction – imitation, leading/following; partnering; meeting; departing
Use of simple props
Fundamental Movement Skills


Locomotor movements – for example, walking, running, stamping, skipping, galloping
Non-Locomotor movements – for example, crouching, stretching, arm gestures, expanding
and contracting
Technical Skills


Technical skills - developed through imitation and through imaginative imagery which
supports the quality of movement
Exercises and material chosen to develop body control, gestalt, balance, coordination, social
awareness and listening skills, as well as language and musical awareness
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 12 of 25
Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Movement at Kindergarten
Choreographic Focus


Imitating meaningful movements
Simple variations on centre-facing, circle movements and follow the leader formations
Performance

Perform, together with the teacher, to familiar audiences at festivals or in plays (as
appropriate)
Safe Practices


Awareness of space and physical boundaries when moving with others and when using
props
Mindfulness of physical needs including hydration, temperature, comfortable clothing
Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Movement for Class 1 & 2
In Class 1 and 2, students are introduced to a range of movements relating to story content but also
exploring movement in more playful form. Through imitating the teacher, and with gradually emerging
independence, students develop skills and aptitudes. In addition there are games and rhythmical
exercises and challenges. By the end of year two they should have:
Body





Body awareness – awareness of self in relation to space, to objects and to and other people
Body parts and actions – awareness of parts of the body and different ways of moving (for
example, hands, feet, fingers, arms, with stamping, skipping, clapping, finger games, etc.)
Imitation- ability to imitate with whole body
Right- Left -Emerging differentiation between right and left
Midline- emerging ability to cross own midline
Space






Levels – ability to move through a range of zones including low, medium and high (for
example, crouching, standing and moving in the middle, stretching, reaching)
Orientation – Circle, centre-facing orientation; ‘follow the leader’;
Direction – With circle orientation, ability to explore all directions including: forwards and
backwards; right /left; up /down. Ability to walk backwards confidently.
Dimension – ability to carry out expanding and contracting movements including large and
small gestures
Personal and general space – ability to concentrate on individual movement (self-awareness)
and on moving with others in the circle (social-awareness)
Pathways & Formations –; facility with finger, hand and foot games (for example, open
‘doors’, close ‘doors’), moving objects in the air (for example beanbags), exploring under,
over, around, above and through, for example using benches for crawling under and
balancing on.
Time




Tempo – ability to increase, decrease tempo in time to the music, acquiring footwork
proficiency
Listening - emerging listening skills
Rhythm/Beat- ability to move rhythmically including stepping, clapping, tapping with toes,
heels and the whole foot.
Endurance- ability to sustain movement for 20+ minutes
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 13 of 25
Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Movement for Class 1 & 2
Dynamics




Tension and release - developing control of energy levels/degree of relaxation and muscle
tension
Mood – for example, moving in ways that show different elements in story or music such as a
sleeping mouse, a great bear or flying through the air
Weight - heavy/light; soft/loud
Movement qualities – vigorous, immaterial, fluid, sharp (for example, movements that show
various qualities or states of being: awake; asleep; the elements - earth, water, air, fire)
Concentration & Dexterity



Dexterity development through concentration exercises
Listening skills – teacher instruction, quality of speech, musicality
Ability to Hula hoop
Relationships



Interaction – imitation; lead/follow; partnering; meeting and departing
Synchronisation – moving in unison with others; moving in unison with a partner on the
opposite side of the circle
Use of simple props
Fundamental Movement Skills


Locomotor movements – for example, walking, running, stamping, skipping, galloping
Non-Locomotor movements – for example, crouching, stretching, arm gestures, pitch,
expanding and contracting
Technical Skills



Technical skills - developed through imitation and through imaginative imagery which
supports the quality of movement
Exercises and material chosen to develop body control, gestalt, balance, coordination, social
awareness and listening skills, as well as to develop language and musicality
Teacher guidance to develop body control, rhythm, gestures and spatial awareness
Choreographic focus




Imitating meaningful movements
Imitating combined movements through sequencing
Imaginative improvisations, for example, flying like a bird, hammering like a blacksmith
Circle formations including forms with A/B groupings
Performance

Perform to familiar audiences at assembly, in festivals or in plays (as appropriate)
Safe Practices


Awareness of space and physical boundaries when moving with others and when using
props
Mindfulness of physical needs including hydration, temperature, comfortable clothing
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 14 of 25
Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Movement for Class 1 & 2
Conceptual Understanding Appropriate for Years K - 2


Through movement, experience the relationship, imaginative picturing and things in the
natural world
Experience the cycle of the year, harmonious social workings and images filled with wonder
by moving to appropriate stories, verses and music which are imaginatively and lovingly
brought by the teacher. In addition mastery of rhythmical exercises related to maths and
language learning.
Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 2
Students use the elements of dance to make and perform Creative Movement sequences that represent
ideas, demonstrating fundamental movement skills. They move safely.
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 15 of 25
Years 3 and 4 Overview
History and life show us how rhythm relieves the tedium of repetitious work. No culture is without its
songs and chants to accompany physical labour.
In their rhythmical work, the solid foundation children have gained in earlier years, means by Class 3,
they can progress to work with more differentiated rhythms, such as anapest (short-short-long) or
dactylus (long-short-short). These will be practised in many variations, often while speaking (in verse) or
singing, or with the accompaniment of instruments according to the teacher’s abilities. The emphasis in
Class 3 and 4 is on gaining confident sure-footedness and an innate sense of rhythm. The aim is to
develop greater ease and harmony in the way they move. (It can however mean there is some sacrifice
of poetic quality for a time!).
Although in Class 3 and 4 children continue to work with similar elements to earlier years, they now have
the maturity to become more self-aware and independent in their movement. The engagement through
active imagination with the content of their Main Lessons and other lesson themes still provides the
impulse for moving.
Class 3
In the context of narrative recitation- (for example excerpts from Hebrew Stories in Class 3), children also
practise stepping stressed syllables. Jewish/ Israeli Dances are often introduced in this context and
performed at assemblies and festivals. The Class 3 Main Lesson blocks on house building, farming,
gardening, fishing, offer a wealth of inspiration for hearty rhythmical movement that is also meaningfully
repetitive. It makes sense therefore to create poetry and stories that are rich in verbs and rhythmical
repetitions.
Class 4
The work with rhythm is strengthened further in Class 4. Norse Mythology offers a particularly fruitful
source of themes, and a distinctly more energetic engagement with movement. As children approach and
pass through the Rubicon age, more vigorous, (but still well formed) movement helps children feel
confident and meets boys in their need to engage in a more muscular confrontation with their world.
Chanting verses (eg from the Voluspa) while simultaneously stepping rhythms and tapping them out
strongly with tall wooden poles is an excellent example.
In this way, a new, more conscious sense of rhythm is activated. Circle work gives the opportunity to
practise stepping and clapping combinations with changing rhythms and patterns. Movement to
alliteration calls for attention to sounds and rhythms. Work in the circle allows children to watch and learn
from each other, and be carried along by the group until they are confident and can present elements in
canon or individually. The dreamy ‘Immersion-in-imitation’, characteristic of Classes K-2, gives way to
more independent thinking in movement, acknowledging and supporting the children’s new level of selfawareness.
The Human Being and Animal Main Lesson provides opportunity to explore the differences between
human and animal movement, and to discover that only human hands are capable of giving and taking.
Giving and taking can be practised with beanbags and or wooden sticks, in pairs and small groups.
Dancing geometry is a means for children to come into a personal, experiential relationship with all that is
geometrical in the world they live in.
The engagement with geometry is extended and now includes moving in triangles and new variations of
moving in squares, parallel and intersecting lines, in addition to ongoing circle work. The main Lesson
study of fractions can also be relived in movement. For Class 4, the crenelated or battlement form moved
in regular stepping patterns (individually, in small or large groups) squarely meets the children’s need for
strong, ordered movement.
Class 4 performances continue to involve a lot of group work, sometimes still in a circle, however
individual children, pairs and small groups are increasingly given independent roles and tasks.
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 16 of 25
Content Description
Content Elaborations
Exploring ideas and
engaging with ways to
represent ideas derived
from Main Lesson and
academic themes.
3.1.1 Together children practise diverse rhythms and combinations
of rhythms, often in the circle, stepping and clapping mostly in
unison, and now beginning simple exercises in canon. These might
be practised to poems, or times tables; with the teacher playing an
instrument or with singing.
4.1 Engage with and structure
dance/movement sequences
using Creative Movement
elements of rhythm,
expressiveness, structure, and
choreographic devices such as
living geometry
3.1.2 Children move in individual, pair and group movement from
images and actions occurring in Main Lesson stories.
3.1.2a Children engage in rhythmical activity (verbs) in Hebrew
stories, for example- animals walking in pairs into Noah’s ark, or
Jonah and the sailors rowing their boat, create rhythmical poems
and chants to accompany movement.
3.1.2b Building, farming, gardening, fishing abound in repetitive
rhythmical activities that can translate into artistic rhythmical
movement sequences in which the children participate.
3.1.3 Children participate in geometry which is transformed into
social movement. They practise forming line, triangle, square and
diamond, until the transitions are quick and confident.
4.1.1 Children step and clap sequences of differentiated rhythms
along the circle; practise stepping 4/4 beat, 3/4 beat, and add
clapped rhythms; learn group, pair and individual rhythmic patterns
with ball and beanbag passing; practise jumping rhythmical patterns
over and around wooden sticks; learn the battlement form with
rhythmic stepping and chanting.
4.1.2 Norse Mythology is used as stimulus for movement to
alliteration and in Norse battle formations. In the Human Being and
Animal theme, they explore how different animals move and
discover the characteristics of upright human movement that allows
the free use of hands to give and take.
4.1.3 Children experience Main Lesson themes to explore elements
of grammar through structured movement. Verbs will be active.
Nouns will stand firmly with appropriate body shape and gestures.
Adjectives will always move in relation to nouns. Adverbs will move
with verbs in a characterising way.
4.1.4 They explore construction of geometrical forms through group
movement. From their position on a circle, children can estimate,
mark off (eg with wool) and then move: hexagons, triangles,
interlocking squares & diamonds. Once patterns are grasped, they
are developed into creative movement sequences. They explore
fractions through group movement from the whole circle to the
divided parts.
4.1.4a Children step the battlement form to a variety of rhythmic
patterns (eg (to 4/4 beat) 3 steps forward, 1 across to right, 3 steps
back, 1 to R etc; or 3 steps along each side, placing feet together
on corners). Work in canon. Work in groups. (NB children always
face one direction, so they have to move forwards, sideways and
backwards within the exercise).
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 17 of 25
Content Description
Content Elaborations
Safely developing
embodied grasp of
individual and group
skills and techniques.
Children:
4.2 Practise movement skills
with more conscious awareness
of own and group wellbeing.
4.2.1 Practise cohesive group movement (eg battlements). This
means individual children become aware of keeping in time with
others. They can consciously maintain their position in relation to
others in a group.
4.2.2 Achieve confidence and accuracy in stepping and clapping
3/4, 4/4 beat in varying tempi, and accompanied by rhythmic
clapping patterns and or singing.
4.2.3 Achieve confidence in moving geometric forms individually
and in diverse groupings
4.2.4 Achieve confidence in all forms of stepping, hopping, jumping,
skipping, galloping, side stepping, balancing
4.2.4 Move rhythmic patterns forwards AND backwards confidently.
Sharing artworks through
performance, to convey
ideas or tell stories.
Children:
4.3 Perform Creative
Movements using learned
skills to more deeply
embody academic learning
and to make ideas visible,
including telling cultural or
community stories.
4.3.2 Regularly present class work in assemblies and to parents
Observing and
responding to dance and
Creative Movement
4.4 Observe and be inspired by
older classes and other artists
performing, Observe younger
classes performing and by
reflection recognise the
advances in their own
achievements.
4.3.1 Become confident to perform to each other in small groups or
even individually in the class.
4.3.3 May be involved in performances integrating several year
levels so that younger children can be inspired through working with
older students, and older students can practise encouraging and
supporting younger ones.
Children:
4.4.1 Regularly watch other classes perform in assemblies
4.4.2 In class discussion, begin to reflect on what they have seen
and experience the sense of anticipation for what they might
achieve when they are older.
4.4.3 Watch live performances by dance groups and reflect on the
experience.
Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Movement for Class 3 and 4
In Class 3 and 4, foundations laid in earlier years are built upon and a greater level of independence is
achieved. The teacher instructs and demonstrates more and moves less with the children thus imitation
decreases. Confidence in group work, confidence and ease in movement, surefootedness, giving and
taking are practised, geometric forms, canons and other patterning requiring independent thinking.
Body



Body awareness - in relation to space, gestures, objects, other people, different locations/stage
space
Body parts and actions - including parts of the body and different ways of moving
Body Zones – For example, front/back; right/left; cross-lateral
Space


Levels - moving through a range of zones including low, medium and high; forming gestures in
the middle sphere, above the head or low to the ground
Orientation – ability to move while forward-facing; centre-facing; changing orientation;
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 18 of 25
Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Movement for Class 3 and 4




‘following-the-leader’, along sides of square, diamond; in parallel lines; in intersecting lines
Direction – forwards/backwards; right /left; up /down; circular; diagonal; sideways steps
Dimension - expanding and contracting movements including large and small gestures and
forms, narrow and wide angles
Personal and general space - concentrating on individual movement and self-awareness when
facing the front, as well as on social-awareness when moving with others in lines, groups,
intersecting patterns,
Pathways & Formations – ability to move geometric patterns(triangles, squares, diamonds,
parallel lines, intersecting lines, turret formation); ability to move flowing; angular; symmetrical;
asymmetrical; combination; straight line and curve; weaving variations (for example with
Maypole dance)
Time




Listening skills – developed in relation to both music and poetry
Tempo – ability to increase, decrease tempo with music, or words
Rhythm – facility in rhythmic stepping, clapping, passing beanbags or other objects (to poetry,
times-tables and music); ability to move in syncopation, ability to step and clap dactylus,
anapest.
Beat – walking, clapping, tapping the beat: 4/4, 3/4,
Dynamics





Differentiation – ability to control qualities of movements and change movement intention in
response to poems, music, recitation
Mood – ability to embody lightness/darkness; happy/sad; bold/timid
Weight – ability to vary movement: heavy/light; soft/loud; fluid/angular; vigorous/ gentle
Grammar- ability to move with various elements of grammar recognising their different roles in
language.
Alliteration – ability to strongly step alliteration patterns in poetry
Concentration & Dexterity


Dexterity –ability to move precisely exercises with increasing complexity, in canon, with
changing speed; music and verses
Concentration- ability to step clap or otherwise move sequences with changing patterns (for
example number patterns), changing orientation, changing partners, ability to maintain own
pattern in canon with others or in contrast to others.
Relationships






Interaction – ability to lead/follow; partner - meet and depart, circle, move side by side, take
turns
Groupings – ability to move in A/B formations; smaller groupings
Spatial relationships – ability to manage near/far; alongside/adjacent/opposite; mirrored/parallel
Synchronisation – ability to move in unison with others in a variety of formations and when
carrying out hand movements
Use of props (for example, staffs, balls, branches, drums, tambourines, recorders, etc.)
Giving and Taking- ability to pass and receive (for example with beanbags, balls, sticks,) in
rhythmical patterns and whilst moving patterns together
Fundamental Movement Skills


Locomotor movements – side gallops, hopping (for example onto and off benches), jumping,
(cross- and wide- leg) marching, in formations
Non-Locomotor movements – for example, contracting, stretching, rotating, balancing,
Technical Skills


Increase body control, gestalt, gesture clarity, form accuracy and ensemble awareness
Develop the ability to walk in all directions, forwards, backwards and sideways, and build
confidence
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 19 of 25
Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Movement for Class 3 and 4
Choreographic focus





Geometry of the circle, squares, diamonds, turrets
Form progressions which start and end in the same position
Combining movements through sequencing
Symmetrical formations with frontal orientation
Moving with others in canon
Performance

Perform to audiences at assembly, in festivals or in plays
Safe Practises



Awareness of space and physical boundaries when moving with others and when using props
Mindfulness of physical needs including hydration, temperature, comfortable clothing
Conceptual Understanding Appropriate for years 3 - 4
Students:








Memorise and independently move sequences in canons or other patterns
Memorise and independently perform geometric formations
Experience and identify moods expressed in story, poetry and music (for example, qualities of
happy and sad in major and minor)
Identify and discuss the shapes created when performing the formations
Experience the difference between the major and minor third
Identify the alliterated consonant in alliteration poetry and know when to step
Identify different beats (primarily 4/4 , 3/4,)
Know how elements of grammar can be expressed in movement
Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 4:
 Students can describe and discuss similarities and differences between movements and dances
they make, perform and view. They discuss how they and others organise the elements of dance
in dances and creative movement, depending on the purpose. They experience in their festivals
a place and purpose for dance.

Students help structure movements into dance/ creative movement sequences and represent
stories or moods through the elements they choose. They can collaborate in dancing, and
perform with increasing control, accuracy, confidence and focus.
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 20 of 25
Years 5 and 6 Overview
One of the hallmarks of the approach used in earlier stages now unfolds in greater richness in Class 5
and 6; namely that as much as possible dance is integrated into or emerges out of the creative
exploration and experience of the main curriculum themes which now deepen and broaden.
Class 5
For Class 5 this encompasses the encounter with the mythologies of the great, ancient cultures of India,
Persia, Sumeria, Egypt and Greece. Each of these offers a fertile source of inspiration and imagery for
creative movement that aligns supportively with the physical, emotional and spiritual development of the
children. As an example, Indian stick dances “Dandiya’ can be learned and bamboo or wooden rod
jumping, activities which extend dexterity and agility, always supported by rhythm. Similarly Greek dance
can be experienced by the children.
Class 6
In Class 6, the study of mythologies gives way to the study of ancient history, and is dominated by the
mood of the Romans. Military precision, discipline, strength, endurance and formal structure are useful
terms to characterise the approach to movement.
For this age, working energetically and precisely with structure in movement, gives children the
opportunity to really enjoy the beauty and balance of form, and the balance and order of their own human
form. In their development children are now beginning the transition to puberty and their feeling life is
tending towards being more erratic as a new relationship begins to form between their inner world and
the world around them. Focussing on the structural elements of Creative Movement more than
expressiveness is particularly valuable as a steadying counterbalance to their more labile emotional life.
Class 6 children experience their own internal structure, their skeleton as their bones grow, and gain
weight. They also begin looking outward at the world through Geology for the first time as they study the
structure of crystalline forms.
Throughout Class 5 and 6 Irish dancing in any form can be incorporated into the study of Australian
History, along with movement to shearing songs and Bush Ballads, and of course Bush Dancing. Where
possible, aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island dance are also to be considered.
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 21 of 25
Content Description
Content Elaborations
Exploring ideas and
engaging with ways to
represent cultural and other
ideas derived from Main
Lesson and academic
themes
Class 5:
5-6.1 Engage with and
structure Creative Movement
sequences using dance
elements of structure, rhythm,
expressiveness, and living
geometry to make meaning
visible.
5.1.1 Learn traditional Indian folk dances
5.1.1a Learn “Dandiya’, with their rhythmical patterns ‘clapping’
decorated sticks
5.1.1b Learn traditional Indian jumping routines over & between pairs
of bamboo poles tapped rhythmically together.
5.1.2 Move symmetrical forms derived from Persian patterns & motifs
5.1.3 Create stylised movement in an Egyptian mood.
5.1.4 Learn Greek, dances: practise grapevine and other free roving
linear style dances for Spring Festival;
5.1.4a Practise stepping hexameter to spoken verse.
5.1.5 Interpret in movement geometrical flower and seed forms
discovered in Botany Main Lesson
Class 5 and 6:
5-6.1.1 Learn Irish Dances in the context of Australian History studies;
5-6.1 1a Incorporate movement into shearing songs, and Bush
Ballads,
5-6.1.1b Participate in Bush Dancing
Class 6
6.1.1 Create movement to accompany recitation of ballads such as
Horatius saves the Bridge
Developing embodied grasp
of individual and group
skills and techniques
including accuracy, balance,
dexterity, coordination,
strength.
Class 5 and 6:
5-6.2.1 Continue to work consolidating rhythm and beat, stepping
clapping, rhythm against beat; ’drawing’ melodic lines with hands
5-6.2.2 Extend dexterity and agility through complex stepping and
jumping patterns over wooden rods or poles;
Class 6
5-6.2 Practise and develop
movement skills and
expressive nuances
consciously, including body
control, accuracy, alignment,
strength, balance and
coordination, and awareness
of own and others wellbeing.
6.2.1 Move petal shape (in context of botany poems) - six points on
circle, hexagon, pentagon, pentagram, parallelograms- squares,
rectangles,
6.2.2 Pass and throw beanbags in interweaving patterns
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 22 of 25
Content Description
Content Elaborations
Sharing artworks through
performance or
presentation, including
movement reflective of
cultural groups.
Class 5 and 6
5-6.3.1 Perform in assemblies, perform to parents at cultural feast
events, perform at Festivals
5-6.3 Perform dance using
expressive skill to more deeply
embody academic learning
and to communicate ideas,
including telling cultural
stories.
Observing and responding
to dance
5-6.4 Observe and be
inspired by older classes
and other artists performing,
Observe younger classes
performing and by reflection
recognise the progress in
their own achievements.
Class 5 and 6
5-6.4.1 In discussion reflect on what they have seen.
Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Movement for Class 5 and 6
In Class 5 and 6, skills are further practised in diverse forms of group movement, dexterity,
concentration, complexity of geometrical movement, individual precision and control. Students will
develop:
Body

Body zones/parts/action – lower, middle, upper zones; legs, arms, hands etc.; a variety of
actions, for example, straight arms, curved arms, bend legs straight legs, contraction/expansion
Space






Levels – ability to move through a range of zones including low, medium and high; forming
gestures in the middle sphere, above the head or low to the ground
Orientation – ability to move in all orientations: Forward-facing; centre-facing; ‘follow-the-leader’;
combinations, symmetrically
Direction – ability to move forwards/backwards; right /left; up /down; circular; diagonal; sideways
steps; direct; undulating
Dimension – ability to expand and contract alone and together, movements including large and
small gestures and patterns, narrow and wide angles, various star (geometric) patterns
Personal and general space – ability to concentrate on individual movement and self-awareness
when facing the front, as well as on social-awareness when moving with others in a variety of
configurations
Pathways & Formations –; Geometric formations; geometric transitions; flowing; angular;
symmetrical; asymmetrical; combination; straight line and curve; weaving; axis mirroring;
rotational mirroring; figure of eight variations;
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 23 of 25
Examples of knowledge and skills appropriate for students in Movement for Class 5 and 6
Time & Dynamics




Listening skills – developed in relation to music and poetry
Tempo - acceleration/deceleration; allegro/largo etc.
Rhythm – developed in relation to music and language - hexameter, dactyl, amphibrachs and
iambus; quaver, crotchet, minim, semibreve etc.; rhythmic relationship to longs and shorts;
rhythmic correlation between backwards/forwards and asleep/awake; rhythmic stepping,
clapping, passing beanbags to poetry and music; regular and irregular rhythms; syncopation ;
rhythmic passing clapping/ jumping/ clashing of sticks (for example in Indian stick games and
dances)
Beat – walking the beat; right/left beat steps; bar line
Relationships





Groupings - solo, in pairs , groups of various sizes
Spatial relationship - near/far; alongside/adjacent/opposite; mirrored/parallel. For example,
stellar formations including the pentagon, hexagon, septagon and octagon, 4 x 4 rows, various
A/B circles; small or large groups of students in lines, diagonals, clusters, squares, spirals
Interaction – moving around each other; coming together and parting; space between
performers; synchronisation
Giving and receiving – bean-bag /staff exercises; stick passing exercises; taking turns; canons,
Partnering and group work – for example through bush- Irish- Greek- dancing,
Fundamental movement skills

Combining locomotor movements and non- locomotor movements
Technical skills


Developing technical aptitude in body control, accuracy, gestalt, strength, balance, coordination
and spatial awareness
Achieving spatial and dynamic changes e.g. kibitz jump, kibitz sideways, shrinking, exploding,
expansion
Safe Practises




Awareness of space and physical boundaries when moving with others and when using props
Awareness of performance space when performing in new environments
Mindfulness of physical needs including hydration, temperature, comfortable clothing
Working safely and respectfully in groups
Choreographic focus







Geometric formations and transitions
Stellar formations and transitions
Organic formations
Fluid/curved formations
Combination formations
Elements of choreography including cascades, canons, synchronisation, A/B groupings,
repetition, rondo form, rotational mirroring; axis mirroring
Solo and group configurations
Conceptual Understanding Appropriate for Classes 5-6
Students:



Comprehend, move and draw a variety of formations and geometric transitions
Discuss the relationship between forms in nature and movement formations. For example, in
conjunction with the study of the Botany Main Lesson, move, discuss and explore the
relationship between the rich variety of forms which exist in the plant world and which can be
experienced in movement
Discuss and explore dance styles from a variety of cultures, times and places encountered
primarily through their Main lessons.
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 24 of 25
Achievement Standards
By the end of Year 6

Students can discuss how the elements of dance, choreographic ideas and production can be
combined to convey content in the practical context of their class performance. They can
describe characteristics of other dances they see, that reflect different cultural and historical
contexts.

Students can structure movement in sequences, using elements of dance and choreographic
tools, in order to convey meaning.

They can work together in preparing and performing dance and movement works demonstrating
technical and expressive skills.
Example: Class 6 Geometry-in-Movement: Fire-sticks
Developing maths understanding, spatial awareness, concentration, cooperation and responsibility
Videos of two performances (Kamaroi School) can be viewed at
https://vimeo.com/41118346 and https://vimeo.com/81378433
©SEA:ASCF
CREATIVE MOVEMENT / DANCE Curriculum Years K-6
www.steinereducation.edu.au
Version: April 2015
Page 25 of 25