Starter
What features contribute to a dance style? Students can discuss in pairs before feeding back to the group. (Movements, tempo, use of space, formations, levels, dynamics, costume, function etc). Record the categories as headings on the board or sugar paper so that you can add to it in Task 3.
Activity
Show the Michael Jackson “Black and White” video. Don’t forget to put it on full screen! The unedited version is over 11 minutes but there are edited versions that run at around 5 minutes. You can skip to the song, which starts when you see the lions!
Ask a range of closed and / or open questions depending on the level(s) of your group. You may want to review relevant sections when they are referred to.
Examples:
Plenary
End the task by referring to the theme, Different Backgrounds, Common Ground How does this relate to what they have been doing this session?
What dance styles reflect the students’ own background and / or environment?
Extension
Students can research different dance styles that reflect their own background and / or environment. If your group contains students from different cultural backgrounds, ask them to find out about dance styles from that culture. Students can also look at different styles over time in their own background and / or environment. Names of styles and their major features can be shared at the start of the next session.