Workshop 6 Telling Stories: Aboriginal to Bush Dance

Tutorial 6

Unfortunately I missed the start of the lesson for this week but was able to ask around for notes to get back on track and ensure I didn’t miss anything. To make up for the missing notes I have added another lesson to my Lesson Plan page that I did with my Grade 4 students at Laburnum Primary School before the school holidays.

As for the part of the lesson I missed....

Everyone participated in the Ghana Folk Dance- Garden Meet and Greet dance. The dance explored different elements and how different movements can represent many things.

Sky-moving up

Land-down

Chest- can represent the sun

Bum- the moon

Pelvis- starshine

For the second half of the lesson, we looked a production at Hawthorn West Primary School, that Jacqui choreographed in conjunction with Kath Murdoch as part of an Integrated Dance Unit. The production was titled 'What on Earth' and looked at the earth's elements; the weather (storms, sky), the animals (birds) and the land. The stimulus or themes were Australia, Identity and Unity and the performance incorporated movement, sound and Drama. 

Jacqui also briefed us on the parent and community involvement, Professional Developments available to staff and stressed the benefits of having such support from other stakeholders. 

Applying it to a mainstream classroom

Different Levels

What was wonderful about the production was that it incorporated all levels and was inclusive of all students. It was a whole school approach that employed a range of support from parents, costume designers and staff to ensure the production was a success but it was the students to enabled the performance to run smoothly. 

Jacqui Dressens (2012) Dance Workshop 6- Telling stories: Aboriginal to Bush Dance, ECL410 Primary Arts Education, Deakin University, Burwood. 

Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (2012) Victorian Essential Learning Standards, Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority, Victoria