Arts and culture
Grade 8
Creating, interpretation and presentation
Module 14
Dance: warming up the body
DANCE
With this module you will be introduced to jazz dance, an exciting dance style derived from traditional dance. You will be improvising, creating and combining movements in order to present and perform your dance to an audience. You will not be on your own, so don’t panic! Under the guidance of your educator the whole class will be involved to make this a wonderful and exciting experience. But first you have to warm up your body in order for you to use it to its full capacity.
Activity 1:
To warm up the body before any activity can be executed
[lo 1.1]
The warm-up reduces the risk of injury and will make the dances easier to do.
It will be easier and more fun if you do the warm-up with music. Choose music that is not too fast.
Preparations:
Stand with feet, hip-width apart, feet facing forward, arms down.
- It is important to keep your body alignment in order to isolate the specific muscles that are being warmed up.
- Correct body alignment will prevent injuries.
- Only move the body parts and muscles prescribed.
- Stand with feet a hip-width apart, arms down at the sides.
- Inhale through the nose, lifting arms above the head.
- Exhale through the mouth, dropping arms down and bending knees at the same time..
- Repeat 4 times.
W
alking and arm warm-up
- Walk on the spot in time to the music.
- Bend arms at the elbows towards the body and drop – keep elbows down (eight times).
- Raise arms forward – shoulder height – bend arms at elbows and straighten (eight times).
- Lift arms to the side – shoulder height – bend arms at elbows and straighten (eight times).
- Lift straight arms above the head – lower to shoulder height and lift again (eight times).Combine arm exercises – repeat each exercise eight times.
- Repeat each exercise four times.
- Repeat each exercise twice.
- Continue walking on the spot while executing arm movements.
W
alking and travelling:
- Walk forwards for four counts – lead with the right leg.
- Walk backwards for four counts – still facing the front.
- Walk to the right for four counts.
- Turn around and walk to the left for four counts.
- Add arm movements.
- Repeat walking exercise eight times with arm movement.
Walking with knee lifts and hamstring curls :
- Walk forwards – leading right – for three counts – lift knee on fourth count.
- Walk backwards – facing forwards – for three counts – bend knee to back, lifting foot towards buttocks (
hamstring curls) – on the fourth count.
- Repeat eight times.
- Lift knees alternatively on the spot eight times.
- Walk forwards for four counts.
- Lift knees alternatively on the spot for four counts.
- Walk backwards – facing forward – for four counts.
- Do four hamstring curls on the spot.
- Walk forwards for four counts.
- Do four hamstring curls on the spot.
- Walk backwards – facing forward – for four counts.
- Travel forwards with alternative knee lifts for four counts.
- Travel backwards – facing forward – with hamstring curls for four counts.
- Repeat eight times.
Inner and Outer thigh warm-up:
- Move to the right by taking two steps– facing forwards.
- Move to the left with two steps – leading left – facing forwards.
- Add arm movements while stepping to the right and left.
- Repeat eight times.
- Travel to the right – leading right – stepping with your right foot and crossing the right leg with the left leg – for two steps.
- Travel to the left, crossing legs while stepping.
- Add arms.
- Repeat eight times.
- Move to the right – crossing over – lift left leg to the side on last beat – leg must be straight.
- Travel to the left – crossing over – lift right leg to the side on last beat.
- Add arms.
- Repeat eight times.
- Stay on the spot and lift right and left legs alternatively eight times.
