McAuliffe Elementary School 2022-23
Ordway K-5 Dance & Theater Program

A standards-based dance curriculum enrichment program implementing Franklin Covey’s 7 Habits and Life Skills to promote self-expression, self-direction, collaboration, communication and creativity to work alongside LEADER IN ME.

Our curriculum incorporates LAUSD’s Elementary Dance Arts Instructional Guide as well as the Vaganova Academy Syllabus. The curriculum utilizes Franklin Covey’s 7 Habits and provides a Teacher’s Guide for each lesson with goals, objectives and summary of each exercise for the Prince William County School Teachers.

K-5 Dance & Theater Enrichment Program Objective

The objective of the Ordway Dance & Theater Enrichment Program is to enhance student communication and collaboration skills through in-school and after school workshops featuring dance and theater based games and educational activities developed by professional arts educators.  The emphasis of the program will build skills in non-verbal and verbal communication, body awareness, body language, balance, spatial awareness among other things. Performing arts training promotes self-confidence, teamwork, creativity, conflict management, organization of thoughts, listening skills, problem solving, empathy and much more.

Project Description 

Curriculum

The curriculum supports specific classroom learning shared by K-5 classroom teachers.  In general, each class will begin with a physical warm-up designed specifically for the K-5 age groups.  New vocabulary words and concepts will be given each week.  Through performing arts games, exercises and performance-driven activities, students will acquire basic dance and public speaking skills and vocabulary.  They will use the same tools professional performers use to communicate stories, ideas and emotions.  Students will explore the process of creating work through collaboration.  

Anticipated Outcomes

• Students will acquire basic dance and theater skills and vocabulary

• Students will express themselves more fluently and creatively 

• Improved communication skills will build self-confidence and self-esteem

• Understand that art is performed by children world-wide in many cultures

• Movements and speech can be affected by different tools of the body, space, time and energy and a general understanding of physics will begin to develop and emerge

• Students will collaborate to solve problems and tell stories through dance and theater in a supportive and creative environment
  
  

Performing arts education gives children training in meaningful communication, which is increasingly valuable for a generation that spends a great deal of time focusing on screens, large and small.  Performing arts helps students feel more comfortable in their bodies and adept at using their voice as an effective form of communication.  It gives them confidence in their ability to work together, find the best way for each member of a group to contribute, and listen to new ideas and accept contributions from others.  Arts helps students identify their emotions, and learn to identify body movements that could be perceived as disruptive, inappropriate or out of context to those around them, as well as vocal patterns and tones.  Finally, the performing arts is an exceptional tool of self-expression for students who might be shy or reticent to express themselves.

From an early age, children have a naturally keen sense of storytelling, often expressed through imaginative play.  They create characters and stories to make sense of their world, to explore new thoughts and feelings, to understand those who are different from them.  Dance and theater education provides an opportunity for children to take their natural ability to pretend and build this into more complex skills.  Performing arts education has proven to enhance verbal communication, non-verbal communication; critical thinking and problem solving; collaboration and cooperation; self-confidence and self-esteem. (National Standards for Arts Education: What Every Young American Should Know and Be Able to Do in the Arts.)