Unit Overview
This unit builds on pupils’ prior learning by developing greater creativity, control and performance quality in dance.
- Develops a wider range of actions, dynamics and body shapes
- Creates longer, more complex dance sequences with control and fluency
- Applies timing, rhythm and spatial awareness effectively
- Uses relationships, formations and transitions within group dances
- Encourages pupils to choreograph, refine and improve dances
- Develops the ability to evaluate and improve performance using appropriate language
Unit Outcomes
By the end of this unit, pupils will be able to:
- Perform a wide range of dance movements with control, balance and coordination
- Create and perform longer, more complex dance sequences with fluency
- Use actions, dynamics, space and relationships to communicate ideas
- Work collaboratively to choreograph, refine and perform dances
- Adapt and improve performance using feedback and evaluation
- Use appropriate dance vocabulary to describe and evaluate movement
Lesson Plans
Lesson 1: Introduction to Time Travel
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To explore how movements can represent different time periods and begin to create a short time-travel dance sequence.
Success Criteria:
- I can perform movements at different speeds.
- I can create clear shapes and controlled freeze positions.
- I can link movements together to show different time periods.
- I can perform a short movement sequence confidently.
Key Words:
- Dynamics
- Sequence
- Tempo
Equipment:
- Music player
- Speaker
- Time themed music (instrumental works well)
- Cones (if space needs marking)
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Time Machine Activation
Children spread out safely in the working area. Explain pupils are stepping into a time machine and must prepare their bodies. Teacher leads movements:
>Light jog (engine starting)
>Arm circles (machine powering up)
>Jumping (time turbulence)
>Slow motion walking
>Fast feet running on the spot
Add reaction commands. Teacher calls:
>Past → slow, heavy movements
>Present → normal walking
>Future → robotic movements
>Freeze → hold strong balanced shape
Encourage clear changes in speed and movement style.
Skill Development
Introduce 3 movement styles:
Past:
>Strong heavy steps
>Low shapes
>Simple powerful actions
Present:
>Natural walking
>Smooth actions
>Everyday movements
Future:
>Robotic actions
>Sharp shapes
>Isolation movements
>Slow motion effects
Children practice responding to teacher commands:
Past → Present → Future → Freeze
Progress to creating a short phrase:
>1 past movement
>1 present movement
>1 future movement
>Finish with a freeze
Encourage:
>Level changes
>Direction changes
>Speed variation
Creative Application – Time Traveler Dance
Children create a short sequence including:
>Past movement
>Present movement
>Future movement
>Travelling movement (show time travel)
>Final freeze pose
Children practise individually then perform in pairs or small groups.
Observation task. Ask pupils to identify:
>Clear differences in time periods
>Strong shapes
>Creative ideas
Optional challenge:
Extend to 6 movements.
Teaching Points:
- Encourage clear contrasts between movement styles.
- Reinforce control when starting and finishing movements.
- Promote confident use of space.
- Encourage creativity and individuality.
- Emphasise strong balanced freeze positions.
Key Questions:
- How can you make each time period look different?
- How can you show changes in speed clearly?
- What makes a strong freeze position?
- How does your dance show time travel?
- How could you improve your sequence?
National curriculum links:
- Developing technique, control and balance through dance
- Comparing their performance against previous attempts, looking for improvements to their personal best
- Perform dances using a range of movement patterns
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing confidence in the session
- Showing and developing resilience
- Showing creativity in coming up with their own movements
Lesson 2: Travelling Through Time (Pathways & Transitions)
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To explore how travelling movements and pathways can be used to show time travel and link dance movements together smoothly.
Success Criteria:
- I can perform travelling movements using different pathways.
- I can move smoothly between actions.
- I can link movements together using transitions.
- I can perform a short dance sequence showing time travel.
Key Words:
- Pathway
- Transition
- Travel
Equipment:
- Music player
- Speaker
- Cones (to mark pathways if needed)
- Time travel theme music
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Time Travel Pathways
Children spread out safely in the working space.
Children move around the space showing different ways of travelling through time. Teacher calls different travelling actions:
>Walk through time
>Jog through time
>Side step through time
>Skip through time
>Slow motion travelling
>Fast travelling
Add pathway instructions. Teacher calls:
>Straight line
>Zigzag
>Circle
>Curved pathway
Add freeze command:
>Time freeze → hold a strong balanced shape
Encourage children to travel with control and awareness of others
Skill Development
Explain that dancers travel to make their dances more interesting and to show journeys (like travelling through time). Teach travelling actions:
>Step and turn
>Grapevine
>Slide
>Pivot turn
>Chassé (side travel)
Children practice travelling across space using:
>Straight pathways
>Curved pathways
>Zigzag pathways
Introduce transitions:
Explain transitions are how we move from one action to another smoothly.
Example:
Past movement → travelling action → future movement
Children create a short phrase:
>1 past movement
>1 travelling movement
>1 future movement
>1 freeze
Encourage smooth linking of movements.
Progressions:
>Add a turn during travelling
>Change levels during travelling
>Change speed
>Add direction change
Creative Application – Time Travel Journey Dance
Children now create a short time travel journey sequence including:
>A starting pose (past)
>A travelling movement using a clear pathway
>A movement showing arrival in another time
>Another travelling movement
>A final freeze pose
Encourage pupils to think about, “How do we show the journey through time?”. Children practice individually or in pairs.
Performance opportunity:
Small groups perform while others watch.
Observation task:
Can pupils identify:
>Clear travelling movements?
>Different pathways?
>Smooth transitions?
Challenge:
Add:
>Two different pathways
>Two transitions
>More expressive performance
Teaching Points:
- Encourage clear travelling movements rather than small steps.
- Reinforce smooth transitions between actions.
- Promote good spatial awareness.
- Emphasise control when changing direction.
- Encourage confident performance quality.
Key Questions:
- How can you travel in an interesting way?
- What makes a movement a good transition?
- How can you make your pathways clear?
- How does travelling help tell the story of time travel?
- How can you make your movements flow smoothly?
National curriculum links:
- Develop control, balance and technique through dance
- Comparing their performance against previous attempts, looking for improvements to their personal best
- Perform dances using a range of movement patterns
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing focus and listening by following instructions and safety rules
- Developing confidence to try new movements
- Showing creativity throughout the session
Lesson 3: Group Time Travel (Unison, Canon & Mirroring)
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives:
- To develop group choreography by performing movements in unison, canon and mirroring to show coordinated time travel sequences.
Success Criteria:
- I can perform movements at the same time as others (unison).
- I can perform movements one after another (canon).
- I can copy a partner’s movements (mirroring).
- I can work cooperatively to create a short group sequence.
Key Words:
- Unison
- Canon
- Mirror
Equipment:
- Music player
- Speaker
- Cones (optional space markers)
- Time travel themed music
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Mirror Movements
Children work in pairs facing each other. One pupil leads slow movements while the other copies exactly like a mirror. Movements could include:
>Arm reaches
>Slow steps
>Turns
>Level changes
>Balance poses
Swap leader after 1 minute.
Progression:
>Add travelling movements while mirroring.
Challenge:
>Can pupils move without talking?
Skill Development
Unison – Explain: “Unison means performing movements at exactly the same time.”
Teacher demonstration. Ask whole class to:
>Step forward together
>Raise arms together
>Freeze together
Explain if everyone looks the same at the same time, that is unison.
Canon – Explain: “Canon means performing the same movement but starting at different times.”
Teacher demonstration:
>Teacher performs movement
>Group 1 starts
>Group 2 starts 2 seconds later
>Group 3 starts after that
Explain that it should look like a ripple or domino effect.
Mirroring – Explain: “Mirroring means copying someone exactly as if looking in a mirror.”
Teacher demonstration with pupil:
>Teacher raises right hand → pupil raises left.
Explain that if your partner moves right, you move left.
Children practice in pairs:
Task 1: Create 3 movements and perform them in unison
Task 2: Perform the same movements in canon
Task 3: Perform movements using mirroring
Encourage clear timing and teamwork.
Progressions:
>Add a travelling movement
>Add a freeze ending
>Add level changes
>Perform without talking
Creative Application – Time Travel Team Sequence
In groups of 3–4 pupils create a time travel sequence including:
>1 movement in unison
>1 movement in canon
>1 mirroring section (pairs within group)
>1 travelling movement
>Final group freeze
Encourage clear teamwork and timing. Performance opportunity for groups perform.
Challenge by adding:
>Two canon sections
>Different speeds
>Creative starting formation
Teaching Points:
- Encourage clear timing in group work.
- Reinforce communication without excessive talking.
- Promote teamwork and cooperation.
- Emphasise clear differences between unison and canon.
- Encourage confident performance.
Key Questions:
- How do you know if you are performing in unison?
- What makes canon effective?
- How can you work well with your partner?
- How does teamwork improve your dance?
- How can you improve your timing?
National curriculum links:
- Develop control, balance and technique through dance
- Perform dances using a range of movement patterns
- Engage in cooperative physical activities
Social/environmental skills:
- Understanding how to follow instructions
- Developing team work and collaboration skills through working with a partner
- Developing creativity skills when combining different movements together
Lesson 4: Time Travel Formations (Formations, Levels & Group Space)
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To develop group choreography by using formations and levels to improve the structure and visual impact of a time travel dance
Success Criteria:
- I can perform movements at different levels (high, middle, low).
- I can move into different formations with my group.
- I can maintain spacing within a group performance.
- I can contribute ideas to improve a group dance.
Key Words:
- Formation
- Levels
- Spacing
Equipment:
- Music player
- Speaker
- Cones (to mark formation spots if needed)
- Time travel themed music
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Levels Through Time
Children spread out in the working space. Teacher leads movements focusing on levels. Teacher calls:
>High level → stretches, jumps, tall shapes
>Middle level → walking, turns
>Low level → crouching, lunges, low balances
Add travelling by moving between levels while travelling.
Add reaction game. Teacher calls:
>Past → low strong movements
>Present → middle level movements
>Future → high extended movements:
>Time Freeze → hold shape at called level.
Skill Development
Levels – Explain that levels make dances more interesting. Strong dances don’t stay at one height. We can demonstration by showing same movement:
>Standing tall (high)
>Slight bend (middle)
>Crouched (low)
Ask – Which looks more interesting when we change levels?
We want to see 2-3 level changes throughout the dance sequence
Formations – Explain that formations are the shapes groups make when standing or moving together. Show examples by placing pupils into:
>Line formation
>Circle formation
>Diamond formation
>Diagonal formation
Spacing – Explain that good dancers stay evenly spaced and aware of others. Demonstrate bad spacing vs good spacing.
Key rule:
“Can you stretch your arms without touching someone?”
Now, in groups of 3–5 pupils, get them to create a short sequence including:
>1 high level movement
>1 low level movement
>1 formation change
>1 travelling movement
>1 group freeze
Encourage clear transitions between formations.
Progressions:
>Add 2 formations
>Add level changes within movements
>Add canon within a formation
>Change formations without talking
Creative Application – Time Travel Group Choreography
Groups now improve their sequence from Lesson 3 by adding:
>At least 2 formations
>At least 2 level changes
>Clear spacing
>A strong starting formation
>A strong ending formation
Performance opportunity by groups performing to each other.
Challenge by adding:
>Formation change during travelling
>Different levels happening at same time
>More complex group shapes
Teaching Points:
- Encourage clear level changes to improve visual quality.
- Reinforce safe spacing between pupils.
- Promote teamwork and shared decision making.
- Encourage pupils to refine their sequences.
- Emphasise clear group starting and ending positions.
Key Questions:
- How do level changes improve a dance?
- Why are formations important in group dances?
- How can you maintain good spacing?
- How can your group improve your sequence?
- How do formations help tell the story?
National curriculum links:
- Develop control, balance and technique through dance
- Perform dances using a range of movement patterns
- Engage in cooperative physical activities
Social/environmental skills:
- Showing resilience in their work
- Developing confidence in wanting to try and test new skills
- Displaying creativity when performing and coming up with routines
Lesson 5: Performance Through Time (Dynamics & Performance Quality)
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To improve a dance sequence by adding dynamics and expression to enhance performance quality.
Success Criteria:
- I can perform movements with clear expression.
- I can change the speed and strength of my movements.
- I can improve my dance through practice.
- I can perform confidently as part of a group.
Key Words:
- Dynamics
- Expression
- Performance
Equipment:
- Music player
- Speaker
- Time travel themed music
- Cones (optional for spacing)
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Dynamic Time Travel
Children spread out safely. Teacher leads movements showing different dynamics. Teacher calls:
Speed changes:
>Slow motion travelling
>Fast travelling
>Normal speed
Energy changes:
>Strong powerful movements
>Light soft movements
>Sharp robotic movements
>Smooth flowing movements
Add reaction game. Teacher calls:
>Past → strong heavy movements
>Present → smooth natural movements
>Future → sharp precise movements
>Performance Freeze → strong expressive pose.
Encourage pupils to exaggerate movement quality
Skill Development
Dynamics – Explain that dynamics means how a movement is performed, not what the movement is. Demonstrate by performing the same movement:
>Slowly
>Quickly
>Strongly
>Softly
Ask which looks more interesting?
Explain we should be able to change how they perform movements to improve quality.
Expression – Explain: Expression shows the feeling or story of the dance. Teacher demonstration by performing the same movement:
>Without expression
>With performance focus and facial expression
“Which performance looks more convincing?”. Explain we should perform with confidence and purpose.
Performance Quality – What makes a strong performance? Collect answers:
>Confidence
>Clear shapes
>Strong posture
>Focus
>Timing
Teacher tip:
Encourage pupils to:
“Perform like an audience is watching.”
Children return to their group sequences from Lesson 4. The task is:
Improve sequence by adding:
>1 slow section
>1 fast section
>1 strong movement
>1 smooth movement
>Clear performance focus
Encourage rehearsal and refinement.
Progressions:
>Add contrast (slow then fast)
>Improve timing
>Improve starting and ending poses
>Add facial expression
Creative Application – Performance
Groups refine their full sequence by ensuring they include:
>Formation work
>Level changes
>Canon or unison
>Travelling movements
>Dynamic contrast
>Strong performance quality
Your role as teacher is to act as a choreographer giving feedback. Try prompts like:
>”Can you make that section slower?”
>”Can you perform that more sharply?”
>”Can your ending pose be stronger?”
Performance opportunity. Groups perform routine. Whilst observing, can pupils identify:
>Dynamic changes?
>Strong performance quality?
>Clear improvements?
Challenge pupils by adding:
>More dynamic contrast
>Clear emotional performance
>More precise timing
Teaching Points:
- Encourage pupils to exaggerate movement quality.
- Reinforce confident posture and performance focus.
- Promote rehearsal to improve quality.
- Encourage pupils to accept and apply feedback.
- Emphasise strong starting and ending positions.
Key Questions:
- What makes a dance performance engaging to watch?
- How can you change the quality of a movement?
- How can dynamics improve your dance?
- How can you show confidence when performing?
- What improvements has your group made today?
National curriculum links:
- Develop control, balance and technique through dance
- Perform dances using a range of movement patterns
- Comparing their performance and showing improvements throughout the session
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing resilience through trying to improve and perfect their routine
- Displaying creativity through coming up with their own routines
- Being compassionate and considerate as others are performing and improving their routine
- Showing encouragement and being kind to others
Lesson 6: Final Time Travel Performance (Performance & Evaluation)
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives:
- To perform a final time travel dance sequence demonstrating the skills developed across the unit and evaluate performance.
Success Criteria:
- I can perform a complete dance sequence confidently.
- I can demonstrate control, timing and teamwork.
- I can include key dance elements from previous lessons.
- I can evaluate my own and others’ performances.
Key Words:
- Performance
- Evaluate
- Choreography
Equipment:
- Music player
- Speaker
- Time travel themed music
- Cones (optional for performance area)
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Rehearsal Preparation
Children spread out in the working space. Teacher leads a structured warm up focusing on performance readiness.
Pulse raiser:
>Light jogging
>Arm swings
>Side steps
>Gentle jumps
Mobility:
>Arm circles
>Hip rotations
>Ankle rotations
Movement recall game. Teacher calls skills from the unit:
>Levels
>Canon
>Unison
>Travelling
>Freeze
Children demonstrate examples.
Finish with:
Performance Freeze → strong confident pose.
Skill Development
Explain to the children that they are to rehearse, refine and prepare their final performance.”
Teacher role becomes more of a coach/choreographer. Provide a checklist on the board. Does your dance include:
>Travelling movements?
>Level changes?
>Formations?
>Unison or canon?
>Dynamic contrast?
>Strong starting pose?
>Strong ending pose?
Teacher circulates giving specific feedback such as:
>”Can your timing be tighter?”
>”Can you make that formation clearer?”
>”Can you exaggerate that dynamic change?”
>”Can your ending be stronger?”
Explain to teacher:
Allow pupils time to practise multiple times as refinement is the key Year 5/6 expectation here.
Groups rehearse their dances.
Encourage pupils to:
>Watch spacing
>Refine timing
>Improve confidence
>Support each other
Progressions:
>Improve transitions
>Improve synchronisation
>Improve expression
>Improve formation clarity
Creative Application – Final Performances
Explain performance expectations:
Audience expectations:
>Quiet and respectful
>Watch carefully
>Prepare to give feedback
Performers expectations:
>Strong starting position
>Performance focus
>Clear movements
>Strong ending pose
Groups perform one at a time. After each performance ask audience:
Two Stars and a Wish:
>Two things done well
>One improvement suggestion
Teacher may also highlight strong examples of:
>Teamwork
>Creativity
>Performance quality
>Improvement from previous lessons
Challenge:
Ask groups if they can perform again applying feedback.
Teaching Points:
- Encourage confident performance.
- Reinforce respectful audience behaviour.
- Promote constructive feedback.
- Emphasise performing with focus and expression.
- Celebrate improvement and effort.
Key Questions:
- What makes a strong dance performance?
- How has your dance improved since Lesson 1?
- What skills have you used from this unit?
- How can feedback help improve performance?
- What did your group do well?
National curriculum links:
- Developing control, balance and strength throughout the session
- Perform dances using a range of movement patterns
- Compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing problem solving skills through trying to improve their work
- Showing and developing resilience in their work
- Showing creativity throughout the session
- Showing good team work and collaboration skills
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