PE Dance Project

Fraser Heights Library Learning Commons

 PE Dept. Grade 8 Dance Project

THE TASK: Select one dance from a particular historical period, genre, or country/region.

 Dance Form Examples:

Historical Period: The Disco Era, the Roaring Twenties, the Sixties,

 Genre: Latin, Ballroom, Belly Dance, Flamenco, Musical Theatre Dance, Square Dance, Jazz, Modern, Tap, Ballet, Swing

 Country or Region: Cape Breton, South Africa, Irish, Scottish, Cuban, Greek, Indian

 PART 1: THE RESEARCH

• Research and create a presentation on the dance under the following three headings: Historical Background, Stylistic and Physical Features, Cultural Importance.

Some Topics to include:

Historical Background:

• The type of dance and its name

• The geography and climate of the country of origin (include a map of the location)

• Any historical factors that might have influenced the dance

Stylistic Features

• Traditional cultural music used, instruments used, or any other items used in performing the dance

• Quality of the movements (sharp, graceful, bouncy, energetic, abrupt, low, fast, etc.)

• Frequent moves: pointed feet, raised arms, turns, floor work, lifts, partnering

• Traditional cultural attire for dance (costume). A picture or video is helpful here. 

Cultural Importance

• The beliefs and customs of the culture/society in relation to the dance

• The purpose of the dance (e.g.: social, ritual, ceremonial, celebratory, entertainment, competition, expressive, etc.)

• The symbolism, if any, used in the dance

• When is the dance done or performed?

• What do the dancers and the audience experience during the performance?  

PART 2: VISUAL

• Include your information on a Power Point, A Prezi, a Glog or a presentation tool of your choice.

• Include lots of images.

• Present your information in a clear and attractive manner.

• Organize your information into THREE categories (Historical Background, Stylistic Features, Cultural Importance)

• Remember to cite your sources and include a bibliography at the end of the visual presentation.

 You can use the Internet, books, the databases, or magazines to help you research your dance. For example - you can type in “Dances from Australia” or “Ukrainian Folk Dance” into a search engine and go from there. Make sure you are using credible websites.

 THIS PROJECT WILL BE YOUR MARK FOR THE DANCE UNIT AND A SUBSTANTIAL PERCENTAGE of your TERM GRADE. You will be marked not only on the content, but how effectively you have used the class time.

ASSESSMENT:

Research                           /20    

Did the research cover all aspects of the assignment? (Historical, stylistic, cultural?)  Was it quality research?  Was there enough information?

Visual Presentation           /20

Was the visual well organized and informative?

Is the final product is unique, powerful and effective?

 Use of Class Time        /10           

Student has made effective use of class research time

2    Student has missed most classes.

4    Student has been mostly present, but does very little work.

6    Student has put in an average amount of work.

8    Student is usually on task and working hard.

10    Student is always on task.

Evaluation                                                                         /50 points