Warming Up
A warm-up prepares the body and brain for movement and learning. Isolated body part movement and full-body movement warm up all the muscles, increasing elasticity and helping to prevent injury. Aerobic movement oxygenates the brain to aid focus and attention. Warm muscles prevent injury, and an oxygenated brain increases the potential for learning. The warm-up also includes the introduction of the dance concept that will be the focus of the lesson. Because the warm-up sets the tone for class, it is important to choose appropriate activities and creative a welcoming environment. The warm-up section is teacher directed and often repetitive in nature. However, adding novelty wakes up the brain and keeps students engaged. (pg. 64)
Quick Warm-Ups
A quick warm-up can be any 2-3 minute aerobic activity. It is used primarily in classes for ages 0 to 5 before doing the sitting BrainDance with rhymes, and it gives young children a chance to move around after sitting in car seats or at preschool. However, you may also use the following ideas in schools to oxygenate the brain after long periods of sitting, before tests and presentations, and as active transitions between subject areas.
Back to Back
"When I say the words "back to back," stand back to back with the person nearest you. Back to Back! Now turn around and touch elbows together; now touch toes together; now touch knees together. When the music starts, dance away from each other, emphasizing knee movements. Back to back! Now touch toes together, touch shoulders together, touch arms together. Now dance away, emphasizing arm movements. Back to back! Continue in this way, alternating partner connections with intentional body part movements through general space.
This is a great warm-up activity and icebreaker, because students do not have to choose a partner face to face. They quickly stand back to back with someone, and the emphasis is on backs, not partners. As often as possible, students should be back to back with a different person each time. Instead of a focus on the concept of body parts, choose another dance concept, such as level. For example, "Make a low shape together; make a medium-level shape; make a high shape together. Now dance away at a high level." Any dance concept may be the focus of this quick warm-up.
Group Mirror
"Stand in a perfect spot so that you have empty space around you but you can focus on me. Mirror (follow) my movements. If I move my arm that is nearest the windows, you move your arm that is nearest the windows. If I move my head up and down, you move your head up and down. Keep your eyes on me at all times, and be my mirror reflection."
This can be an energizing activity or a calming activity depending on the speed and quality of your movement. Use lively music and high-energy movements for warming up muscles. Use peaceful music and smooth, slow movements for cooling down muscles. Try to move each body part and joint. Start with the head and move down to the toes, or vide versa. Use familiar yet safe exercise movements or basic locomotor and non-locmotor movements such as running in place, twisting, stretching, swinging, bending, and turning.
If you feel uncomfortable as leader, ask a student with a background in dance to be leader. You can support the leader by naming body parts and movements from the dance concept chart. For variation, the students can alternate mirroring you and dancing freely in general space.
Group Echo
"Find an empty spot where you can focus on me. I will move for 4 counts. Then you echo (copy) my movement for 4 counts. We will never be moving at the same time. I move, you echo, I move, you echo. When I freeze, you move. You have to remember what I did and copy my movement."
Four counts seem to work best, but you can vary this warm-up by trying 8-count phrases and even 2-count phrases. Remember to move different body parts so that the whole body is warmed up, not just the arms. Try a variety of non-locomotor and locomotor movements. If you feel uncomfortable as leader, ask a student with a background in dance to be leader. Use music with a strong beat. If this activity is too difficult for students age 2 to 4, do mirroring activities instead.
Shadowing
"Find a partner, then stand with one person in front and the other behind. The leader will move through general space while the follower (the shadow) copies the leader's movements. When the music stops, move as I direct. when the music resumes, change leaders and continue moving freely through space."
During the music pauses, name non-locomotor movements such as bend, stretch, swing, twist, and slash. YOU could call out a body part and have the dancers move that part and way they want to. This would encourage the movements of many body parts. With novice dancers, you may have to suggest ways of moving on the shadow section if the dancers run out of ideas. Encourage the dancers to move on different levels, in different directions and pathways, with change sin speed, and so on.
Self-and General Space
"when the music starts I will name a locomotor movement. Do that movement through general space. When the music pauses, I will name a non-locomotor movement. Do that movement in self-space. As you move in general space, keep your eyes open for empty space to move through. When you mov in self-space, be sure you have plenty of empty space around you. Walk...stretch...jog...swing...skip...bend...gallop...poke."
Scarf Dance
I do this warm-up mostly with ages 2 to 5 before the BrainDance. Dancers choose two small scarves or squares of plastic tablecloth material. Play lively music with pauses (see appendix D for music suggestions). Cue various movements and concepts after each pause. Dancers freeze on the pause and listen to cues such as "Dance your body and scarves up high, down low, fast, slow, strongly, lightly; gallop; twist; walk forward; walk backward; toss your scarves; dance your scarves over your head, under your knees, behind your back."
Finger-Body-Finger
"Make a shape focusing on yoru index (pointer) finger. when the music begins, move just your finger...Now add your hand...your arm...your head...your other arm... a leg...your other leg so that you are moving through general space...add your torso...spine...pelvis...Your whole body should be dancing through space...Now take away one leg...your arm...your head...just your hand is dancing...now just your finger...Find an ending shape."
Stretch, Curl, Twist, and Swing
"Stretch and curl different body parts and then the whole body. Twist different parts and then the whole body. Swing various parts and then the whole body."
Students should do these movements gently, smoothly, and continuously until the muscles are warm.
A Walk Through the Concepts
Your students will really be warmed up after this activity! They will also have a new awareness of the dance concepts-the many exciting ways they can move. This is a good beginning activity for any age and level. They begin with walking, and by the end they are dancing.
"Begin walking around the room. As you are walking, I will call out different dance concepts. Listen to me and respond through movement. Walk forward..backward...sideways. Walk up high on tiptoes...walk down low...walk at a medium level. Move with big steps , stretching your legs and arms far away from each other...move with little steps, bringing arms and legs close to each other. Move through the room drawing curvy pathways with your arms and legs...draw the letter S, the letter O, the number 8. Draw straight pathways using straight movements...try a straight pathway backward...a straight pathway with big steps sideways...try a zigzag pathway with knees and elbows...move forward and backward...left and right...up and down... draw big zigzags and little zigzags. Walk while focusing on your hand...your foot...someone's back...the ceiling...straight ahead. Move as slowly as you can; you have all the time in the world...now move quickly, hurry up...slow down...move slowly backward in a curvy pathway with little steps...move quickly in a zigzag pathway with big steps. Move to the beat of my clapping...take a step on every clas so that you are moving to an even rhythm...try changing directions, level and size. Now create your own rhythm, mixing up slow and fast steps...sometimes slow, sometimes fast. Move with strong, powerful movements...push through the space...move with light movements as if you were on the mood...you are an astronaut in space--weightless...strong movements again in different directions...light movements, floating effortlessly. Move with smooth, continuous movements...never stopping always flowing...now try sharp movements...movements that move and stop...move and stop...sharp! Sharp! Sharp!...Smoooooooooth...sharp! Make a curvy shape...try a straight shape...a twisted shape...an angular shape... a big, curvy shape...a little curvy shape on a high level...a big, strong, twisted shape. Stay in your self-space and move just your head in different ways...your arms...legs...elbows...knees...shoulders...hips...feet...your whole body...Now move through general space, remembering all the different ways you can move!"
Together/Apart
"Find a partner (or two for a trio). Move slowly around, under, and over each other. When I say "Apart," move away from each other with lively movements. When I call out "Together," find your partner (or change partners) and move slowly together again."
Encourage a change of pace when together and apart. This will allow students some rest when together and full-out movement when apart. With novice dancers, cue specific ways of moving apart--jump, gallop backward, slide, skip with big steps, and so on.
Sixteen Counts
"Find a partner. One of you will move in self-space first while theother dancer moves through general space. I will name a way to move, and I will count to 16. The self-space dancers move on their own spot for 16 counts while the general-space dancers travel through space and back to their partners by count 16 Then you change roles. Keep switching back and forth from self-space to general space after each set of counts. Here we go: 16 counts igh and low movements (count to 16 out loud) ...16 counts tretching....16 counts swinging...16 counts fast and slow movements...16 counts jumping."
Continue naming different movements and dance concepts. Vary your counts anywhere from 5 to 30. Encourage the general-space dancers to really travel through the space, away from the partner and back. Remind the self-space dancers to keep moving through all of the counts. Dancers may make a connected shape on the last count.
Aerobic Shape Museum
"When I call your name, form a shape in an empty space in the room. (Call half the class). Now move the shape in self-space, perhaps by jogging in place, twisting, stretching, or bending. When iI turn on the music, the museum will open and the rest of your will enter and dance around the statues. Then choose a statue to copy. When you copy the statue's movements, the statue is free to move through general space doing a new type of movement until she or he copies another statue."
Dancers copy statues, statues move in self-space until they are copied, and then they change their movements as they travel through general space. Encourage a variety of non-locomotor and locomotor movements and use of different body parts in order to warm up the entire body. Remind the dancers to keeping moving while they are in self- and general space to make the activity aerobic.
Directed and Free
"I will name a certain type of movement. You may do that movement in self-or general space. Then I will call out "free dance," and you dance any way you choose. We will alternate directed and free movement. Slide with a fancy arm...free dance...run in a curvy pathway...free dance...jump and shake...free dance...spin and poke...free dance." Your directed movement can be very simple or quite complex, depending on the age or experience of your students.
Explorations
Certain activities in the Exploring the Concept and Shaping sections in chapters 6 to 20 are useful as warm-up activities. Look through the list of ideas under the particular concept on which your lesson is based. Choose an idea that is familiar or needs few directions and provides a fair amount of aerobic movement.
Folk Dance
Simple, familiar folk dances such as Mayim, Virginia reel, Troika, and Brown Jug Polka are fun for quick warm-ups. Instructions for these dances are in Brain-Compatible Dance Education (Gilbert, 2006).
Quick Warm-Ups
A quick warm-up can be any 2-3 minute aerobic activity. It is used primarily in classes for ages 0 to 5 before doing the sitting BrainDance with rhymes, and it gives young children a chance to move around after sitting in car seats or at preschool. However, you may also use the following ideas in schools to oxygenate the brain after long periods of sitting, before tests and presentations, and as active transitions between subject areas.
Back to Back
"When I say the words "back to back," stand back to back with the person nearest you. Back to Back! Now turn around and touch elbows together; now touch toes together; now touch knees together. When the music starts, dance away from each other, emphasizing knee movements. Back to back! Now touch toes together, touch shoulders together, touch arms together. Now dance away, emphasizing arm movements. Back to back! Continue in this way, alternating partner connections with intentional body part movements through general space.
This is a great warm-up activity and icebreaker, because students do not have to choose a partner face to face. They quickly stand back to back with someone, and the emphasis is on backs, not partners. As often as possible, students should be back to back with a different person each time. Instead of a focus on the concept of body parts, choose another dance concept, such as level. For example, "Make a low shape together; make a medium-level shape; make a high shape together. Now dance away at a high level." Any dance concept may be the focus of this quick warm-up.
Group Mirror
"Stand in a perfect spot so that you have empty space around you but you can focus on me. Mirror (follow) my movements. If I move my arm that is nearest the windows, you move your arm that is nearest the windows. If I move my head up and down, you move your head up and down. Keep your eyes on me at all times, and be my mirror reflection."
This can be an energizing activity or a calming activity depending on the speed and quality of your movement. Use lively music and high-energy movements for warming up muscles. Use peaceful music and smooth, slow movements for cooling down muscles. Try to move each body part and joint. Start with the head and move down to the toes, or vide versa. Use familiar yet safe exercise movements or basic locomotor and non-locmotor movements such as running in place, twisting, stretching, swinging, bending, and turning.
If you feel uncomfortable as leader, ask a student with a background in dance to be leader. You can support the leader by naming body parts and movements from the dance concept chart. For variation, the students can alternate mirroring you and dancing freely in general space.
Group Echo
"Find an empty spot where you can focus on me. I will move for 4 counts. Then you echo (copy) my movement for 4 counts. We will never be moving at the same time. I move, you echo, I move, you echo. When I freeze, you move. You have to remember what I did and copy my movement."
Four counts seem to work best, but you can vary this warm-up by trying 8-count phrases and even 2-count phrases. Remember to move different body parts so that the whole body is warmed up, not just the arms. Try a variety of non-locomotor and locomotor movements. If you feel uncomfortable as leader, ask a student with a background in dance to be leader. Use music with a strong beat. If this activity is too difficult for students age 2 to 4, do mirroring activities instead.
Shadowing
"Find a partner, then stand with one person in front and the other behind. The leader will move through general space while the follower (the shadow) copies the leader's movements. When the music stops, move as I direct. when the music resumes, change leaders and continue moving freely through space."
During the music pauses, name non-locomotor movements such as bend, stretch, swing, twist, and slash. YOU could call out a body part and have the dancers move that part and way they want to. This would encourage the movements of many body parts. With novice dancers, you may have to suggest ways of moving on the shadow section if the dancers run out of ideas. Encourage the dancers to move on different levels, in different directions and pathways, with change sin speed, and so on.
Self-and General Space
"when the music starts I will name a locomotor movement. Do that movement through general space. When the music pauses, I will name a non-locomotor movement. Do that movement in self-space. As you move in general space, keep your eyes open for empty space to move through. When you mov in self-space, be sure you have plenty of empty space around you. Walk...stretch...jog...swing...skip...bend...gallop...poke."
Scarf Dance
I do this warm-up mostly with ages 2 to 5 before the BrainDance. Dancers choose two small scarves or squares of plastic tablecloth material. Play lively music with pauses (see appendix D for music suggestions). Cue various movements and concepts after each pause. Dancers freeze on the pause and listen to cues such as "Dance your body and scarves up high, down low, fast, slow, strongly, lightly; gallop; twist; walk forward; walk backward; toss your scarves; dance your scarves over your head, under your knees, behind your back."
Finger-Body-Finger
"Make a shape focusing on yoru index (pointer) finger. when the music begins, move just your finger...Now add your hand...your arm...your head...your other arm... a leg...your other leg so that you are moving through general space...add your torso...spine...pelvis...Your whole body should be dancing through space...Now take away one leg...your arm...your head...just your hand is dancing...now just your finger...Find an ending shape."
Stretch, Curl, Twist, and Swing
"Stretch and curl different body parts and then the whole body. Twist different parts and then the whole body. Swing various parts and then the whole body."
Students should do these movements gently, smoothly, and continuously until the muscles are warm.
A Walk Through the Concepts
Your students will really be warmed up after this activity! They will also have a new awareness of the dance concepts-the many exciting ways they can move. This is a good beginning activity for any age and level. They begin with walking, and by the end they are dancing.
"Begin walking around the room. As you are walking, I will call out different dance concepts. Listen to me and respond through movement. Walk forward..backward...sideways. Walk up high on tiptoes...walk down low...walk at a medium level. Move with big steps , stretching your legs and arms far away from each other...move with little steps, bringing arms and legs close to each other. Move through the room drawing curvy pathways with your arms and legs...draw the letter S, the letter O, the number 8. Draw straight pathways using straight movements...try a straight pathway backward...a straight pathway with big steps sideways...try a zigzag pathway with knees and elbows...move forward and backward...left and right...up and down... draw big zigzags and little zigzags. Walk while focusing on your hand...your foot...someone's back...the ceiling...straight ahead. Move as slowly as you can; you have all the time in the world...now move quickly, hurry up...slow down...move slowly backward in a curvy pathway with little steps...move quickly in a zigzag pathway with big steps. Move to the beat of my clapping...take a step on every clas so that you are moving to an even rhythm...try changing directions, level and size. Now create your own rhythm, mixing up slow and fast steps...sometimes slow, sometimes fast. Move with strong, powerful movements...push through the space...move with light movements as if you were on the mood...you are an astronaut in space--weightless...strong movements again in different directions...light movements, floating effortlessly. Move with smooth, continuous movements...never stopping always flowing...now try sharp movements...movements that move and stop...move and stop...sharp! Sharp! Sharp!...Smoooooooooth...sharp! Make a curvy shape...try a straight shape...a twisted shape...an angular shape... a big, curvy shape...a little curvy shape on a high level...a big, strong, twisted shape. Stay in your self-space and move just your head in different ways...your arms...legs...elbows...knees...shoulders...hips...feet...your whole body...Now move through general space, remembering all the different ways you can move!"
Together/Apart
"Find a partner (or two for a trio). Move slowly around, under, and over each other. When I say "Apart," move away from each other with lively movements. When I call out "Together," find your partner (or change partners) and move slowly together again."
Encourage a change of pace when together and apart. This will allow students some rest when together and full-out movement when apart. With novice dancers, cue specific ways of moving apart--jump, gallop backward, slide, skip with big steps, and so on.
Sixteen Counts
"Find a partner. One of you will move in self-space first while theother dancer moves through general space. I will name a way to move, and I will count to 16. The self-space dancers move on their own spot for 16 counts while the general-space dancers travel through space and back to their partners by count 16 Then you change roles. Keep switching back and forth from self-space to general space after each set of counts. Here we go: 16 counts igh and low movements (count to 16 out loud) ...16 counts tretching....16 counts swinging...16 counts fast and slow movements...16 counts jumping."
Continue naming different movements and dance concepts. Vary your counts anywhere from 5 to 30. Encourage the general-space dancers to really travel through the space, away from the partner and back. Remind the self-space dancers to keep moving through all of the counts. Dancers may make a connected shape on the last count.
Aerobic Shape Museum
"When I call your name, form a shape in an empty space in the room. (Call half the class). Now move the shape in self-space, perhaps by jogging in place, twisting, stretching, or bending. When iI turn on the music, the museum will open and the rest of your will enter and dance around the statues. Then choose a statue to copy. When you copy the statue's movements, the statue is free to move through general space doing a new type of movement until she or he copies another statue."
Dancers copy statues, statues move in self-space until they are copied, and then they change their movements as they travel through general space. Encourage a variety of non-locomotor and locomotor movements and use of different body parts in order to warm up the entire body. Remind the dancers to keeping moving while they are in self- and general space to make the activity aerobic.
Directed and Free
"I will name a certain type of movement. You may do that movement in self-or general space. Then I will call out "free dance," and you dance any way you choose. We will alternate directed and free movement. Slide with a fancy arm...free dance...run in a curvy pathway...free dance...jump and shake...free dance...spin and poke...free dance." Your directed movement can be very simple or quite complex, depending on the age or experience of your students.
Explorations
Certain activities in the Exploring the Concept and Shaping sections in chapters 6 to 20 are useful as warm-up activities. Look through the list of ideas under the particular concept on which your lesson is based. Choose an idea that is familiar or needs few directions and provides a fair amount of aerobic movement.
Folk Dance
Simple, familiar folk dances such as Mayim, Virginia reel, Troika, and Brown Jug Polka are fun for quick warm-ups. Instructions for these dances are in Brain-Compatible Dance Education (Gilbert, 2006).