Introduction+to+Body+Actions

=__BODY ACTIONS - GLEFTS__ =

The following lesson plan is an ideal introductory lesson for a unit on body actions incorporating various forms of technology. The lesson uses a website I have designed, a YouTube clip and a Power Point presentation.

Body Actions Website

This website has been designed for use in class when introducing the concepts involved with body actions. The six actions become a part of a dance vocabulary that the students at the VCE level must be familiar with. The website includes

DV8 Physical Theatre - To Be Straight With You

This montage is a great example of how gesture can be used in movement. This piece was also chosen as it shows a fascinating way of incorporating technology into a dance performance. In this production, DV8 use graphics and projections infused with choreography to make powerful statements.

> www.wix.com/acby0/Body-Actions
 * ** Lesson: ** Introduction to Body Actions
 * Duration: ** 1 hour 20 mins (2x40 minute lessons)
 * Aim: ** This lesson is designed to introduce students to the use of body actions in composition. Students will explore the six actions through discussion, demonstration, improvisation and task cards.
 * Resources: ** Paper or handouts (optional); pens; music player and suitable music; device to project website, YouTube clip and task cards; printed task cards (optional); ||
 * **__ Activity #1 __**** : ** //Body Actions Discussion// (15 mins)
 * Make sure everyone has a pen and paper (or GLEFTS handout)!
 * Show website on projector/whiteboard/smartboard, etc.
 * Ok, so what we’re going to discuss today are “Body Actions”. When you create a dance, these BODY ACTIONS are what are used to communicate the expressive intention.......what’s an expressive intention? Well, it’s the intention of the choreographer or the reason for creating a dance. So, an expressive intention could be Boy-meets-girl, boys-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-back. Or it could be the four seasons (winter, summer, etc). Or it could be good vs. evil. Or....it could even be about Justin Bieber! Can be a story, or a theme, or a feeling.
 * To “Express this Intention” we use BODY ACTIONS, which we use the acronym GLEFTS to remember.
 * These are the GLEFTS! (Go through website and discuss with the class)

**Locomotion:** is any type of travelling, across the floor, through the space. **Elevation:** is any way of rising, lifting, jumping, etc. **Falling:** is any drop of a body part or whole body. **Turning:** of course, refers to any rotation of the body. **Stillness**: means a holding of a body position or shape. ||
 * Gesture: ** is a characteristic movement, such as a hand wave, brushing a fly away, stop sign with your hand, tapping of the foot in frustration, clapping, etc.
 * **__ Activity #2 __**// DV8 Physical Theatre – To Be Straight With You – YouTube // (15mins)
 * View the four minute montage from To Be Straight With You.
 * Students are to identify as many of the body actions as they can. There is no right or wrong, just a good way to begin exploring the skills. What can you identify? Are all of the skills even present in the dance? (5mins)
 * Discuss with the rest of the class your findings! Go back to the clip to show examples if needed. (5 mins)

// OK!!! //

Take the students through a warm-up sequence, which consists of a sequence of the body actions (GLEFTS). Finish with a stretch. ||
 * So the best way to learn what these body actions are is to get up and dance them! ||
 * **__ Activity #3 __**** : ** //Physical Warm-Up// (10 mins)
 * **__ Activity #4 __**** : ** //GLEFTS Improvisation// (15 mins) [Protection – Massive Attack x2]
 * During this structured improvisation the class, with the teacher, will move through each of the Body Actions. The teacher will guide the improvisation by calling instructions to the students and showing the related page from the website on the screen. Starting with locomotion (walking around the space in different directions, speeds, levels, etc) then incorporating Gesture (waves, bows, etc), Elevation (rises, lifts, jumps), Falling, Turning (both isolating body parts and actually turning through the space) and finish with stillness (complete stillness, stillness of one body part, etc).
 * Improvisations are terribly daunting! The teacher should (and will!) improvise alongside the students to help ease their nerves. ||
 * **__ Activity #5 __**** : ** //Body Action Task Cards// (20 mins)
 * The class is divided into three groups, each group is given a task card which contains two body actions on it and composition task for the students to complete.
 * The task cards can be projected and/or printed copies handed to each group.
 * Allow time for showing each groups’ composition. ||
 * **__ Activity #6 __**** : ** //Reflection// (5 mins)
 * Sit with the students and discuss the workshop. Each of them, around the circle, are to say something new they learnt today, whether it was something physical, or something they learnt, a task they did. ||

Designing websites around topics can be an easy way for students to have access to information in the classroom and at home. In creating this wiki I experienced major problems with uploading documents and pdf files from my computer to the wiki. I tried and I tried, I have no idea why it wouldn't work. There was no error or explanation given other than saying that there was an error! The wonderful thing about the website is that I was easily able to add the pdf file to it, incorporating it into the website whose topic it was relating to. Students have access to a website that I can keep adding files to, documents relating to the topic which students can then download or print up. Using a website instead of a traditional handout is a more interactive way for the students to engage with the material. When working on assignments they have a point of reference that is easy for them to access, they may even bookmark the page for future access. The website can be used in class while the students are improvising, reminding them of the concepts they are to incorporate. there are many free website builder websites out there that are easy to use: teachers should take advantage of this as a new way of delivering information to their students.

The technical requirements for this lesson are unfortunately important. Not many dance studios come equipped with projectors and computers. Usually, there is a portable trolley with a tv/vcr/dvd set up and music playing facilities: computers are not normally integrated into the dance classroom. Of course this lesson could be taught without these facilities with traditional pedagogical methods, but why shouldn't the dance studio have the facilities that the other classrooms have? Having the ability to use the internet to view websites and the plethora of dance available on You tube, view recorded dances (both the students work and other works), and for simple general computer use, will be an advantage for future dance educators. The dance studio would also need to be connected to the school network to allow access to the internet.

Technology in dance is rapidly evolving. A lot of dance currently being created is being designed around dance on film, with choreographers creating work specifically for the digital medium, not to be performed in a traditional theatre setting. Having the facilities in the dance studio where the students can film their work and then instantly watch it back on a projector screen, whiteboard, or large TV screen would contribute to their exploration of the art form and will assist them with the analysis of dance works. It would be advantageous for dance students to have computer access in the dance studio, as they could view what they film instantly, decided if the quality is acceptable and then edit accordingly. What better way to encourage dance in technology than to equip the dance studio with the suitable technology.

These technologies would be more to assist student learning rather than to assess it. Dance is still a mostly physical subject. While there is now more of an emphasis on the theory of dance, exploring cultural influences, styles, pioneers, etc, the basis will always be the physical act of dancing. Any tool that we as dance educators can use to engage our tech-savvy students should be harnessed, usually, funding permitting! A unit on body actions would result in assessments in composition (students would be required to compose a dance, either solo or group, showing all of the body actions) and analysis (identifying the body actions in a prescribed work). For their composition task the students may be required to film their performance or design their dance specifically for film. For their analysis they may be required to present their assessment in a digital format. Creating assessments where the students are required to engage with technology is an effective way of ensuring that technology is infused into the dance studio and curriculum. we need to challenge the students to think of creative ways of incorporating technology into dance.