Movement Around the

World
Sam, Ben, Megan

Background
-Theatre I (10th grade students)
-Second semester
-Preparation for a Multicultural Showcase

-This unit takes place throughout the entire semester. Every Monday will be
Movement Monday in which the students will learn about a new type of
movement, whether it is theatrical, cultural, or both.
-Students will choose a culture and work in groups to create a performance
for the Multicultural Showcase.

Major Concepts
-Exposure to different cultures and different types of movement

-Become more comfortable moving in your body

-Self-expression
-Understand how movement and physical choices impact a performance
-Build a movement vocabulary (both general and specific to certain cultures)
-Reflection: required journaling homework assignment after each Monday so
students can reflect on each culture/movement and what theyve learned as well
as provide another form of assessment for the teacher

Theatrical Movement Lessons

-Laban
-Alexander Technique
-Suzuki Method

-Viewpoints

Culture Movement Lessons

-Indian Dance
-Chinese Fan Dancing
-Noh Theatre

-Irish Step Dance

-El Salvadorian Dance

-Salsa Dancing
-Butoh

Sample Vocabulary
-Alignment
-Unison
-Synchronicity
-Body parts in relation to physical
education
Sacrum
Spine
Vertebrae
Pelvis
Torso
Tailbone
-General Space
-Personal Space
-Negative Space
-Warm-up
-Body systems
-Inner realm

-Symmetrical/asymmetrical
-Rounded
-Twisted
-Angular
-Non-locomotor/Axial
-Locomotor/Traveling
-Level
-Orientation
-Pathway
-Time
-Energy
-Dynamics
-Pace

Specific Indian Dance Vocab:

-Mudras-Hand Gestures:
Lotus
Deer
Moon
Offering
Modest Woman
-Hand-Eye Relationship
-Rhythm
-Emphasis
-Bhavas
-Storytelling

State Standards
-TI.1 The student will explore theatre as an ensemble art through group
interaction by
1. developing communication strategies

3. collaborating to implement personal artistic choices

4. respecting the ideas and viewpoints of others.

-TI.9 The student will make connections between theatre and other fields of
knowledge.

National Standards
TH:Cr1.1.IIa. Investigate historical and cultural conventions and their impact on the visual
composition of a drama/theatre work.
TH:Cr3.1.Ib. Explore physical, vocal and physiological choices to develop a performance that is
believable, authentic, and relevant to a drama/theatre work.
TH:Re8.1.Ib. Identify and compare cultural perspectives and contexts that may influence the
evaluation of a drama/theatre work.
DA:Pr4.1.c. Connect energy and dynamics to movements by applying them in and through all parts
of the body. Develop total body awareness so that movement phrases demonstrate variances of energy
and dynamics.
DA:Pr4.1.7c. Compare and contrast movement characteristics from a variety of dance genres or
styles. Discuss specific characteristics and use adverbs and adjectives to describe them. Determine
what dancers must do to perform them clearly.

Connections Outside the Classroom

-Guests artists will be brought into the classroom whenever possible. This will
allow students to see where these dances are present in the community.
-Work has been done with the history department to align some of these
cultural movement lessons with the core history curriculum.
-Students will be performing these dances for their peers and for this
community. Students outside of the theatre class will also be a part of the
Showcase, and this will hopefully bring attention to the theatre department.