Nursery World - Body Language

Help children to become more aware of their bodies and their interactions with others by thinking about the different factors that make up the 'dance elements' To express themselves using movement, children need to learn how to combine the components of dance in different ways. Ask yourself: which parts of the body are involved? What actions are being performed? Where, how and with whom or what is the dancer moving? These dance elements, as they are known, are present in any dance, and the form they take will give the dance its particular character.

To express themselves using movement, children need to learn how to combine the components of dance in different ways. Ask yourself: which parts of the body are involved? What actions are being performed? Where, how and with whom or what is the dancer moving? These dance elements, as they are known, are present in any dance, and the form they take will give the dance its particular character.

Use the dance elements as a framework to plan broad and balanced learning opportunities for the children in your setting. In dance, children need to develop:

* body awareness - to co-ordinate different parts of the body and in a variety of shapes

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