Welcome to RDT’s series of posts for teachers who want to include movement/dance in their classrooms. Feel free to take a look at the previous posts here, under Lesson of the Month section. Our goal is to inspire teachers to use simple dance moves with their students to help them get to know each other as the school year starts. 

We hope to encourage creativity and lead teachers to take the lesson plans to many levels. We also want to encourage you to share your results with us! Please post comments, videos, new ideas based on the original plan, etc. You can post at the hashtag #RDTlessonplanofthemonth.

Also, please feel free to provide feedback and make suggestions below in the forum. Join us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter if you would like to post pictures or videos of your work with students.

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Large Drop Swing in the Center

By Dan Higgins

4/4 tempo

Begin the exercise standing in a wide second position with the arms in a high parallel.

Drop swing through center (1-2) to suspend back to high parallel (3-4), repeat swing (5-6) up to suspend to the high right diagonal on one leg (7-8) repeat left through count (3-4), fall to a right side curve lunge/elbow to hip on count (5).

Toss up and over a straight left leg to your left side curve (6-7), right leg in back attitude, fall right (8) toss again to suspend through counts (1-2) to fall and step five steps around in a circle for counts(3-5).

Sweep left arm up and overhead in a circular pathway as legs are in a parallel lunge with right leg forward (6-7).

Switch stance and contract (8), switch again to contract (1), drop swing to circle right arm clockwise twice (2-3), suspend/billow up and over right leg (4-6) and soutenu to the left (7-8).

Second side!

Below is footage of the exercise done on the pre-professional students at NCDP. Time signature is 30sec-1:05min. Enjoy!

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