Folk Dancing

Teaching Folk Dancing 

I’ve been told often that this is the “PE Teachers domain” but why? I’m working towards working with the PE teacher on this unit next year. In my opinion “dancing” falls into both categories equally.

I did this Folk Dancing Unit with 1^st through 3^rd grades. We learned four folk dances total from the “Alabama Gal” New England Dance Masters book.

I learned how to teach folk dancing during my student teaching experience and I loved it! I provided the students with some guidelines, which, like my cooperating teacher, I called “Positive Partner Behavior.” I have three questions for the kids to ask themselves before we dance:

1.     Are your hands available?

2.     Are you being respectful to your partner, other classmates and the teacher?

3.     Are you listening?

I review these before every single time we dance- if I don’t, I usually regret it.

I taught my 1^st through 3^rd graders three folk dances from different countries. I gave them a little background knowledge but if I wanted, I could have gone into a lot further detail. We learned three dances that take place in a longways set: Alabama Gal, Chimes of Dunkirk (France) and Kings and Queens. We also learned the ever so popular Sasha! Sasha! is a great filler if you have time left at the end of class as well.

Now that we know these dances we are planning a “Dancing Day” where all three grades go outside and we will do the dances together… We will see how that goes!