How To Create an Effective Dance Literacy

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Brenda Pugh McCutchenAuthor, Teaching Dance as Art in Education

How to Create a6 DC Educational Dance

Program

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The 6 DC model sets out to improve how

teachers teach and how students experience educational dance.

http://dancecurriculumdesigns.com

http://dancecurriculumdesigns.com/


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TEACHING DANCE AS ART IN EDUCATION’s

6 DC Model of Educational Dance

=Its Defining Characteristics= 1. Comprehensive =broad and diverse 2. Substantive =rigorous and significant 3. Sequential =incremental, progressive 4. Artistically-Driven =expressive, sensitive, high quality 5. Contextually-Coherent =related and relevant 6. Inquiry-Based =examined, engaged, involved

1. What defines this model?



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2. Think of them as 6 parts of a whole.



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3. Set out to accomplish all six.

Helpful hints.

Explain dance’s overarching ideas concisely and clearly.

Emphasize what’s most important to know and do in dance.

Ensure students grasp all aspects of dance.

Create “dance literate" students.



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4. Emphasize dance’s cornerstone disciplines.

Dancing/Performing Creating/Composing Analyzing/Critiquing History/Context/Cultures

Ensure they are all strong in your curriculum.



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5. Absorb the 6 DC Cornerstone Framework

in Teaching Dance as Art in Education

Examine the K-12 frameworks for each cornerstone.

Put all four together to make a parallel, comprehensive curriculum.

Notice these frameworks are• substantive• sequential (K through 12)

• artistically-driven



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6. Divide the content into teachable units.

• Cluster cornerstone content

into cohesive units of study• Integrate cornerstone content.• Select the overarching theme

for each unit• Add other concepts you feel

are important

Turn integrated units into meaningful contexts for learning.



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7. Master two vital teaching methods.

Creating contextual-coherence: • Make connections to other aspects

of dance or other disciplines• Relate new ideas to familiar ones

Using inquiry-based methods:• Ask the “essential questions”• Emphasize critical thinking

All six defining characteristics add educational value to your

curriculum.



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Now you know the basics.

The ROOTS of the of 6DC

Model:

1. Six defining characteristics

2. Four essential dance cornerstones

3. Sequential frameworks for each cornerstone

4. Mastery of two teaching styles



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Next, let’s construct its

WINGS to help it fly.



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8. Find examples that add impact to units.

• Find resources that focus on key concepts and skills.• Integrate artistic, historic, and cultural aspects in a

unit by featuring exemplary dance works.– Shift fluidly between the artistic processes to connect

the dots between creating, performing, and responding – Choose from a variety of dance genres– Design lessons inspired by the dance work– Use the works as creative impetus



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9. Select great works that demonstrate unit concepts.

Choose works that broaden perspective on dance.• Choreographers worth knowing; artistic models • Make some works the focal point of the unit• Make other works examples to inspire

Show how great choreographers convey ideas.• Analyze their work using the “Four-Step Critique”• Analyze their use of principles of design• Examine their creative process• Examine technique and performance qualities • Identify the impact of the work



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10. Display dance’s essential concepts.

• Build basic vocabulary.– Dance Elements – Choreographic Principles of Design– Choreographic Processes

• Emphasize vital processes.– Choreographic processes and devices– Four-step critique



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11. Find 6DC resources that actuate all six defining characteristics.

6DC resources

• integrate content and methods

• accentuates complexity• incorporates diversity• highlight core concepts• spark the imagination• feed the creative spirit

They expand concepts and skills year by year • to grow with students

as they advance• to support creative and

critical skills



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12. Look for *6DC certified* resources

*

6DC Certified*

6DC resources integrate with each other. Their concepts cross-pollinate to exponentially increase dance literacy. This develops coherent thinking and skills. Resources are the 6DC Model’s WINGS.



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High quality dance resources are found at NDEO Online Store

Creative Dance Center, Seattle Southeast Center for Education in the Arts

13. Add other good resources.



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14. Explore 6DC resources at www.dancecurriculumdesigns.

*6DC Certified* dance toolkits pinpoint key concepts and processes. Clever devices create lightning rods that pull students away from the computer to interact with each other, with ideas, using imagination and movement.

*6DC Certified* dance literacy posters instruct and inspire. • Enduring Understanding

Posters: Ingrain key concepts (like Dance Elements).

• Essential Questions Posters: Inquire into diverse topics with guided-discovery questions (like Quick Six or 5Ws).



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15. Stay true to the 6DC characteristics

• Comprehensive• Substantive• Sequential

• Artistically driven• Contextually coherent• Inquiry based



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Dance Curriculum Designs™ *6DC Certified*

16. Rev up unit plans with toolkits, posters, and other resources.

-Ignite student creativity and growth.

-Display posters so conceptual vocabulary jumps.



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17. Enjoy building wings so your 6DC model program can fly.

If you need us find us on the web.

www.dancecurriculumdesigns.com creates the highest quality dance literacy resources which

strategically impact education.


http://www.dancecurriculumdesigns.com/


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Snapshot of cover of Toolkit One: Viewing Dance—Vocabularies for Critiquing (2008)What you can’t see are the 156 teaching resources inside such as posters, focus charts, comment cards, critiquing questions, and all the tools to facilitate a “four-step critique” and teach the choreographic principles of design. Grade 4-college.



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ABOUT USBrenda Pugh McCutchen introduced the 6 DC Model in Teaching Dance as Art in Education (Human Kinetics,

2006). It became the gold standard for dance education.

Today, her 6 DC teacher resources offer the vital tools that

enable educators to earn respect for dance as part of the core curriculum.

These resources ensure depth and diversity of content,

increase vocabulary and conceptual learning, boost creating, performing, and responding skills,sustain dance in education as an art, and always

engage creative minds. http://dancecurriculumdesigns.com


04/13/2023 http://dancecurriculumdesigns.com
