dance terminology & action words
4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.
Lesson Overview
Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA
Learning Objectives
- Explain the key ideas of dance terminology & action words
- Apply dance terminology & action words to exam-style questions
- Develop independent study skills
- Build cross-topic connections
Prerequisites
- Read the revision notes for dance terminology & action words first (GCSE Revise summary)
- Key vocab to pre-teach: key terms from dance terminology & action words
- Basic skills: reading the summary notes and answering the practice questions there
Materials & Equipment
- Exercise book, coloured pens
- Ruler
- Printed revision notes (link below)
- Internet for videos (see Resources)
Lesson 1: Introduction: dance terminology & action words
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Quick Recall
Write down everything you already know about dance terminology & action words. Then check against the key terms: key terms from dance terminology & action words. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: key terms from dance terminology & action words.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: key terms from dance terminology & action words.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: dance terminology & action words. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Dance because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: dance terminology & action words. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Dance because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look
Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: explain the key ideas of dance terminology & action words
Plenary (5 minutes)
Check Out
Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about dance terminology & action words.
Lesson 2: Core Concepts: dance terminology & action words
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Review Previous Lesson
Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on dance terminology & action words. Check them against the notes below.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Key Fact: Dance terminology is the specialist vocabulary used to describe, analyse and evaluate movement accurately
Key Fact: Action content refers to what the body does: travel, turn, jump, gesture, stillness, transfer of weight
Key Fact: Dynamic content describes how the body moves: fast/slow, sudden/sustained, strong/light, direct/indirect
Key Fact: Spatial content describes where the body moves: levels, directions, pathways, formations, personal and general space
Key Fact: Relationship content describes who the body moves with: unison, canon, contact, contrast, complement, leader-follower
Key Fact: Accurate use of terminology is essential for both written exam answers and NEA written tasks
Practice (10 minutes)
Q: explain the key ideas of dance terminology & action words
Answer:
Plenary (5 minutes)
Explain Back
Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.
Lesson 3: Application: dance terminology & action words
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Quick Recall
Recall the key terms: key terms from dance terminology & action words. Define each in one sentence.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.
Work through the practice questions on the revision notes page for this topic.
Plenary (5 minutes)
Error Review
Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.
Lesson 4: Exam Practice: dance terminology & action words
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Command Words
Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).
Main Content (35 minutes)
Exam-Style Question
Attempt a past-paper style question on dance terminology & action words from the exam board past paper finder (see Resources), then mark it against the scheme.
Exam Tips: Always use the four content categories (action, dynamic, spatial, relationships) as a checklist in appreciation answers | Upgrade everyday words to dance terminology — say 'sudden' not 'fast', 'sustained' not 'slow' | When describing movement, state the action first, then add dynamics and spatial information for precision | Relationship content is often forgotten — always check if dancers interact and name the relationship type | In NEA written tasks, use terminology consistently to show confident subject knowledge
Common Errors: ✗ Action content only means big movements like jumps. ✓ Action content includes all six types: travel, turn, jump, gesture, stillness and transfer of weight — gesture and stillness are equally valid actions. ✗ Dynamic content just means fast or slow. ✓ Dynamic content covers speed, energy, weight and flow — it includes sudden/sustained, strong/light, direct/indirect and bound/free qualities. ✗ Spatial content is only about where the dancer stands. ✓ Spatial content includes levels, directions, pathways, formations, personal space and general space — it describes all spatial aspects of movement. ✗ Relationship content only applies to duets. ✓ Relationship content applies to any number of danc
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
- Synoptic links: explain how dance terminology & action words connects to another Dance topic you have studied
- Real-world: research one real-world use or example of dance terminology & action words
- Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in dance terminology & action words?"
Plenary (5 minutes)
Assessment Criteria
- Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
- Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
- Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2
Homework & Consolidation
- Consolidation: Re-answer any Lesson 3 practice questions answered incorrectly (20 mins)
- Retrieval: Write flashcards for the key terms: key terms from dance terminology & action words (10 mins)
- Exam practice: One past-paper question on dance terminology & action words from the board websites (15 mins)
- Extension: Explain dance terminology & action words to someone else in your own words (10 mins)