‘Monsters’ is a fun way to learn about interacting, spatial awareness, performance and choreography – for this monstrous dance, pupils can also make their own masks!
Monsters (KS2)
Hokusai – The Great Wave (KS2)
Let’s take a look at the iconic painting by Japanese artist Hokusai – The Great Wave. Can you recreate it using your body? Now let’s do that together.
Bullying (KS2)
What different types of bullying can you name? Do you know about cyber, physical, mental & social bullying? How do these make you feel? What can we do to stop them?
Friendship (KS2)
How does it feel to have friends? How do we make friends? Let’s move together to form connections – finishing in one big, supportive, group dance.
India’s Festival of Colours (KS2)
Join India’s Festival of Colours – the ‘Holi Festival’. Fizz and pop as you burn your worries on a bonfire. Create a celebratory dance. And throw colours to signify fire, mischief, light and calm.
Selfies & Photos (KS2)
What are photos for? How do we frame them? Where do we put them? How do celebrities pose for selfies? Are we photographs? This snappy topic develops into solo, duet & group work…
Circus (KS2)
Silly clown routines, tightrope, juggling, trapeze: it’s all here at the circus. And what a fun way to explore travelling, balance, support, transitions and – of course – performance…
Rough & Tumble (KS2)
Can’t engage boys in dance? Think again! Let’s face it; all children like to Rough & Tumble. This scheme appeals to & harnesses boys’ (and, of course, girls’) innate spirit of adventure, mischief and cunning.
Around The World (KS2)
A fun look at traditional dances from around the world. Starting with styles from Mexico, Argentina, India, China & Russia, use these to create improvisations – solo and in groups…
African Greetings (KS2)
The composer’s travels in Zimbabwe inspired the music for this lesson. Whilst there, he learnt the greetings of the Mashona people. You can now use these African greetings to create your own circle dance.
Africa! (KS2)
Taking music, text and images as their stimuli, pupils work solo, with partners and in groups to explore the Africa theme. And, in so doing, they try their hand at simple choreography…
Castles (KS2)
Castles are formidably physical. They are also home to lots of action: attacking, defending, tournaments and the bustle of daily life. Explore these through solos, duets and group work.
Baghdad (KS2)
Baghdad has a rich and exciting history. Children first represent the Tigris and nearby Euphrates. They then explore how the city grew here and subsequently came under attack.
Iron-Age Celts (KS2)
Discover Britain before the Romans came. Become Iron-Age Celts: farming the land, building settlements, making garments, fighting fiercely and worshiping strange gods…
All At Sea (KS2)
From pirates, to fishing boats, shark attacks to storms, it all happens at sea. Work individually, in pairs and in larger groups to immerse yourselves in this watery theme….
World War I (KS2)
From tearful goodbyes, to working in the fields and factories, how was life at home during World War I? And what was it like in the front-line trenches? Through movement, relive this iconic period in world history…
The Mayans (KS2)
Investigate and recreate the Mayans’ structures, their agriculture, gods and writings. Then imagine what happened to this amazing civilisation. What caused it to disappear?…
Setting Sail (KS2)
Hoist the rigging, sweep the decks, build a ship: we’re setting sail! The busy confines of early sailing vessels provide an ideal platform for developing movement vocabulary, individually and in groups…
Anglo Saxons (KS2)
Learn how the Anglo Saxons lived. Imagine what their dwellings, work and pastimes were like. Then become warriors, defending your King and paying tribute to your many gods…
Plants & Growing (KS2)
What qualities do growing plants have? Combine with one another to reflect & explore these ideas. Taking turns to lead small ‘farming’ groups, develop movement ideas on the theme of Plants & Growing…
Alice in Wonderland (KS2)
Meet and become the colourful characters from the classic tale ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Have a tea party with the Mad Hatter, then play cards with the Queen of Hearts!
Chocolate (KS2)
Explore the chocolate-making process. Then search for a coin to buy a ‘Wonka’ bar. This wins the golden ticket and you meet the Umpa Loompas. Which leads you into a wonderful mouth-watering landscape.
Building (KS2)
When we think of ‘building’, do we mean a physical structure? Or the act of creating one? Pupils experience building small units of movement into a whole, structured dance…
Magnets & Forces (KS2)
Science can be fun with Magnets & Forces. Explore attraction, repulsion and the forces behind them. A great way to approach partner work, moving through the space and combining into groups.
Machines (KS2)
Create your own machines with the whole class. Enjoy this truly dynamic dance exploration, incorporating solo, duet and group work. And there’s plenty of interaction and lots of contrasts to discover too…
The Last Tiger (KS2)
In Rebecca Elliott’s ‘The Last Tiger’, Luca befriends a lone animal. The tiger brings colour and magic into her dreary life. Using these ideas and images, children create their own imaginary world…
Light & Dark (KS2)
What do we see in the night? And in the day? Working in pairs, become shadows and reflections. How do dark and light places make us feel? Together in groups, can you block-out the light?…
Electricity (KS2)
Let electricity spark movement ideas! Investigate magnetism, lightening strikes, coils and circuits. This fascinating and compelling force is surging with ideas for dance…
Battle of Troy (KS2)
How would you represent the giant wooden horse, with soldiers hidden inside, at the Battle of Troy? Here you can find out. And learn how combat can lead to some surprising moves…
Rocks & Soil (KS2)
Derive ideas from science using text, images and poetry as stimuli. Children personify the characteristics of rocks & soil through movement. Then explode in a volcanic eruption!…
Ice & Fire (KS2)
Evolve from solo sparks into flames. Then duet with other flames, building into a group fire. Explore the contrasting qualities of ice & fire: the fluidity of water with the rigid, angular qualities of ice…
The Caribbean (KS2)
Create moves based on traditional dances from these beautiful islands. Find out who the real pirates of the Caribbean were. Then, set sail in your very own pirate ship.
America (KS2)
Use famous landmarks to generate ideas, then focus on the South of this amazing continent –America. Colourful traditions, rich landscape and varied wildlife inspire all kinds of movement…
The River (KS2)
Explore suspension, fall & release. Embody the flow and movement of the river and the resistance of a dam. Then, using poetry as a stimulus, work together to create a group improvisation…
The Environment (KS2)
Gain understanding of the environment through movement. What is recycling? If we know how water moves and how plants are effected by the sun, can we stop pollution & save energy?
Outer Space (KS2)
What do we know about outer space? If we created a planet, what would it be like? How do aliens move? Pupils collaborate to physically explore these and other ideas…
The Rainforest (KS2)
Work in pairs & groups to experience the world of animals and trees in the tropical rainforest. But what is happening to this habitat? Why are the trees being felled? And why do we need them?…
Pirates & Treasure (KS1)
Experience life onboard a pirate ship. Feel the weather, encounter under-sea creatures, find treasure, battle to keep it, then escape with the bounty! Pirates & Treasure is a sure-fire hit with your pupils…
Penguin Small (KS1)
Join our penguin on his adventures: hiding from polar bears. Meet the jungly animals. Sail in the snowman’s hat. And before you know it, you’ll even be taking to the air with Penguin Small!…
Where the Wild Things Are (KS1)
The classic modern children’s tale ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ provides a wealth of stimuli. Explore the forest and the sea, and become the Wild Things themselves. All culminating in a Wild Things party!…
Our World (KS1)
Through movement, children consider a range of questions concerning our world and its future. What is recycling? What’s water like? How do plants move? Can we beat pollution? How can we save energy?…
The Circus (KS1)
In the Big Top, point & stare. Try-out being clowns; balance on tightropes; work together on the trapeze and create a human cannonball. There’s lots of fun and action at the circus!…
Explorers (KS1)
Where can we go to in our journey as explorers? How will we travel in, on or through different terrain? What might we find when we get there? And how will we react to this discovery?…
Minibeasts (KS1)
Being so small challenges how you can move. How does it feel to hatch from an egg? How do you interact with your habitat? What is it like be part of a colony of Minibeasts?…
The Olympics (KS1)
The Olympics present a world of movement. Create a synchronised-swimming quartet. Devise a shadow-boxing solo & rhythmic-gymnastics duet. Then join them together into one big Olympics dance…
Dinosaurs (KS1)
Life from the oceans developed into the enormous land animals we know as dinosaurs. Eventually some of these also took flight. Let this fascinating subject lead you to a world of discovery through movement…
The Jungle (KS1)
Explore the amazing natural habitat of the Jungle. This ecosystem is home to a vast range of wildlife; full of colour and movement. Derive dance ideas from these, then contrast them with the threat from mankind…
The Scented Garden (KS1)
Plants grow from seeds, are helped by animals and nurtured by the gardener. Weather & seasons shape them into a beautiful scented garden. Then Winter comes and they go back to sleep…
Ourselves (KS1)
What can our bodies do? What do they say about ourselves? How do our movements reflect our mood? Pupils work together to explore these themes; creating and learning a ‘Happiness’ dance…
Toys (KS1)
Explore partner work on the theme of ‘Toys’. Discovering a present, unwrapping it, finding a puppet inside, then manipulating its strings lead to a host of movement ideas…
Under The Sea (KS1)
Shapes and colours abound under the sea. Move in different ways, like the many creatures and the ocean itself. Explore these fascinating elements to build your own sea dance…
Space (KS1)
Let’s put on our space suits and leave the Earth’s atmosphere; experience weightlessness, encounter robots, explore planets and ask ‘are we really alone?’!…
Superheroes (KS1)
What would it be like to be superheroes and have superpowers? Together with your superhero pals, find and defeat the bad guys and free their captors in this action-packed dance…
Animals of Africa (KS1)
What do we know about the animals of Africa? How do they move? Looking at hippos, snakes, lions and monkeys, children improvise, work with partners and build a group dance…
Florence Nightingale (KS1)
Individually explore Florence Nightingale’s daily activities, before creating group sequences to depict her travel, nursing and caring for wounded soldiers.
Dancing Around The World (KS1)
Dancing our way around the world, we encounter: Chinese dragons; boats on the Nile; a Mexican fiesta; the Indian Holi festival; native American traditions and the sweeping Sahara.
Sound (KS2)
When we listen – what kinds of sound can we here? Discover & explore particles, waves and echoes – individually, in pairs and together in groups.
The Romans (KS2)
Do battle with the most organised of forces: the Romans. Learn attack & defense formations with these expert warriors. This is a great way for your pupils to experience spatial and group work…
Victorians (KS2)
Learn how the Industrial Revolution saw Victorians enjoying great innovation. But children also had to work in mines & factories. Through dance, explore machines, transport and childhood…
Tudors (KS2)
Looking at the time of the Tudors, learn how dance can reflect cultural and historical context. Compose movement in pairs and build into small groups, developing spatial and rhythmic patterns…
Ancient Greeks (KS2)
The Ancient Greeks had it all: Olympic games, battle formations, chariot racing, Gods & Goddesses. There’s so much to explore from this exciting and influential period of history…
World War II (KS2)
Images from World War II generate ideas about the thoughts and feelings of those involved. Use these to stimulate dynamic dance movement featuring solos and group work…
The Vikings (KS2)
Arriving on these shores in longships, the Vikings raided villages & worshiped many gods. Sure to evoke dramatic, dynamic and contrasting ideas, this topic will really get your pupils moving!
The Stone Age (KS2)
Roam the landscape as Stone Age hunter-gatherers. Become hunted yourselves by terrifying predators. Then develop civilization by making discoveries such as the wheel and the usefulness of fire…
The Pyramids (KS2)
Slaves set to work on the construction of the pyramids in this advanced yet harsh regime. Discover the world of ancient Egypt for yourselves through movement.
The Great Fire of London (KS1)
Discover improv, canon, work with props and more whilst exploring The Great Fire of London. Starting with isolated flame movements; what happens when the candle burns down and the fire spreads? …
Giraffes Can’t Dance (KS1)
Giraffes can’t dance – but what about their animal friends? What animals do which dances? How do they move? Can you move like them?
Monkey Puzzle (KS1)
Let’s read Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s hit children’s book ‘Monkey Puzzle’. Then use the story’s animals to stimulate movement ideas. We’ll work solo, in pairs & groups, then finally as a whole class in one giant caterpillar!
Grace Darling – Seaside Rescue (KS1)
Grace Darling lived in a cramped lighthouse with her siblings and their father, the lighthouse keeper. We recreate her daily routine and famous rescue of stricken sailors in a heavy storm.
Once Upon a Time (KS1)
Fairy Tales provide a rich seam for movement ideas. From beans to beasts; treachery to treasure; ridicule to revelation. And – Once Upon a Time – good always won out in the end!
Going on a Bear Hunt (KS1)
‘Going on a Bear Hunt’ gives rise to all sorts of movement ideas: moving like a bear, negotiating obstacles, confronting a scary animal, running away and – of course – hiding. A breathless journey is assured…
Seasons (KS1)
Spring flowers delicately open, then burst with colour. Summer brings fun on the beach. Crops grow tall, swaying in the Autumn breeze. And who can resist playing in the snow? Which is your favourite season?
We Are What We Eat (KS1)
How does food grow? What are our favourite fruits and vegetables? How do we serve and eat them? Are we what we eat? Food is energy, so this is an ideal topic through which to explore dance…
Dragons – Zog (KS1)
Taking inspiration from the modern mythical children’s book ‘Zog’, enter the world of dragons and knights. Create a castle and hide from the dragon. Then breathe – and become – fire!…