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 Vikings (KS2)
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.
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…
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…
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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…
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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.
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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.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Magnets & Forces (KS2)
Explore attraction, repulsion and the forces behind them: a great way to approach partner work, moving through the space and combining into groups.
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The Pyramids (KS2)
Discover the world of ancient Egypt through dance. Experience this advanced yet harsh regime, where slaves were set to work on monumental constructions.
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…
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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…
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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…
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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 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…
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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!…
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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!…
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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…
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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?…
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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…
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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?…
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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…
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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!…
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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…
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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?’!…
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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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?…
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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…
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…
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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…
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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.
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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? …
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