Dance Lesson Ideas

Name of Activity: YMCA With a Twist

Purpose of Activity: The student will be able to execute different locomotor skills and perform the new actions to the "YMCA", while listening to the beat of the music and the words of the song.

Prerequisites: New Movements for "YMCA":

Action 1: Y – Stand with feet a little wider than shoulder width apart. Put hands down to the side. This action makes a “Y” if you were looking at it upside down. Your legs making the v-shape while your arms and straight upper body are making the straight portion.

Action 2: M – Stand with feet a little wider than shoulder width apart. Take your right hand (students could use which ever hand they would like to, but to help prevent confusion, tell students to use their right hand), and touch it to the floor in the middle of your legs. This action makes an “M”.

Action 3: C – Bring right leg up and curl to the left, while leaning to the left with your upper body. This action makes a “C”.
Action 4: A – Stand with feet a little wider than shoulder width apart. Take your right arm, (once again it doesn’t matter which arm is used, but in this case to prevent confusion tell students to use their right arm), and place it across your knees (parallel to the floor). This action makes an “A”.

Suggested Grade Level: 3-5

Recommended music: YMCA by: Village People

Beginning dance formation: Circle

Description of Idea

Variations:

Variations may include using a different locomotor skill rather than repeatedly using a skip.

Assessment Ideas:

If you have talked about the effects of exercise on the heart, you can take a pre and post heart rate to demonstrate how the heart rate increases due to exercise.

Adaptations for Students with Disabilities:

Students in wheelchairs could do all the motions and move the wheelchair during the locomotor skill part.

Students with cognitive disablities could choose their favorite letter and hold it for all letters of the YMCA actions.