Dance Lesson Ideas

Name of Activity: Funky Cowboy (February 2013)

Purpose of Activity: Offer a dance for K-2 students that also could provide children an opportunity to choreograph dance steps during a section.

Prerequisites: Ability to perform basic non-locomotor movements, grapevine or step-together-step.

Suggested Grade Level: K-2

Materials Needed: Students could use scarves for "Lasso step".

Recommended music: Artist: Ronnie McDowell Album: Country Dances. Available on Itunes

Beginning dance formation: Scatter or line

Description of Idea

Variations:

Grapevine section variations: Step touch, quick slides to right and left; some children have done cartwheels for the 4 cts or performed a 4 ct turn.

Assessment Ideas:

The children can choreograph different moves to perform during the grapevine section.

Adaptations for Students with Disabilities:

This dance was originally choreographed for my classes when I was an adapted physical education teacher. Depending on the students' movement abilities, we added scarves, ribbons and instruments to enhance their movements.
For children in wheelchairs, holding ribbons or scarves or even tying the scarf to their wrist was beneficial.
The entire dance can be performed sitting on the floor. During the grapevine we slapped the floor to the right 4 cts and then the left 4cts. To perform the "Funky Chicken" we tapped our knees and for the "Funky Cowboy" we flapped our arms; the "Lasso" step was performed by circling our arms overhead for the 8cts followed by a big "yee haw".