Dance ClubsDance in SchoolsSchoolsHats and Tutting
Written by Jenny, Level 3 TRS Teacher
This term at Ditton Juniors we have been working with a prop in our street dance lessons. The children asked me if they could do something a bit different and use a hat as part of their street dance this term. We combined it with the theme of magic and used the song ‘Houdini’ by Dua Lipa.
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The children built on their knowledge of street dance movements and we incorporated some new moves in, but we also looked at how we can use a prop to enhance movement. I gave them a focus of using different body shapes, hiding behind their hat to show the elements of mystery within magic. They came up with some brilliant ideas and I was really pleased with what they produced.
We also expanded our street dance style by using ‘Tutting’ this term. Tutting involves making different shapes and angles with the body and we particularly used the hands and arms to make different angles both individually and in a group formation. They really loved this way of moving as it is different from what they had learnt before and they all grasped it well and improved over the weeks.
It was also important for me to do different activities this term which helped the children get physically active whilst improving their control, balance and co-ordination skills- all skills that are really important in street dance. Their favourite activity has definitely been ‘jump the hoop’ and ‘jump the spots’. They have loved doing different patterns, some which I have given them and some that they have made up and shared between the group. This has been a great activity to get them moving, but also improve their co-ordination skills as well as their timing and counting whilst moving to the beat of the music. This has been really important as in our dance we have been using half beats so being in time to the music was a key skill that they have developed through this. We have also played street dance bingo and shape shifters – making different shapes in the body and making them move.