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Dance on Camera

Tenth graders explore screendance — dance made for the camera — and how it differs from stage performance, where the camera’s frame, angles, and editing become part of the choreography.

Grade 10Media50 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain screendance.
  • ✓Tell stage from screen.
  • ✓Sort the features.
  • ✓Dance for the camera.
Essential Question

A dance filmed for the screen isn’t just a stage dance on video — it’s made for the camera. How is screendance different from stage dance?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Stage Dance or Screendance?

Project this and sort each feature into stage dance or screendance.

🎥 Sort each — stage dance or screendance?Try it
🎭 Stage Dance
🎥 Screendance
Tap a feature, then tap a bucket.
The Lesson · Artistic Process (Warm-Up · Explore · Create · Perform · Reflect)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Made for the Camera

5 min

Filmed dance isn’t just stage dance on video — it’s made for the camera. How?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a screendance clip.
  • Ask how it uses the camera.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Watch.
  • Notice.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Screendance

12 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Stage Dance or Screendance?
  • Sort each one.
  • Discuss them.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Discuss.
  • Name.
3

Create — Create

14 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Frame a movement for camera.
  • Try a close-up moment.
  • Plan an angle.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Frame it.
  • Close up.
  • Angle it.
4

Perform — Perform

12 min

Students perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Perform for the camera.
  • Play to the frame.
  • Give critique.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Perform it.
  • Frame it.
  • Critique.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain screendance.
  • Name a screen feature.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explain it.
  • Name one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Dance, HS Accomplished).

NCAS
DA:Cr2.1.HSII

Choreograph for media.

NCAS
DA:Cn11.1.HSII

Connect dance and technology.

NCAS
DA:Pr6.1.HSII

Present dance in media.

NCAS
DA:Re7.1.HSII

Analyze screendance.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Stage/screen feature cards.
  • Sentence frame: “On screen, ___.”
  • Use clips.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with back row vs. close-up.
  • Sort one at a time.
  • Use clips.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Storyboard a screendance.
  • Explain editing choices.
  • Film a short phrase.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 📱A camera/phone
  • 💻Stage Dance or Screendance?
  • 👟Open space
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

screendancedance made for the cameraframewhat the camera capturesanglethe camera’s viewpointclose-upa tight, near shoteditingcutting and arranging footagestage dancedance for a live audienceviewpointwhere the audience sees fromcinematographythe art of filming
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is screendance?
Dance made for the camera, not the stage.
QUESTION 2
Name a feature of screendance.
Playing to the frame, many angles, editing, or a moving camera.
QUESTION 3
How does a stage-dance viewpoint differ?
The audience sees from one fixed viewpoint.

Reflect: dance for the lens.

Have students name one way they’d change a stage dance to make it work on camera. A printable screendance sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Dance on CameraFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Dance on CameraQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Dance on CameraPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: angle, cinematography, close-up, editing, frame, screendance, stage dance, viewpoint
  1. the art of filming
  2. a tight, near shot
  3. cutting and arranging footage
  4. where the audience sees from
  5. the camera’s viewpoint
  6. dance made for the camera
  7. what the camera captures
  8. dance for a live audience

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is screendance?
  2. Name a feature of screendance.
  3. How does a stage-dance viewpoint differ?
Answer key — Part A: 1) cinematography · 2) close-up · 3) editing · 4) viewpoint · 5) angle · 6) screendance · 7) frame · 8) stage dance
Part B: 1) Dance made for the camera, not the stage. 2) Playing to the frame, many angles, editing, or a moving camera. 3) The audience sees from one fixed viewpoint.