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Dance Styles

Sixth graders explore major dance styles — ballet, hip-hop, jazz, modern, and tap — learning what makes each one unique and how dancers train in and blend different styles.

Grade 6Dance Genres45 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Name dance styles.
  • ✓Describe each style.
  • ✓Compare movement qualities.
  • ✓Recognize styles.
Essential Question

From the grace of ballet to the energy of hip-hop, dance comes in many styles — each with its own look and feel. What are some major dance styles?

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

Match the Dance Style

Project this and match each dance style to its description — tap a style, then tap what defines it.

💃 Match each dance style to its descriptionTry it
Style
What Defines It
Now tap its description!
The Lesson · Artistic Process (Warm-Up · Explore · Create · Perform · Reflect)

45 minutes, five moves

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

1

Warm-Up — Many Styles

5 min

Dance comes in many styles — what makes each unique?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show clips of two styles.
  • Ask how they differ.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Watch.
  • Compare.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Explore Styles

11 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Match the Dance Style.
  • Note each style.
  • Note its qualities.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Note them.
  • Explain.
3

Create — Create

14 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Try a move from a style.
  • Compare two styles.
  • Combine ideas.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Try it.
  • Compare.
  • Combine.
4

Perform — Perform

10 min

Students perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Perform in a chosen style.
  • Name the style.
  • Give critique.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Perform it.
  • Name it.
  • Critique.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a style.
  • Describe it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

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

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Dance).

NCAS
DA:Re7.1.6

Identify and describe different dance styles.

NCAS
DA:Cn11.1.6

Connect styles to their history and culture.

NCAS
DA:Re8.1.6

Interpret movement across styles.

NCAS
DA:Pr5.1.6

Demonstrate skills of a dance style.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Style + description cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ is known for ___.”
  • Use dance clips.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with two styles.
  • Match one pair at a time.
  • Use clips.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add more styles.
  • Trace a style’s history.
  • Fuse two styles.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🎬Dance style clips
  • 💻Match the Dance Style
  • 👟Open space
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

stylea distinct kind of danceballeta graceful, precise classical stylehip-hopan energetic street stylejazza sharp, theatrical stylemodernan expressive, free-flowing styletapa rhythmic style with sounding shoestechniquethe skills of a stylefreestyleimprovised movement
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
Name two dance styles.
Sample: ballet, hip-hop, jazz, modern, or tap.
QUESTION 2
What is a key feature of tap dance?
It makes rhythmic sounds using metal-tipped shoes.
QUESTION 3
How does modern dance differ from ballet?
Modern is expressive and free-flowing, breaking ballet’s classical rules.

Reflect: explore a style.

Have students watch a dance style they don’t usually see and describe one thing that makes it unique. A printable dance-styles 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 StylesFlip
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 StylesQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

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 StylesPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: ballet, freestyle, hip-hop, jazz, modern, style, tap, technique
  1. improvised movement
  2. a distinct kind of dance
  3. a graceful, precise classical style
  4. a rhythmic style with sounding shoes
  5. the skills of a style
  6. a sharp, theatrical style
  7. an energetic street style
  8. an expressive, free-flowing style

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name two dance styles.
  2. What is a key feature of tap dance?
  3. How does modern dance differ from ballet?
Answer key — Part A: 1) freestyle · 2) style · 3) ballet · 4) tap · 5) technique · 6) jazz · 7) hip-hop · 8) modern
Part B: 1) Sample: ballet, hip-hop, jazz, modern, or tap. 2) It makes rhythmic sounds using metal-tipped shoes. 3) Modern is expressive and free-flowing, breaking ballet’s classical rules.