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Choreographing to Music

Seventh graders learn to choreograph to music — listening for phrases, beats, and mood, then creating and refining movement that matches the song — so their dance and the music feel like one.

Grade 7Choreography45 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…

  • ✓Choreograph to music.
  • ✓Find the phrases & mood.
  • ✓Order the steps.
  • ✓Match movement to music.
Essential Question

Great choreography feels like it was BORN from the music. How do you create a dance that matches a song?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Put in Order · Interactive

Order the Choreograph-to-Music Steps

Project this and have students put the steps of choreographing to music in order.

🎵 Put the choreographing steps in order!Try it
Tap the first step!
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 — Born From the Music

5 min

Great choreography feels born from the music — how?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Play a song.
  • Ask how to match it.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Wonder.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Choreographing to Music

11 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Order the Choreograph-to-Music Steps.
  • Order them.
  • Note listening first.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order.
  • Note it.
  • Name.
3

Create — Create

13 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Listen to a song.
  • Find its phrases.
  • Create matching movement.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Find it.
  • Create it.
4

Perform — Perform

11 min

Students perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Perform your dance to music.
  • Show the match.
  • Give critique.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Perform it.
  • Show it.
  • Critique.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name the first step.
  • Explain matching music.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

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

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Dance).

NCAS
DA:Cr2.1.7

Choreograph to music.

NCAS
DA:Cr1.1.7

Generate movement from music.

NCAS
DA:Pr6.1.7

Perform to accompaniment.

NCAS
DA:Cn10.1.7

Connect dance and music.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Step cards.
  • Sentence frame: “First ___, then ___.”
  • Use a song.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with listen and perform.
  • Order two at a time.
  • Use a clear song.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Choreograph a full song section.
  • Match accents to moves.
  • Refine musicality.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🎵Music
  • 💻Order the Choreograph-to-Music Steps
  • 👟Open space
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

choreographto create a dancemusicthe song you dance tophrasea musical sentencebeatthe steady pulsemoodthe feeling of the musicmatchto fit the musicrefineto improvemusicalitymoving well with music
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 a good FIRST step in choreographing to music?
Listen to the music several times.
QUESTION 2
What do you listen for in the music?
The phrases, beats, and mood.
QUESTION 3
What does it mean to refine your dance?
To improve it so it flows with the song.

Reflect: match the music.

Have students choose a short song, find its beat and mood, and plan movement that matches. A printable music 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.

🃏 Choreographing to MusicFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 Choreographing to MusicQuiz
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.

🖨️ Choreographing to MusicPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: beat, choreograph, match, mood, music, musicality, phrase, refine
  1. the steady pulse
  2. to create a dance
  3. the song you dance to
  4. the feeling of the music
  5. to improve
  6. a musical sentence
  7. to fit the music
  8. moving well with music

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is a good FIRST step in choreographing to music?
  2. What do you listen for in the music?
  3. What does it mean to refine your dance?
Answer key — Part A: 1) beat · 2) choreograph · 3) music · 4) mood · 5) refine · 6) phrase · 7) match · 8) musicality
Part B: 1) Listen to the music several times. 2) The phrases, beats, and mood. 3) To improve it so it flows with the song.