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Safe Partnering

Seventh graders learn the basics of safe partner work in dance — clear communication, sharing weight slowly, and stopping when something doesn’t feel right — so dancing together is safe and builds trust.

Grade 7Collaboration45 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…

  • ✓Partner safely.
  • ✓Communicate with a partner.
  • ✓Share weight slowly.
  • ✓Build trust.
Essential Question

Partner dancing — sharing weight, counterbalancing — is amazing, but only when it’s SAFE. What keeps partner work safe?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Safe Partnering Check

Project each item and have students answer about safe partner work in dance.

🤝 Understand safe partneringTry it
Answer each question about safe partnering.
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 — Together and Safe

5 min

Partner dancing is amazing, but only when it’s SAFE — what keeps it safe?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a simple counterbalance.
  • Ask what keeps it safe.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Watch.
  • Wonder.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Safe Partnering

11 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Safe Partnering Check.
  • Note communication.
  • Note going slow.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Name.
3

Create — Create

13 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Try a slow counterbalance.
  • Communicate the whole time.
  • Check you both feel secure.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Try it.
  • Talk.
  • Check it.
4

Perform — Perform

11 min

Students perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Perform a safe partner move.
  • Stay in communication.
  • Give critique.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Perform it.
  • Communicate.
  • Critique.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say what keeps partnering safe.
  • Explain sharing weight.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say 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:Pr5.1.7

Partner safely and with control.

NCAS
DA:Pr4.1.7

Move safely with others.

NCAS
DA:Cr2.1.7

Collaborate in partner work.

NCAS
DA:Re7.1.7

Analyze safe partnering.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Partnering-tip cards.
  • Sentence frame: “Safe partnering means ___.”
  • Demonstrate slowly.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with “communicate first.”
  • Try one slow move.
  • Check in often.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Try a supported balance.
  • Explain counterbalance.
  • Coach a pair.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🤝Open, matted space
  • 💻Safe Partnering Check
  • 🎵Music
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

partneringdancing with a partnercommunicationtalking and signalingweight sharingleaning on each other safelycounterbalancebalancing against a partnertrustrelying on your partnersecuresafe and steadyspotto help keep safesafefree from harm
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 the most important part of safe partnering?
Communicating with your partner before and during a move.
QUESTION 2
How should you start sharing weight with a partner?
Start slow and make sure you both feel balanced and secure.
QUESTION 3
What should you do if a move doesn’t feel safe?
Stop and talk it through with your partner.

Reflect: partner safely.

Have students explain the three keys to safe partnering: communicate, go slow, and stop if it doesn’t feel right. A printable partnering 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.

🃏 Safe PartneringFlip
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.

📝 Safe PartneringQuiz
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.

🖨️ Safe PartneringPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: communication, counterbalance, partnering, safe, secure, spot, trust, weight sharing
  1. relying on your partner
  2. to help keep safe
  3. talking and signaling
  4. leaning on each other safely
  5. dancing with a partner
  6. balancing against a partner
  7. free from harm
  8. safe and steady

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is the most important part of safe partnering?
  2. How should you start sharing weight with a partner?
  3. What should you do if a move doesn’t feel safe?
Answer key — Part A: 1) trust · 2) spot · 3) communication · 4) weight sharing · 5) partnering · 6) counterbalance · 7) safe · 8) secure
Part B: 1) Communicating with your partner before and during a move. 2) Start slow and make sure you both feel balanced and secure. 3) Stop and talk it through with your partner.