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Choreographic Devices

Fifth graders learn choreographic devices — repetition, mirroring, canon, level change, and retrograde — the tools choreographers use to develop movement and make a dance interesting.

Grade 5Choreography45 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 choreographic devices.
  • ✓Explain each tool.
  • ✓Develop movement.
  • ✓Use them in a dance.
Essential Question

How do choreographers turn a few movements into a whole dance? They use choreographic devices — clever tools. What are they?

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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

The Choreographic Devices Explorer

Project this and tap each device. Have students learn the tools choreographers use.

💃 Explore choreographic devices — tap eachTry it

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 — A Few Moves Into a Dance

5 min

How do choreographers turn a few moves into a whole dance? Devices!

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a device in action.
  • Ask how it develops the dance.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Watch.
  • Wonder.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Choreographic Devices

11 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Choreographic Devices Explorer.
  • Note each device.
  • See them in dances.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Note them.
  • Name.
3

Create — Create

13 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Repeat a movement.
  • Add a canon.
  • Change levels.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Repeat.
  • Canon.
  • Level it.
4

Perform — Perform

11 min

Students perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Perform with a device.
  • Name which you used.
  • Give critique.

🎒 Student Actions

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

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a device.
  • Explain it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • 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:Cr2.1.5

Use choreographic devices.

NCAS
DA:Cr1.1.5

Develop movement ideas.

NCAS
DA:Re7.2.5

Analyze choreographic choices.

NCAS
DA:Pr5.1.5

Perform structured movement.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Device picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ is when ___.”
  • Use dance clips.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with repetition and canon.
  • Use clips.
  • Try one device.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Combine devices.
  • Choreograph with three.
  • Analyze a dance’s devices.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🎵Music
  • 💻The Choreographic Devices Explorer
  • 👟Open space
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

choreographic devicea tool for developing movementrepetitionrepeating a movementmirroringmoving as mirror imagescanonmoves started one after anotherlevel changemoving high to lowretrogradedoing a sequence backwardchoreographya planned dancedevelopto build on a 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
What is repetition in dance?
Repeating a movement to make it memorable and give structure.
QUESTION 2
What is a canon?
Dancers doing the same movement, starting one after another.
QUESTION 3
What is retrograde?
Doing a movement sequence backward, from end to start.

Reflect: develop a dance.

Have students take one movement and develop it using repetition and a level change. A printable devices 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.

🃏 Choreographic DevicesFlip
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.

📝 Choreographic DevicesQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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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.

🖨️ Choreographic DevicesPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: canon, choreographic device, choreography, develop, level change, mirroring, repetition, retrograde
  1. moving as mirror images
  2. to build on a movement
  3. moving high to low
  4. a tool for developing movement
  5. doing a sequence backward
  6. a planned dance
  7. repeating a movement
  8. moves started one after another

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is repetition in dance?
  2. What is a canon?
  3. What is retrograde?
Answer key — Part A: 1) mirroring · 2) develop · 3) level change · 4) choreographic device · 5) retrograde · 6) choreography · 7) repetition · 8) canon
Part B: 1) Repeating a movement to make it memorable and give structure. 2) Dancers doing the same movement, starting one after another. 3) Doing a movement sequence backward, from end to start.