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Dance Genres

Seventh graders explore major dance genres — ballet, modern, jazz, tap, and hip-hop — and what makes each style unique, connecting dance to history and culture.

Grade 7Styles45 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 genres.
  • ✓Know each style’s feel.
  • ✓Connect dance to culture.
  • ✓Appreciate variety.
Essential Question

From graceful ballet to street hip-hop, dance comes in many styles — each with its own history and feel. What are the major dance genres?

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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 Dance Genres Explorer

Project this and tap each genre. Have students learn the major dance styles.

💃 Explore dance genres — 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 — Many Styles

5 min

From ballet to hip-hop, dance has many styles — what are they?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show two dance clips.
  • Ask how they differ.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Watch.
  • Wonder.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Dance Genres

11 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Dance Genres Explorer.
  • Note each style.
  • Connect to culture.

🎒 Student Actions

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

Create — Create

13 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Try a ballet pose.
  • Try a hip-hop groove.
  • Feel the difference.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Ballet!
  • Hip-hop!
  • Feel it.
4

Perform — Perform

11 min

Students perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Perform in a genre.
  • Show its style.
  • Give critique.

🎒 Student Actions

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

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a genre.
  • Describe its feel.
  • 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:Re7.2.7

Analyze dance genres.

NCAS
DA:Cn11.1.7

Connect dance to culture.

NCAS
DA:Re8.1.7

Interpret dance styles.

NCAS
DA:Re7.1.7

Recognize dance genres.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Genre + description cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ is a ___ style.”
  • Use dance clips.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with ballet and hip-hop.
  • Use clips.
  • Name one genre.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Research a genre’s history.
  • Compare two styles.
  • Try a genre’s signature move.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🎵Dance clips
  • 💻The Dance Genres Explorer
  • 👟Open space
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

genrea style of danceballeta graceful classical stylemoderna free, expressive stylejazzan energetic, sharp styletaprhythm made with the feethip-hopa street dance styleculturea group’s way of lifestylethe character of a dance
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 ballet?
A graceful, precise classical style with turned-out feet and pointework.
QUESTION 2
What is tap dance?
A style that makes rhythm with metal-tipped shoes on the floor.
QUESTION 3
Where did hip-hop dance come from?
From hip-hop culture — a street style with grooves and freestyle.

Reflect: pick a genre.

Have students name a dance genre they’d like to try and describe what makes it unique. A printable genres 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 GenresFlip
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 GenresQuiz
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 GenresPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: ballet, culture, genre, hip-hop, jazz, modern, style, tap
  1. a graceful classical style
  2. a free, expressive style
  3. an energetic, sharp style
  4. a style of dance
  5. the character of a dance
  6. a street dance style
  7. a group’s way of life
  8. rhythm made with the feet

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is ballet?
  2. What is tap dance?
  3. Where did hip-hop dance come from?
Answer key — Part A: 1) ballet · 2) modern · 3) jazz · 4) genre · 5) style · 6) hip-hop · 7) culture · 8) tap
Part B: 1) A graceful, precise classical style with turned-out feet and pointework. 2) A style that makes rhythm with metal-tipped shoes on the floor. 3) From hip-hop culture — a street style with grooves and freestyle.