Movement, Dance & Drama

Expressing meaning and feeling through the moving body — dance, gesture, and dramatic play.

K–12 objective ladder

• K D07.S3.K.01 Move or pretend to be a person, animal, or character in response to a story or music.
• 1 D07.S3.01.01 Move their body to show a feeling such as happy, angry, or tired in response to music or a story.
• 1 D07.S3.01.02 Pretend to be a character in a simple story and use their voice, face, and body to show it.
• 2 D07.S3.02.01 Create and repeat a short movement sequence with a clear beginning and end.
• 2 D07.S3.02.02 Act out a scene with a partner, taking turns leading and following.
• 3 D07.S3.03.01 Perform a short dance or movement piece that uses high and low levels, speeds, and shapes.
• 3 D07.S3.03.02 Retell a story or feeling using only movement and gesture, and explain their choices.
• 4 D07.S3.04.01 Learn and perform a simple dance or movement form from another culture and describe its meaning or occasion.
• 4 D07.S3.04.02 Create a character using voice, body, and a simple prop or costume, and explain what they chose to communicate.
• 5 D07.S3.05.01 Choreograph a short group dance or scene with a clear idea, working cooperatively to shape and perform it.
• 5 D07.S3.05.02 Explain how dance or drama reflects the place, history, or community that made it, citing what they observe.
• 6 D07.S3.06.01 Create a short performance that combines movement, voice, and one other element such as music or a prop to tell a story.
• 6 D07.S3.06.02 Compare how two traditions use movement or drama to express a shared theme, and offer a reason for the difference.
• 7 D07.S3.07.01 Perform a scene or dance with attention to timing, expression, and ensemble, and revise after feedback.
• 7 D07.S3.07.02 Explain how gesture, posture, and spacing communicate meaning without words, using examples from performance or daily life.
• 8 D07.S3.08.01 Choreograph or devise a piece exploring one theme, and reflect on how the work changed through rehearsal.
• 8 D07.S3.08.02 Critique a performance using evidence about its movement, expression, context, and purpose, separating observation from judgment.
• 9 D07.S3.09.01 Create a performance that uses the moving body to explore identity or a personal question, and reflect on the process.
• 9 D07.S3.09.02 Analyze how dance, drama, and ritual build community or carry memory across cultures.
• 10 D07.S3.10.01 Devise and perform an original piece that develops a clear concept and demonstrates craft in movement and expression.
• 10 D07.S3.10.02 Distinguish respectful engagement with a dance or dramatic tradition from appropriation, and explain how to honor living practitioners.
• 11 D07.S3.11.01 Create a performance that responds to a social or environmental issue and explain its intended effect on an audience.
• 11 D07.S3.11.02 Direct or curate a short performance program and write the reasoning behind the selection and staging.
• 12 D07.S3.12.01 Produce and perform a sustained piece that shows technical skill and a coherent creative vision, with a written artist statement.
• 12 D07.S3.12.02 Critique performance across cultures and eras with insight, honoring diverse traditions while forming and defending an independent judgment.

Taught in