1997 Arts Assessment Strategies ReportNAEP - Metamorphosis Warm Up Script

Metamorphosis Warm-Up Script

Before you begin work on the dance activity, I'm going to lead you through a simple warm-up to get your muscles and your imagination ready for dancing.

Now please stand up (or move forward if you are already standing) and we will warm up.

Find yourself a place to stand where you will have enough room to move without running into anyone else.

CURLING AND UNCURLING THE BODY

Let's start by curling and uncurling our bodies.

Begin to curl the body forward and let your head be heavy. Let your knees bend slightly. Then uncurl your body upward.

Keep doing that, keep curling and uncurling your body.

Now curl your body slightly backward and then uncurl upward again.

Try that again. Curl backward, and curl upward.

Now curl forward and up...then curl backward and up. Keep doing that with me.

SWINGING THE ARMS

Now let's try swinging the arms.

Swing both arms front and back a few times. Front and back, front and back...

Now swing your arms in and out a few times. In and out, in and out...

Now swing your arms in and out and circle around, then out and in and circle around. In and out and circle around, then out and in and circle around...keep doing that with me. Good.

SWINGING THE LEGS

Now try swinging your legs.

Swing one leg to the front and to the back a few times. Keep doing that with me...front, back, front and back...

Change legs.

Swing the other leg to the front and to the back a few times...front, back, front and back...

Now swing one leg from side to side a few times. Swing and swing and swing and swing...

Change legs.

Swing the other leg from side to side. Swing and swing and swing and swing...

TWISTING AND UNTWISTING THE BODY

Now let's start over again, but this time we'll twist and untwist our bodies.

Start slowly. Twist your body to one side and look behind you, and return to face front. Slowly twist your body to the other side and look behind you, then return to face front.

Keep twisting and untwisting.

Now find different ways to twist and untwist your body.

TWISTING AND UNTWISTING THE ARMS, THEN THE HANDS AND WRISTS

Now try twisting and untwisting your hands and wrists, in any direction you want.

Twist both hands at the same time.

Try twisting and untwisting your arms, in any direction you want.

Twist both arms at the same time.

TWISTING AND UNTWISTING THE LEGS, THEN THE FEET

Try twisting and untwisting one foot.

Now twist and untwist the other foot.

Next, twist and untwist the whole leg.

Now twist and untwist the other leg.

Good--let's go to the next part of our warm-up.

MAKING WAVING MOVEMENTS WITH DIFFERENT BODY PARTS

Try to picture in your mind a flag in the wind, and how the wind makes the flag wave.

If you let that movement go into your body, it might look something like this--[facilitator demonstrates, and says while demonstrating]--my arms look like the way a flag moves in the wind.

[Facilitator completes demonstration.]

Try making a movement with your arms that looks like waves.

[Facilitator should move minimally along with students as needed to encourage exploration.]

Find a different way to make a waving movement with your arms. And find another way.

Try to make that movement as smooth and flowing as you can. Smoother.

Now try it as sharply as you can. Sharper!

Now make your whole upper body move like a flag in the wind. Use your head and neck too, waving your head and neck with the rest of your upper body.

Now add your legs and feet, so that your whole body is waving.

Good--now try to make your waving as smooth and flowing as you can. Smoother.

Now let your movements become as sharp and jabbing as you can. Sharper!

Keep doing that. Keep making sharp, jabbing movements with your body. Sharper!

Try making a wavy shape with your body and hold very still. Now find a way to make a different wavy shape and hold very still.

Try that again. Make another wavy shape with your whole body and hold very still.

USING A WAVING MOVEMENT TO MOVE THROUGH SPACE AND THEN TO GO DOWN TO THE FLOOR

Find a way to travel to a different spot on the floor as your body waves.

Now find a way to change levels and wave all the way down to the floor and back up again.

CONCLUSION

Good. Now all your muscles have had a chance to move. Your body and your imagination are ready to dance.