Description: According to the Ontario The Arts curriculum glossary, the dance strategy called "retrograde" can be defined as, "A choreographic form in which a dance or movement sequence is performed in reverse order."
Application: While the retrograde dance strategy is limited in terms of its operation, it can be employed for a variety of thoughtful and challenging activities. Since a retrograde strategy constitutes a dance sequence that is performed in reverse order its application necessarily requires a dance sequence that can be performed in its traditionally intended manner. In this way, a retrograde dance strategy demands an understanding of how to preform a dance 'normally' and, in retrograde fashion, 'backwards.' How to achieve these latter ends successfully can be attempted in an assortment of ways. For instance, a warm-up retrograde activity might consist of two or more students partnering up together. In their groups, one student will take the lead and deliver a single dance sequence. For example, they might roll their shoulders forward and then snap their fingers. When 'the lead' finishes their short dance sequence her or his partner must repeat the moves backwards. In this example they would first snap their fingers and then roll their shoulders backwards. Each group member can take turns as 'the lead' and try to employ increasing complex dance moves to befuddle their group members. While retrograde can work as a fun warm-up activity for students, it can also be used for complex projects. One such project would require a group of students to study a particular known dance sequence and to present it using the retrograde strategy. This latter kind of project requires a thoughtful and careful examination by students of the 'normal' dance sequence. To achieve success in this kind of project students must examine the 'normal' dance sequence in meticulous detail, patiently recording each move and its order in the sequence. While this type of project can be challenging for some students, its an excellent way to exercise and develop problem solving skills, among other higher order cognitive functions.
Curriculum: According to the Ontario The Arts curriculum dance strand, the grade six expectation A1.3 states, "use guided improvisation in a variety of ways as a starting point for choreography." In my view, this kind of expectation is perhaps the most natural fit for the retrograde dance strategy. While the retrograde strategy is slightly limited in its cross-curricular applications largely due to the exact nature of the activity, it can still be applied to other curriculum expectations in certain cases. One example of this can be found in the Ontario curriculum for Mathematics. In particular, a grade six expectation from the geometry and spatial sense strand states, "sort and classify quadrilaterals by geometric properties related to symmetry, angles, and sides, through investigation using a variety of tools." The key term in this expectation for our purposes is "symmetry." The retrograde dance strategy can serve as an excellent example of symmetry as it demonstrates a perfect mirror image of a particular dance sequence. Furthermore, employing a retrograde dance activity for the purpose of teaching students about symmetry helps to differentiate instruction and serves to engage learners that preference a more 'hand-on' approach to education.
Reflection: In my view, the retrograde dance strategy is both a fun and interesting way to challenge students at a variety of learning levels. This strategy can be applied in a simplified form, such as a warm-up activity (as described in the "application" section above). It can also be used in more challenging ways, such as, if students are asked to apply the retrograde strategy to a known dance sequence. Significantly, the known dance sequence that is applied to the retrograde strategy will determine the level of difficulty for its successful completion. This is beneficial because it allows students to access this dance strategy at their particular learning level. Instructors can further modify this activity by shortening the length of the retrograde dance to a specific number of dance sequences. This latter modification can be particularly useful for students that have challenges with retention. The retrograde dance strategy can be quite challenging for gifted students and even experienced dancers, depending on the dance sequences that has been selected. For this reason, it is important that instructors pay close attention to the appropriateness of a chosen dance sequence in relation to the learning levels of the students performing.
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