skip to Main Content

2020 – a year of culture!

Welcome to another year!  The start of January is often associated with resolutions and new beginnings, and 2020 is also the Tokyo Olympics.  I can’t wait!  I love The Olympics – it reminds me of being a child and watching the likes of Linford Christie and Sally Gunnell with my dad.

So with that in mind, this year at JumpStart we’ll be celebrating all things Olympics!

As this famous sporting event is about bringing together a host of different countries, we’ll also be sharing famous dances from across the globe.

In fact, having a focus on different cultures can introduce geography, religion and history to your class, which can all be done through the medium of dance (a great way to use cross curricular links, reduce your planning load and have fun with the kids!).  Some of the countries that we enjoy exploring with our schools include…

India – Bollywood dance

  • Use hand gestures to create simple movements
  • Use pictures of Hindu Gods to create statues in groups
  • Create a celebratory dance using brightly coloured fabrics

Brazil – Capoeira (martial art/dance)

  • Try out some simple attacking / defending moves
  • Create a non-contact duet

New Zealand – the Haka

  • Watch the All Blacks perform their Haka and have a go at their version
  • Use aggressive hand gestures to create a new version

South Africa – gumboot dance

  • Watch some examples of gumboot dancing
  • Try out some stomping, tapping and clapping actions
  • Put them together and create a rhythmical pattern

This topic has so much mileage – it’s easily a half term’s worth of dance content!  Keep checking our blog over the forthcoming weeks to get tips on how to introduce cultural dance in your PE sessions.  Plus we’ll be adding some videos sharing some great dances that you can use immediately with your own classes.

 

 

Back To Top