Choreographing Emotion and Abstract Concepts

Active learning works for this topic because abstract concepts become tangible when students physically embody them. Moving with intention helps students internalize how energy, space, and relationships shape meaning, making the invisible visible.

• Grade 6
• The Arts
• 4 activities
• 20 min–35 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze how changes in locomotor and non-locomotor movements can alter the emotional quality of a dance phrase.
2. Create a short movement sequence that visually represents an abstract concept like 'growth' or 'tension'.
3. Compare and contrast the use of energy and flow in two different movement studies expressing joy and sadness.
4. Design a duet choreography that clearly communicates a specific relationship, such as cooperation or conflict, between two dancers.
5. Evaluate the effectiveness of abstract movements in conveying intended meaning to an audience.

Experiential Learning

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Pairs Improv: Gesture Abstraction

Partners select a literal gesture for an emotion, like wiping tears for sadness. One transforms it into an abstract 8-count phrase using varied energy; the other mirrors and suggests refinements. Switch roles twice, then share one sequence with the class.

Prepare & details

Explain how a literal gesture can be transformed into an abstract dance movement.

Facilitation Tip: During Pairs Improv: Gesture Abstraction, remind students to start with a literal gesture before abstracting it, ensuring their movements remain rooted in clear intent.

Setup: Varies; may include outdoor space, lab, or community setting

Materials: Experience setup materials, Reflection journal with prompts, Observation worksheet, Connection-to-content framework

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Experiential Learning

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Small Groups: Relationship Choreo

Groups of three to four choose a relationship, such as conflict or unity. Assign movers and observers; create a 20-second sequence showing dynamics through levels, pathways, and timing. Rehearse twice, perform, and note peer feedback on clarity.

Prepare & details

Differentiate what choices in energy and flow communicate sadness versus joy.

Facilitation Tip: In Small Groups: Relationship Choreo, ask students to identify one spatial or timing cue that defines their relationship before they begin crafting movement.

Setup: Varies; may include outdoor space, lab, or community setting

Materials: Experience setup materials, Reflection journal with prompts, Observation worksheet, Connection-to-content framework

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Experiential Learning

⏱ 30 min·Whole Class

Whole Class: Emotion Gallery Walk

Each student performs a 10-second solo for an assigned feeling. Class walks the space observing, then discusses in a circle how energy and flow conveyed the emotion. Vote on most effective examples and explain choices.

Prepare & details

Design a short choreography that illustrates a specific relationship between two dancers.

Facilitation Tip: During the Emotion Gallery Walk, provide a simple rubric for students to use as they observe, focusing their attention on energy and flow rather than just the emotion itself.

Setup: Varies; may include outdoor space, lab, or community setting

Materials: Experience setup materials, Reflection journal with prompts, Observation worksheet, Connection-to-content framework

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Experiential Learning

⏱ 20 min·Individual

Individual: Concept Sketch

Students alone brainstorm movements for an abstract concept like 'change' on paper, noting body parts, qualities, and transitions. Perform privately for teacher feedback, then expand into a full phrase.

Prepare & details

Explain how a literal gesture can be transformed into an abstract dance movement.

Setup: Varies; may include outdoor space, lab, or community setting

Materials: Experience setup materials, Reflection journal with prompts, Observation worksheet, Connection-to-content framework

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teach this topic by balancing experimentation with reflection. Start with guided improvisation to build comfort with abstraction, then use structured tasks to refine clarity. Research shows that students benefit from repeated cycles of movement, observation, and discussion, as this deepens their understanding of how small changes affect meaning. Avoid rushing to final products; prioritize the process of discovery.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students making deliberate choices in their movement to clearly communicate abstract ideas. They should articulate how specific qualities—like bound versus free flow—support their intended expression.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Pairs Improv: Gesture Abstraction, watch for students who believe abstract movements are random. Redirect them by asking, 'What qualities in your movement are you intentionally changing from the original gesture?'

What to Teach Instead

During Pairs Improv: Gesture Abstraction, remind students that intentional choices in energy, space, and timing structure their abstractions. After their improvisation, ask peers to identify one quality that made the concept clear, reinforcing the idea that structure emerges from experimentation.

Common Misconception

During Small Groups: Relationship Choreo, watch for students who assume sadness requires only slow, low movements. Redirect them by asking, 'Can you layer sharp accents into a slow flow to show conflicted sadness?'

What to Teach Instead

During Small Groups: Relationship Choreo, have students trial combinations of flow and energy before settling on a final phrase. After their performance, ask the group to describe how contrast in qualities deepened the emotional expression.

Common Misconception

During the Emotion Gallery Walk, watch for students who equate relationships with identical mirroring. Redirect them by asking, 'How are the dancers interacting in space and time? Is one leading or following?'

What to Teach Instead

During the Emotion Gallery Walk, provide a focus question about spatial relationships, such as 'Where is the support or tension in the dancers' movements?' This helps students see relationships as dynamic interactions rather than static copies.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After watching short video clips of abstract movement, ask students to write one abstract concept they believe the dancer is expressing and one specific quality (e.g., bound energy, free flow) that led them to that conclusion.

Peer Assessment

After Small Groups: Relationship Choreo, have each group use a checklist to assess another group’s 30-second movement phrase. They should identify one quality that clearly conveyed the abstract concept and one suggestion for improvement.

Exit Ticket

During the Emotion Gallery Walk, ask students to write a brief explanation of how they transformed a literal gesture (e.g., reaching) into an abstract movement quality (e.g., sustained reaching for longing). They should name at least one change they made to energy or flow.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students who finish early to create a 10-second movement phrase that combines two abstract concepts, such as loneliness and growth, and perform it for peers to interpret.
• For students who struggle, provide a list of abstract concepts paired with simple movement starters, like 'bound flow for tension' or 'sudden accents for surprise'.
• Deeper exploration: Invite students to research Laban Movement Analysis terms (e.g., effort qualities) and incorporate them into their choreography, documenting their choices in a reflection sheet.

Key Vocabulary

Abstract Movement	Dance movement that does not attempt to represent reality realistically, focusing instead on shape, space, time, and energy to convey ideas or feelings.
Literal Gesture	A movement that directly imitates or represents a specific action, object, or idea, such as pointing or waving.
Energy	The quality of movement related to how the body uses force, such as sharp, percussive movements versus smooth, sustained ones.
Flow	The continuity of movement, ranging from bound, controlled motion to free, unrestrained movement.
Relationship (in dance)	How two or more dancers interact with each other through movement, showing connection, distance, support, or opposition.