The Arts · Grade 8 · Movement and Metaphor · Term 2

Dance as Protest and Resistance

Students will research historical and contemporary examples of dance used as a form of protest, social commentary, or cultural resistance.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• DA:Cn11.1.8a
• DA:Re9.1.8a

About This Topic

Dance as Protest and Resistance examines how movement serves as a powerful tool for social commentary, cultural reclamation, and challenging oppression. Grade 8 students research historical examples, such as Indigenous powwows resisting assimilation policies in Canada or the Martha Graham Dancers' works critiquing war and inequality. They also explore contemporary cases like First Nations performances at Idle No More rallies or global pieces addressing gender violence. Through analysis, students identify how repetition, levels, and group formations amplify messages of resistance.

This topic supports Ontario's Dance curriculum by meeting expectations in connections (DA:Cn11.1.8a) and responding (DA:Re9.1.8a). It encourages comparison of dance's embodied impact against other arts, like protest songs or murals, while building skills in critique and empathy. Students address key questions on identity reclamation and message effectiveness, fostering awareness of art's societal role in diverse classrooms.

Active learning benefits this topic through kinesthetic engagement. When students reconstruct protest phrases or create their own, they experience the physicality of resistance firsthand, deepening emotional connections to history and making abstract concepts concrete and relevant.

Key Questions

1. Analyze how dance has been used to reclaim identity in oppressed communities.
2. Compare the effectiveness of dance versus other art forms in conveying messages of protest.
3. Critique a specific dance performance for its ability to communicate a message of resistance.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze specific historical and contemporary dance works to identify their use as tools for protest and social commentary.
• Compare the effectiveness of dance as a medium for protest compared to other art forms like music or visual art.
• Critique a selected dance performance, evaluating its success in communicating a message of resistance or cultural reclamation.
• Explain how choreographic elements such as repetition, levels, and formations contribute to the message of a protest dance.
• Design a short movement sequence that conveys a message of social commentary or resistance.

Before You Start

Elements of Dance

Why: Students need a foundational understanding of space, time, and energy to analyze how these elements are used in protest choreography.

Introduction to Dance Analysis

Why: Familiarity with basic terms for describing and interpreting movement is necessary for critiquing protest dances.

Key Vocabulary

Protest Dance	Choreography created with the intention of raising awareness, challenging societal norms, or advocating for social or political change.
Social Commentary	The act of expressing opinions on the underlying causes of social problems, often through artistic expression.
Cultural Reclamation	The process by which a marginalized group reclaims elements of their culture that have been historically suppressed or appropriated.
Embodied Resistance	The use of the physical body and movement to resist oppression, assert identity, or challenge dominant narratives.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Dance protests only emerged in modern times.

What to Teach Instead

Many examples span centuries, from enslaved Africans' ring shouts to 19th-century labour strikes. Research jigsaws help students timeline events collaboratively, revealing continuity and building historical context through shared discovery.

Common Misconception

Effective protest dance requires professional skill.

What to Teach Instead

Community-led dances, like grassroots vigils, prioritize message over technique. Student creation activities let them experiment with simple motifs, gaining confidence that raw expression conveys power as effectively as polished work.

Common Misconception

Protest dances always use aggressive, fast movements.

What to Teach Instead

Subtle gestures or slow builds often heighten tension, as in grief-based marches. Video carousels guide peer analysis of varied paces, helping students appreciate nuance through observation and discussion.

Active Learning Ideas

Jigsaw: Historical Protest Dances

Assign small groups one example, such as Canadian Indigenous round dances or 1960s civil rights choreography. Groups research context, key movements, and impact, then teach peers with a 1-minute demo. Follow with whole-class discussion on common elements.

50 min·Small Groups

Create Your Phrase: Modern Issue Dance

Pairs select a current issue like environmental justice. They devise a 20-second dance phrase using levels and pathways to convey resistance. Pairs perform for class critique on message clarity.

35 min·Pairs

Video Critique Carousel

Set up stations with clips of protest dances. Small groups rotate, noting gesture symbolism and audience response on charts. Regroup to synthesize comparisons to other art forms.

45 min·Small Groups

Debate Prep: Dance vs. Music Protest

Whole class divides into teams to prepare arguments on which form communicates resistance better, using researched examples. Hold structured debate with evidence from dances.

40 min·Whole Class

Real-World Connections

• Indigenous dancers at Idle No More rallies use traditional movements and contemporary choreography to assert land rights and protest government policies, connecting historical practices to current activism.
• Choreographers like Alvin Ailey created works such as 'Revelations' that explore African American history and culture, serving as both a celebration and a commentary on the Black experience in America.
• Contemporary dance companies globally create pieces addressing issues like climate change, gender inequality, and political unrest, performing in theatres and public spaces to reach diverse audiences.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

Pose the question: 'How does the physical, embodied nature of dance make it a unique or particularly powerful tool for protest compared to a written statement or a song?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to cite examples from their research.

Quick Check

Provide students with a short video clip of a protest dance. Ask them to write down two specific choreographic choices (e.g., use of unison, sharp gestures, floor work) and explain how each choice contributes to the dance's message of protest or resistance.

Peer Assessment

Students present their designed movement sequences. After each presentation, peers use a simple rubric to assess: Did the movement clearly convey a message? Were at least two specific choreographic elements used effectively to communicate the message? Peers provide one piece of constructive feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Canadian examples of dance as protest work for grade 8?

Use Idle No More round dances by First Nations communities protesting resource extraction, or Métis jigs reclaiming identity post-residential schools. Pair with videos from the National Arts Centre for context. These connect to local history, spark discussions on reconciliation, and show dance's role in non-violent resistance. Students analyze formations for unity, meeting curriculum response expectations.

How to assess dance as resistance in Ontario grade 8?

Use rubrics for research depth, movement analysis, and critique of message effectiveness. Have students journal reflections on a performance's impact or present choreographed phrases with artist statements. Peer feedback on clarity aligns with DA:Re9.1.8a. Video self-assessments build metacognition while evidencing connections to social issues.

How does active learning help teach dance as protest?

Embodied tasks like recreating phrases or inventing routines make historical resistance tangible, as students feel the physical demands of defiance. Collaborative jigsaws and critiques build empathy through shared movement, countering passive viewing. This kinesthetic approach boosts retention of cultural contexts and critique skills, aligning with student-centered Ontario pedagogy for deeper engagement.

How to compare dance protests to other art forms?

Guide students to chart visceral immediacy of dance against music's repetition or posters' visuals. Use debates or Venn diagrams with examples like protest songs versus round dances. This highlights dance's unique body-language power, supports DA:Cn11.1.8a, and encourages evidence-based arguments on effectiveness for social change.

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