(This lesson is for week #2 in the syllabus. To see the lesson plan for week #1, click here.)
For the second week of my preschool hip hop class, I like to switch up the movement from bouncing/stepping to snakes and slides. Snakes and slides are great skills to couple together because they both require fluidity and groove.
Teaching Snakes
The main reason I teach snakes so early is to train dancers to use their heads when they dance. Doing a snake correctly requires fully tilting and using your head, so that is what I am paying attention to in this exercise.
I teach snakes similar to bounces – They start in a parallel second position with their hands on their knees. They practice slowly snaking their head side-to-side, half time. Then pick up the tempo to full pace. We snake down to the ground, then snake back up tall. I repeat this several times in center.
Teaching Slides
If you have them, use dots as a reference point / home base. Start by having the students slide to the right, off their dot. They will stomp to get their feet back together, then slide back to their dot / home base. Have them keep their hands clasped together behind their back (or on their hips) as they practice sliding left to right several times.
After they get the side-to-side slides, have them try sliding from the front, to the back, and vice versa. You can have them keep their hands clasped or try pushing / pulling with their arms on each slide.
| Activity | Description | Notes |
| Attendance/Question | If you could fly anywhere in the world, where would you go? | |
| Cardio Warmup | Jumping jacks | Choose a high energy song to get the dancers excited for class |
| Run in place | ||
| Jumps: Jumping over and behind your dot with your feet together. Jump left to right, over the dot | ||
| Dance Warm Up | Pat knees to the beat of the song | Purpose: get in the groove of dancing mentally and physically! Starting class with rhythm-work is a great exercise to get their minds working. |
| Once the class finds the rhythm, switch to step claps (4 eights) | ||
| Hip shakes (2 eights) | ||
| Snakes (4 eights) | ||
| Bouncing (emphasis on the chest) (4 eights) | ||
| Criss-cross jumps (2 eights) | ||
| Rhythm Work: Practice Counting Music | Have everyone sit in a circle. Put on a slower tempo song, with a loud beat | I use instrumental songs for this so they focus on the beat and not the words! See the Syllabus for a full breakdown on building rhythm. |
| Start clapping and counting to 8 out loud to the beat | ||
| Have everyone join. Switch songs periodically to change tempos | ||
| Slides | Explain slides going side-to-side: Drag feet on the floor, then stomp together. Have class practice w/ hands clasped behind them. | Use your dot as a reference point / home base! |
| Explain slides going back-front, have class practice w/ hands clasped behind them. | ||
| Snakes | Explain snake: Starting in a parallel second position w/ hands on knees, tilt head side to side | Once they get the hand of it, walk around the room to make sure everyone is using their head & bending their knees |
| Have class practice altogether | ||
| Practice snaking low down to the ground, then coming back up tall | ||
| Strut walk | Lay out 1 dot at the end of the room and have students line up on other end | Encourage them to shake their hips, find the rhythm of the song, and overall deliver some style and confidence as they go across the floor |
| Students will “strut” to the dot and strike 3 poses | ||
| Strut back to the line | ||
| Can repeat with students “strutting” sideways or backwards instead | ||
| Slides (Side-to-side) | Demonstrate & have class practice side-to-side slides across the floor w/ hands clasped behind them. | Watching for sliding foot to remain connected to the floor, so they understand the “dragging” technique |
| Have students go one at a time across the floor | ||
| Repeat from the other side of the room | ||
| Fun activity: Dance Telephone | Have kids stand around you in a circle and you point to 1 kid | It’s important to give kids some creative freedom and expression, and I have found this is a great way to allow them to show off, while also being structured around our class vocabulary |
| They pick a dance move and show it to the class (hip shake, snake, grapevine etc) and the class repeats the movement | ||
| Repeat until everyone has a turn showing a move |
