The first week of class is all about laying the foundation for how you want the rest of the year to go. I have created a full syllabus for this course, but I encourage each teacher to shape these lessons based on your teaching methods, students, etc.. Before we even dive into curriculum, there are a few things teachers should consider going into the first week of this class:
- What kind of rules and expectations will you have for the students?
- What general aspects of hip hop technique / fundamentals do you really want to focus on in this class? (I.e. bouncing/grooving, rhythm, coordination, strength/power)
- What named skills do you want the students to know by the end of the year? (I.e. top rocks, grapevines, etc.). These are the skills you will want to work on all year so they can be incorporated into the end-of-the-year recital routine.
- How do you plan to motivate/incentivize students? (Stickers, stamps, etc.,) Be prepared!
The focus for the first lesson is on bounces and step claps. These are hip hop fundamentals that will help them understand the basic mechanics and technique of hip hop, such as bending their knees, popping their chest, and using their arms in each step.
Teaching Bounces
I like to first start by doing a visual demonstration to explain the difference between “bouncing” and “jumping,” since most preschoolers might not understand that concept initially.
I put on a slower beat, and have the class stand with one foot on each side of their dot, in a parallel second position. They put their hands on their knees and keep their body centered. We practice bouncing with our hands on our knees, half time. Once the whole class gets it, we move to single time / regular pace. Then I will have them move both hands to the right side, and lean. We do half-time bounces on the right side, then move to the left.
Once they get the hang of a single bounce, you can move on to a double bounce, triple, and even quad! Though for the first class, you might want to stick with the single bounce and work your way up throughout the year.
Teaching Step Claps
Start by having the students stand on one side of their dot, with both feet glued together. They will step over their dot, and jump together to the other side. Once you jump to the other side, you clap.
Hit the first body position and “freeze” until the entire class can match you, then you move on to the clap. You will need to start very very slow, this is a hard move that requires full-body coordination and rhythm!
If the clap is too difficult, you can have them practice just the step-together motion before adding in any clapping.
Building Rhythm
(Eventually I will do a whole post on this topic, because there is a lot to discuss). Here is what I do with my preschool-aged dancers:
I have everyone sit down in a circle, and I explain to the class that “In dance, we count music to the number eight. So we count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and then we go back 1! We don’t go on to 9, 10, and 11.” I repeatedly count to 8 out loud, and have the whole class join.
Then I put on a beat with a slower tempo and clear beat, and start clapping and counting out loud on beat. I have the whole class join in. Once we are comfortable I will change songs to a different tempo.
| Activity | Description | Notes |
| Attendance/Question | What is your favorite color? | Encourage students to listen to one another’s responses to create a welcoming learning environment |
| Cardio Warmup | Jumping jacks | Choose a high energy song to get the dancers excited for class |
| Run in place | ||
| High Knees | ||
| Dance Warm Up | Pat knees / bounce to the beat of the song (4 eights) | Purpose: get in the groove of dancing mentally and physically! Starting class with rhythm-work is a great exercise to get their minds working. |
| Clap to the beat of the song (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 instrumental song, with a loud beat | Pro tip: I use instrumental songs for this so they focus on the beat and not the words! |
| Explain in dance, we music up to the number 8 | ||
| Practice slowly clapping and counting out loud to the beat of the music. Make sure everyone is counting! | ||
| Have everyone join. Switch to patting your knees for 4 counts and clapping for 4 counts. Switch songs periodically to change tempos | ||
| Bounces | Start with feet on each side of the dot. Put one hand on each knee, similar to a turned-in second position | Focus here is relaxing the legs/knees, and working on rhythm |
| Practice bounces with hands on both knees | ||
| Switch to both hands on right knee, bounce on right side. Switch to left | ||
| Step Clap | Start with both feet together, on one side of the dot. | Hit the first body position and “freeze” until the entire class can match you, then you move on to the clap. |
| Step over the dot, then clap. | ||
| Repeat the going the other way, back over your dot. | ||
| Strut walk (Across the floor) | 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 | ||
| Step Clap (Across the floor) | Demonstrate step clap, going across the floor | Some students may struggle with rotating the skill from the mirror to across the floor. Be prepared to go with them |
| Have the class practice altogether across the floor | ||
| Students go one at at time. Then repeat left side. | ||
| Fun activity: Structured improv | Choose an adjective and have the kids structure their improv around it. | Use accessible adjectives for preschoolers |
| Examples: sharp, smooth, fast, slow, party, etc. | ||
| Every 30-45 sec, pause the song and choose a new word |
