Dance Remix Challenge

Educators can use this activity to generate choreography, then play with setting the movement to different types of music.

Materials Needed: Music player, pre-selected songs from different genres (e.g. pop, jazz, classical, hip-hop, country, etc.), open space for dancing
Word to Know: Choreography is planned or structured movement, often set to music.

1. Begin in a standing circle and invite students to think about dance. Ask them questions like:
   • What does the word choreography mean?
   • Where do you see dance or choreography in your day-to-day lives?
   • What are some of your favorite dance moves or styles of dance?
2. Encourage a few students to share their thoughts. If time allows, you can demonstrate or have students show off simple moves they enjoy (e.g. a “dab,” the “wave” or a popular trend).
3. Next, place students in small groups and assign each group the same song #1 (something upbeat and energetic, like pop or hip-hop). Ask each group to create a 30 – 45 second dance sequence that includes three to five moves. Encourage students to repeat moves for flow and simplicity.
4. Now comes the twist! Let them know that you are going to change the music genre, and they will collaborate to adapt their dance to match the new music while keeping their original choreography intact. Switch the music to song #2 (a completely different genre, like classical or jazz). Ask students to keep their original choreography, but adapt their energy, tempo and movement quality to fit the new music.
5. Repeat the process with song #3 (a third genre, like country or opera). Hint: Give groups about five minutes to rehearse for each new music style before moving on.
6. Invite volunteer groups to perform their choreography for the class three times (once for each genre of music). Encourage the spectators to cheer on their peers and observe how the group adapted to the remixed music choices!

Reflection Questions:

• How did the different music styles challenge you?
• Which music style felt the most natural for your group, and why?
• What did you learn about collaboration and creativity during this activity?