Look here: focus and emphasis
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can use the expressive skills of focus and emphasis effectively.
Key learning points
- Move: effective use of expressive skills communicates the dance ideas clearly.
- Think: projecting ideas effectively requires evaluating the application of expressive skills.
- Feel: the precise use of focus can communicate the mood of feeling of a performance.
- Connect: cooperating with others is necessary to produce coherent group work.
Keywords
Focus - where a performer is looking
Emphasis - to highlight a shape, action or performer(s)
Design features - other elements in a performance, e.g. lighting or costume
Common misconception
Performers should always look straight ahead and project to their audience.
In many styles, the connection to the audience is an important part of the performance. This can also be achieved by including a change of focus to communicate the performer's mood or intention, or to indicate what the audience should be looking at.
Teacher tip
Illustrating emphasis with your voice by including dramatic pauses (stillness), change of volume (size), change of pace (dynamics) can enable pupils to appreciate the effect upon an audience.
Equipment
suggested music
Content guidance
Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which of the following is a traditional staging arrangement?
Q2.What type of skill is ‘control’ in dance?
Q3.What does the use of contrast denote?
Q4.In what type of performance does the audience follow the performers?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What term describes where a performer is looking in a dance?
Q2.Which of the following is not a method to add emphasis to a dance?
Q3.What is lighting an example of in dance?
Q4.When working cooperatively, what term is used to describe the group?
To help you plan your 9 physical education lesson on: Look here: focus and emphasis, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 physical education lesson on: Look here: focus and emphasis, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom.
Explore more key stage 3 physical education lessons from the Dance: the challenge unit, dive into the full secondary physical education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.