Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to identify and describe different ballet positions and movements, and understand how reading can enhance your understanding of ballet.

Materials and Prep

• Ballet book or story about ballet (can be found online or at the library)
• Writing materials (paper and crayons or pencils)

Activities

1. Read a Ballet Book: Start by reading a ballet book or a story about ballet. Pay attention to the illustrations and the words used to describe the dancers and their movements.
2. Ballet Position Drawings: After reading the book, choose a few ballet positions mentioned in the story and draw them on a piece of paper. You can use crayons or pencils to add color and details to your drawings.
3. Describe the Positions: Once you have finished drawing, describe each ballet position using words from the book. For example, if you drew a "plié," you can say that it is a bending of the knees while keeping the back straight.
4. Create a Ballet Story: Use your drawings and descriptions to create your own ballet story. Think about the characters, their movements, and the emotions they might be expressing through their dance.

Kindergarten Grade Talking Points

• "Ballet is a type of dance that tells a story through graceful movements."
• "Dancers in ballet learn different positions, like plié, tendu, and relevé, to create beautiful shapes with their bodies."
• "Reading books about ballet can help us learn more about the different positions and movements, and imagine ourselves as dancers."
• "When we draw the ballet positions, we can practice our fine motor skills and express our creativity."
• "Describing the ballet positions using words helps us improve our language skills and learn new vocabulary words."
• "Creating our own ballet story allows us to use our imagination and think about the characters' feelings and actions."