Byram Hills Central School District

This information has been taken directly from the Accelerate U - Standards and Resource Guides (with approval) from the K-12 Education, NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT site. No information in this document has been changed.

Standard 4: Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of the Arts

4. Students will know dances from many cultures and times and recognize their relationship to various cultural, social, and historic contexts. Students will recognize that dance is performed in many different cultural settings and serves many functions in diverse societies.

In addition to the General Education performance indicators, students:

demonstrate an understanding of dance as a shared cultural event when giving presentations (dance, lecture, video, written report) (a)
demonstrate a knowledge of cultural elements in dance presentations of folk and classical repertories (b)
prepare formal presentations that use materials about dance and dancers of other times and places (c).

This is evident, for example, when students:

write the explanatory notes for one segment of a dance festival showcasing various ethnic dances
write a short research paper on the contributions of dance to a specific culture and the ways in which dance expresses the values and beliefs of that culture
work in a group to develop and present a comparison of dance steps, styles, and forms of various cultures

develop a presentation that integrates dance into another art form (e.g., storytelling, visual art, choral singing).