What does dance look like at this age?

Dance at this age is about exploring how the body moves. Students try out big and small movements, copy shapes and animals, and move to music. It is playful and physical, not a recital routine.

How can I support dance at home?

Put on music and move together for five minutes. Ask students to show how a cat stretches, how a tree sways, or how a robot walks. Take turns being the leader so students practice making up their own moves.

Does my child need any formal dance training?

No. The goal is comfort with movement, not technique. Free dancing in the living room, copying moves in a song, or acting out a story with the body all count.

How do I plan a year of dance for this age?

Start with body awareness and basic movements like walk, jump, freeze, and sway. Move into exploring space, speed, and energy. End the year with short movement pieces students make up and share with the class.

What should I focus on first?

Focus on body parts, personal space, and following simple movement cues. Students need to know where their body is before they can shape what it does. Spend real time on stop and go, high and low, and fast and slow.

How do students show what a dance means?

Students pick a feeling or idea, like happy, sleepy, or stormy, and show it with movement. Ask what the dance was about after watching. Short answers in plain words are the goal.

How do I know students are ready for the next year?

By the end of the year, students should move with control, copy a short sequence, and make up a few movements of their own. They should also be able to watch a peer dance and say something about it.

What if my child is shy about dancing?

Start side by side instead of face to face. Use props like scarves or stuffed animals so the focus is on the object, not the body. Most shy students warm up once dancing becomes part of the regular routine.

What does a student learn in
?

This is the year students discover that their bodies can tell stories. Students try out simple movements, copy shapes they see, and start linking how a dance feels to the music or the moment. They watch others move and share what they noticed. By spring, students can make up a short movement of their own and perform it for a small group.

Illustration of what students learn in Pre-Kindergarten Arts: Dance

Moving to music
Making up dances
Body shapes
Watching and sharing
Performing for others

Source: California Content Standards for California Public Schools

Year at a glance

How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.

1
Moving and exploring the body
Students start the year discovering how their bodies move. They try big and small motions, fast and slow, and learn that dance is a way to play with movement.
2
Making up their own dances
Students begin inventing simple movements of their own. They turn ideas, feelings, and things they have seen into short dances they can show a partner or the class.
3
Practicing and sharing
Students practice a short dance and get ready to perform it. They learn to repeat steps, listen for music cues, and show their dance to others.
4
Watching and talking about dance
Students watch classmates dance and notice what they see. They talk about what a dance might be about and connect it to stories, music, or moments from their own lives.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Pre-Kindergarten.

Connecting

Standard	Definition	Code
Making art from what you know and feel	Students connect something from their own life to what they make in dance. A memory, a feeling, or something they saw at home becomes part of how they move.	CA-DA:Cn10.pk.PK
Dance from different cultures and times	Students connect a dance or song to where it comes from, such as a celebration, a place, or a tradition their family or community shares.	CA-DA:Cn11.pk.PK

Creating

Standard	Definition	Code
Coming up with dance ideas	Students come up with their own movement ideas, deciding how their bodies can move to make something new in dance.	CA-DA:Cr1.pk.PK
Making dances from your own ideas	Students arrange simple movements into a short sequence, deciding what comes first and what comes next.	CA-DA:Cr2.pk.PK
Finish a dance and make it better	Students revisit a short dance they made, adjust a move or two, and then perform it from start to finish.	CA-DA:Cr3.pk.PK

Performing/Presenting/Producing

Standard	Definition	Code
Choosing which dances to show others	Students pick a movement or short dance to show others, thinking about which one they like best or feels right to share.	CA-DA:Pr4.pk.PK
Practice moves for a dance show	Students practice a dance move until they can do it more smoothly, then show it to others.	CA-DA:Pr5.pk.PK
Sharing what a dance means	Students share a dance or movement to show an idea or feeling, like being a tree in wind or a slow, heavy elephant.	CA-DA:Pr6.pk.PK

Responding

Standard	Definition	Code
Watching and thinking about dance	Students look at or watch a dance and talk about what they notice, such as how the dancer moves or what the dance makes them feel.	CA-DA:Re7.pk.PK
What dances are trying to say	Students look at a dance or movement and talk about what they think the dancer is feeling or trying to show.	CA-DA:Re8.pk.PK
Deciding what makes a dance good	Students look at a dance or movement and say what they notice, like whether it was fast or slow, big or small. They start learning to say why they liked something or what they would change.	CA-DA:Re9.pk.PK

Common Questions

What does dance look like at this age?
Dance at this age is about exploring how the body moves. Students try out big and small movements, copy shapes and animals, and move to music. It is playful and physical, not a recital routine.
How can I support dance at home?
Put on music and move together for five minutes. Ask students to show how a cat stretches, how a tree sways, or how a robot walks. Take turns being the leader so students practice making up their own moves.
Does my child need any formal dance training?
No. The goal is comfort with movement, not technique. Free dancing in the living room, copying moves in a song, or acting out a story with the body all count.
How do I plan a year of dance for this age?
Start with body awareness and basic movements like walk, jump, freeze, and sway. Move into exploring space, speed, and energy. End the year with short movement pieces students make up and share with the class.
What should I focus on first?
Focus on body parts, personal space, and following simple movement cues. Students need to know where their body is before they can shape what it does. Spend real time on stop and go, high and low, and fast and slow.
How do students show what a dance means?
Students pick a feeling or idea, like happy, sleepy, or stormy, and show it with movement. Ask what the dance was about after watching. Short answers in plain words are the goal.
How do I know students are ready for the next year?
By the end of the year, students should move with control, copy a short sequence, and make up a few movements of their own. They should also be able to watch a peer dance and say something about it.
What if my child is shy about dancing?
Start side by side instead of face to face. Use props like scarves or stuffed animals so the focus is on the object, not the body. Most shy students warm up once dancing becomes part of the regular routine.