Activity overviewStudents will have the opportunity to celebrate the culture and traditions of Australian football through dance. Using four basic and traditional football moves, students will perform the moves without a ball, in a set sequence to music. This activity will provide students with the opportunity to create and perform their own funky footy dance, which they can use to celebrate football in the future.
This activity also provides the opportunity to reinforce movement patterns and components of skills fundamental to football.
Time required90 minutes
Materials • Worksheet: Draw the funky footy dance
• Clear and appropriate working space
• CD player or tape deck
• Music-appropriate language and context. The music needs to have a distinct beat that is not too fast for students to be able to dance to. Students should be able to comfortably complete dance moves in time to the music.
• Step list
• Images demonstrating moves for the funky footy dance. See Resources on the AFL CD-ROM
Preparation• Discuss with students why people dance.
• Dance is a form of celebration and personal expression. Ask students, ‘If we could make a dance about football, what could we include in the dance?’
• Discuss the traditional football skills and moves performed in the game and whether we could use these to create dance steps.
• Explain to the students that for our funky footy dance we are going to perform:
1 handball
2 bounce
3 run and leap (mark)
4 short pass.
Funk
y fo
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Key Learning AreaThe Arts – Performing Arts (Dance)
• Discuss the notion that to do any dance safely we need to use safe dance practices. Ask students what they think should be our safe dance rules for the funky footy dance.
• These must include:
• dancing in an appropriate and clear area
• students having their own space so as not to be able to make contact with anyone else
• dancing in appropriate clothing and footwear
• not using equipment or footballs
• not having body contact.
Activity steps
1 Warmup–slowrhythmicmovementtomusic
2 TeachdancestepsoneatatimeThe following steps are mimed football skills without equipment.
Handball – eight counts Handball with right hand – two countsHandball with left hand – two countsHandball with right hand – two countsHandball with left hand – two counts.
Bounce – eight countsBounce and catch – two countsBounce and catch – two countsBounce and catch – two countsBounce and catch – two counts.
Run and leap – eight countsRun forward for two steps – two countsLeap up (mark) and land – two countsJog backward – four counts.
Short pass – eight counts (Note: This is a short, bent-knee kick; students do not kick leg high.)Step onto right foot, kick with left foot – two countsStep onto left foot, kick with right foot – two countsStep onto right foot, kick with left foot –two countsStep onto left foot, kick with right foot – two counts. Fu
Stand facing students and mirror movement. For example, if the step requires movement with the right foot, the teacher will need to perform this with the left foot.
Teach movements slowly without music before introducing the movement to the beat of the music.
3 CombinethestepstomakeasequenceAllow students the opportunity to have input into the process of dance creation by discussing ideas to make the dance more interesting.
This might include:
• making the dance longer. Teachers may choose a 16-count phrase instead of an eight-count phrase.
• adding a direction to the moves. For example, move forward and back while doing the bounce.
• adding a beginning and ending pose to the dance.
4 Performthesequencetomusic,withoutusingaballStudents can perform the sequence as a dance. This can be done as a grade or in small groups.
5 StudentscompletetheworksheetAllow students the opportunity to have input into the writing process, discussing ideas and creating a list of words associated with actions before commencing the drawing and writing task. Words such as kick, jog, leap, jump, run, turn, bounce and handball can be generated by group or class discussion. Modelling the writing process as a whole group before commencing the writing task is valuable.
Students draw or write about themselves performing the different steps of the dance. The drawing and writing task can be shared by constructing a class book containing the drawings and writing of each class member.
Teaching tips
Younger students may require more guidance with this worksheet.
Students could share their drawing and writing task by presenting their work to the class.
Assessment ideas• Students’ participation and input to the process.
• Students’ ability to coordinate and link simple movement patterns.
• Drawing and writing task published in a class book.
