Chapter 117. Texas Essential Knowledge and 
Skills for Fine Arts/Dance
adopted by the Texas State Board of Education April, 1997

S117.56. Dance, Level I

a) General requirements: Students may fulfill fine arts and elective requirements for graduation by successfully completing the following dance course: Dance I (one credit)
b) Introduction.

1) Four basic strands--perception, creative expression/performance, historical and cultural heritage, and critical evaluation--provide broad, unifying structures for organizing the knowledge and skills students are expected to acquire. Dance students develop perceptual thinking and moving abilities in daily life that promote understanding of themselves and others and allow them to interact effectively in the community. By mastering movement principles and skills, students develop self-discipline, and healthy bodies that move expressively, efficiently, and safely through space and time with controlled energy.

2) Students recognize dance as a vehicle for understanding cultural and historical contexts, increasing awareness of their own and others' heritage and traditions, thus helping them to participate in a diverse society. Evaluating and analyzing dance strengthens decision-making skills, develop critical and creative thinking, and enable students to make informed decisions about dance and the world around them.

c) Knowledge and skills.

1) Perception. The student develops an awareness of the body's movement, using sensory information while dancing. The student is expected to:

A) demonstrate basic kinesthetic and spatial awareness with others;

B) develop sensitivity toward others when working in groups;

C) express ideas and emotions through movement; and

D) interpret images bound in the environment through movement.

2) Creative expression/performance. The student applies body sciences and fitness principles to dance. The student is expected to:

A) communicate using appropriate anatomical terminology;

B) demonstrate basic principles of proper skeletal alignment; and

C) practice an effective warm-up and cool-down, using elements of proper conditioning.

3) Creative expression/performance. The student develops knowledge and skills of dance elements and of choreographic processes and forms in a variety of dance styles. The student is expected to:

A) perform memorized movement sequences with rhythmical accuracy in several dance styles, including classical ballet, tap, modern, and ethnic dance;

B) identify the effective use of dance elements in practice and performance;

C) improvise and demonstrate original movement; and

D) perform basic compositional forms, using fundamental choreographic processes.

4) Historical/cultural heritage. The student demonstrates an understanding of cultural, historical, and artistic diversity. The student is expected to:

A) analyze the characteristics of dances from several diverse cultures;

B) perform dance phrases or dances from several time periods with an understanding of historical and social contests; and

C) identify historical figures and their significance in dance history.

5) Response/evaluation. The student makes informed judgments about dance's form, meaning, and role in society. The student is expected to:

A) incorporate appropriate movement vocabulary when identifying qualities and discussing meaning of performance and production in dance;

B) demonstrate appropriate audience behavior and etiquette in the classroom and at performances;

C) identify relationships between dance and other fine art objects; and

D) distinguish commonalities between dance and subject areas such as English, mathematics, science and social studies.

S117.57. Dance Level II

a) General requirements. Students may fulfill fine arts and elective requirements for graduation by successfully completing the following dance course: Dance II (one credit). Dance I is a prerequisite for Dance II.

b) Introduction.

1) Four basic strands--perception, creative expression/performance, historical and cultural heritage, and critical evaluation--provide broad, unifying structures for organizing the knowledge and skills students are expected to acquire. Dance students develop perceptual thinking and moving abilities in daily life that promote understanding of themselves and others and allow them to interact effectively in the community. By mastering movement principles and skills, students develop self-discipline, and healthy bodies that move expressively, efficiently, and safely through space and time with controlled energy.

2) Students recognize dance as a vehicle for understanding cultural and historical contexts, increasing awareness of their own and others' heritage and traditions, thus helping them to participate in a diverse society. Evaluating and analyzing dance strengthens decision-making skills, develop critical and creative thinking, and enable students to make informed decisions about dance and the world around them.

c) Knowledge and skills.

1) Perception. The student develops an awareness of the body's movement, using sensory information while dancing. The student is expected to:

A) demonstrates a developing kinesthetic and spatial awareness;

B) demonstrates a respect for others when working in groups;

C) demonstrates effectively the connection between emotions and movement; and

D) identifies details in movement in natural and constructed environments.

2) Creative expression/performance. The student applies body sciences and fitness principles to dance. The student is expected to:

A) communicate using appropriate anatomical and dance terminology;

B) perform with proper skeletal alignment;

C) exhibit strength, flexibility and endurance in dance training and performances; and

D) incorporate proper conditioning and injury prevention practices.

3) Creative expression/performance. The student develops knowledge and skills of dance elements and of choreographic processes and forms in a variety of dance styles. The student is expected to:

A) perform extended movement patterns with rhythmic accuracy in traditional concert dance styles;

B) demonstrate the elements of dance effectively;

C) improvise dance phrases, using the concept of abstraction; and

D) incorporate choreographic processes such as retrograde and inversion in dance styles.

4) Historical/cultural heritage. The student demonstrates an understanding of cultural, historical and artistic diversity. The student is expected to:

A) perform dances of various cultures;

B) choreograph short dance phrases that exhibit an understanding of various historical periods; and

C) perform dances in various mediums such as musical theater, film and video.

5) Response/evaluation. The student makes informed judgments about dance's form, meaning and role in society. The student is expected to:

A) identify characteristics of a variety of dance;

B) analyze qualities of performance and production in dance;

C) identify similarities of form and expression in dance and other fine arts; and

D) identify and applies dance and dance-related skills such as, creative problem solving, cooperation and self-discipline to various work experiences.

S117.58. Dance, Level III

a) General requirements. Students may fulfill fine arts and elective requirements for graduation by successfully completing the following dance course: Dance III (one credit); Dance I and Dance II are pre-requisitions for Dance III.

b) Introduction.

1) Four basic strands--perception, creative expression/performance, historical and cultural heritage, and critical evaluation--provide broad, unifying structures for organizing the knowledge and skills students are expected to acquire. Dance students develop perceptual thinking and moving abilities in daily life that promote understanding of themselves and others and allow them to interact effectively in the community. By mastering movement principles and skills, students develop self-discipline, and healthy bodies that move expressively, efficiently, and safely through space and time with controlled energy.

2) Students recognize dance as a vehicle for understanding cultural and historical contexts, increasing awareness of their own and others' heritage and traditions, thus helping them to participate in a diverse society. Evaluating and analyzing dance strengthens decision-making skills, develop critical and creative thinking, and enable students to make informed decisions about dance and the world around them.

c) Knowledge and skills.

1) Perception. The student develops an awareness of the body's movement using sensory information while dancing. The student is expected to:

A) demonstrate a kinesthetic and spatial awareness;

B) work respectfully with others:

C) demonstrate effectively the connection between emotions and ideas and movement; and

D) identify designs and images in natural and constructed environments.

2) Creative expression/performance. The student applies body sciences and fitness principles to dance. The student is expected to:

A) communicate using appropriate anatomical and dance terminology;

B) perform using basic principals of skeletal alignment;

C) exhibit strength, flexibility and endurance in training and performances; and

D) incorporate injury prevention procedures when exercising, practicing and performing.

3) Creative expression/performance. The student develops knowledge and skills of dance elements and of choreographic processes and forms in a variety of dance styles. The student is expected to:

A) perform memorized complex movement sequences with rhythmic accuracy in traditional concert dance styles;

B) demonstrate a wide range of dynamics in quality movement;

C) perform with projection, confidence, and expression when executing dance movements; and

D) create dance studies, using original movement based on theme, variation and/or chance.

4) Historical/cultural heritage. The student demonstrates an understanding of cultural, historical and artistic diversity. The student is expected to:

A) describe similarities and differences in steps, styles and traditions in dances from various cultures and historical periods; and

B) choreograph a dance based on an historical event or theme.

5) Response/evaluation. The student makes informed judgments about dance's form, meaning and role in society. The student is expected to:

A) compare characteristics and qualities of a variety of dances;

B) analyze dance from a variety of perceptivity such as those of a dance critic, performer, choreographer and audience member;

C) compare and contrasts the use of form and expression of dance with their use in art, music, theatre and other subject areas: and

D) identify opportunities in dance as a profession.

S117.58. Dance Level IV

a) General requirements. Students may fulfill fine arts and elective requirements is for graduation by successful completing the following dance course: Dance IV (one credit), Dance I, Dance II and Dance III are prerequisites for Dance IV.

b) Introduction.

1) Four basic strands--perception, creative expression/performance, historical and cultural heritage, and critical evaluation--provide broad, unifying structures for organizing the knowledge and skills students are expected to acquire. Dance students develop perceptual thinking and moving abilities in daily life that promote understanding of themselves and others and allow them to interact effectively in the community. By mastering movement principles and skills, students develop self-discipline, and healthy bodies that move expressively, efficiently, and safely through space and time with controlled energy.

2) Students recognize dance as a vehicle for understanding cultural and historical contexts, increasing awareness of their own and others' heritage and traditions, thus helping them to participate in a diverse society. Evaluating and analyzing dance strengthens decision-making skills, develop critical and creative thinking, and enable students to make informed decisions about dance and the world around them.

c) Knowledge and skills.

1) Perception. The student demonstrates awareness of the body's movement using sensory information while dancing. The student is expected to:

A) demonstrate refined kinesthetic and spatial awareness using self-evaluation, insights, movement, inflection and interpretation;

B) lead peers with understanding and respect;

C) communicate nonverbally using dance movements; and

D) apply designs and images found in natural and constructed environments to dance.

2) Creative expression/performance. The student applies body sciences and fitness principles to dance. The student is expected to:

A) communicate using anatomical and dance terminology correctly;

B) create an effective personal conditioning program; and

C) demonstrate a knowledge of injury prevention rules and other health-related principles when exercising, practicing and performing.

3) Creative expression/performance. The student develops knowledge and skills of dance elements and of choreographic processes and forms in a variety of dance styles. The student is expected to:

A) demonstrate consistency in performing advanced technical dance skills in traditional concert dance styles;

B) perform dance movements with a refined sense of rhythm and musicality and with clarity, expressiveness and a wide range of spatial qualities;

C) create original dances using improvisations and other choreographic processes; and

D) create a solo and/or group dance using thematic development, variation and resolution to successfully communicate an idea.

4) Historical/cultural heritage. The student demonstrates an understanding of cultural, historical and artistic diversity. The student is expected to:

A) analyze choreography in dances from various cultures; and

B) research and creates a project illustrating and understanding of significant dance events or historical figures in appropriate social, historical and cultural contexts.

5) Response/evaluation. The student makes informed judgments about dance's form, meaning and role in society. The student is expected to:

A) evaluate personal work and the work of others using a valid rationale and demonstrating sensitivity towards others;

B) analyze the role of dance and other fine arts in society; and

C) analyze technology's effects on the professions of dance and other fine arts.

*This has been approved by the Texas State Board of Education in April, 1997, and should be implemented beginning September 1, 1998.