Rhythms A unit of music Source:

Unit Plan Overview This unit plan has been designed for students in grade 3/4, VELS Level 3. Rhythms is a discipline-based unit which explores elements of music through dance and drama. Rhythms has been based on the characteristics of stepping (an African-American percussive dance), contemporary rhythm tap dancing and Stomp dance company performance style. All three disciplines involve rhythmic movement to produce sound, musicality and use the body as a percussive instrument. Throughout the unit students explore the elements of duration, dynamics and tone colour. Each lesson contains video clips of topic related performances which have been carefully selected to build music appreciation and encourage the use of technology as a resource for learning and inspire creativity in students’ work. Throughout the unit students will perform “work in progress”. Creating polished performances requires time to rehearse which is not always possible in the busy primary classroom therefore the term “work in progress” is used to refer to a performance which is in the development stage and still requires work. This PowerPoint has been designed to provide teachers with additional support and background on stepping, contemporary rhythm tap and Stomp dance company.

Stepping – exploring rhythm using hands and feet Source: Stepping is a dance form which has it roots in the African American culture. In the late 1960s university fraternities and sororities started stepping competitions. Nowadays the dance form is performed by university, high school and primary school dance teams all over the USA. Dancers create rhythms using clapping, stomping and precise hands and feet movements. Teams utilise unison, cannon and layering of rhythms for army precision performances. Similarities can be drawn between cheerleading and military drills. The 2007 movie Stomping the Yard popularised the dance form worldwide and can now be found incorporated in a number of hip hop music videos. For more information visit:

What images comes to mind when you think of tap dancing?

The new faces of contemporary rhythm tap dancing. Christopher ScottSavion Glover

Contemporary Rhythm Tap Dancing When people think of tap they often have images of Broadway tap dancing girls in cute dresses with ribbons on their shoes. However tap evolved from African tribal dance and old world jigs (Driver 2000 p. 96). Contemporary rhythm tap has it roots in jazz and focuses more on musicality. Dancers such as Savion Glover and Christopher Scott bring strong masculine role models to the dance form who are known for their creativity and musicianship. Glover, recognised as the best tap dancer in the world, describes his feet as an instrument and considers himself to be a musician. During a performance at the White House, Glover introduced the dancers in his tap group NOTS as if they were members of an choir with alto, bass and soprano taps. Christopher Scott, a world famous choreographer, blends tap dancing with hip hop popping and locking to create his own unique style which has become part of the popular web series The LXD.

STOMP Dance Company “STOMP has no words – everyone can understand it. It has little or no melody in the traditional sense, so it doesn’t matter if your taste in music is jazz, classical, dance or pop. STOMP is about rhythm, which is common to all cultures. Everyone knows rhythm, if only from the beating of their own heart – it is the basis of all music.” Source: STOMP was formed in the UK in They take everyday objects and turn them into percussion instruments. They use a combination of high energy choreographed movement with humourous characterisation. Now known as the “STOMP style” the company is international and has several shows running simultaneously across the globe at anyone time.

References Driver, I. (2000) A Century of Dance: A hundred years of musical movement, from waltz to hip hop, Octopus Publishing Group Ltd. Image of girls tap dancing. Retrieved 20 th April, Image of Fed Astaire tap dancing. Retrieved 20 th April, Image of Christopher Scott. Retrieved 20 th April, Image of Savion Glover. Retrieved 20 th April, Image of Savion Glover. Retrieved 20 th April, content/uploads/2012/02/2.jpghttp:// content/uploads/2012/02/2.jpg STOMP website. Retrieved 20 th April,