1. Work It Out: Making Dance Fitness Happen in Physical Education
Heather Katz, MS, CAPE

2. Discover the benefits of incorporating dance fitness into your physical education classes.
Learn teaching strategies that will increase your comfort level as well as student success.
Learn choreography for 3 dances that are appropriate for a variety of fitness/ability levels.
Session Objectives

3. About Me Adapted Physical Education Specialist in Denton ISD
Bachelor’s Degree: Health and Physical Education, University of Kansas
Master’s Degree: Kinesiology (Emphasis in Adapted PE), Texas Woman’s University
Licensed Zumba instructor
Certified Disability Sport Specialist
National Boccia Referee

4. Why Dance Fitness? Dance addresses the following domains: Affective
Cognitive
Psychomotor
(Block, Johnson, 2011)
Dance promotes “freedom of expression, motoric flexibilities, creativity, and social interaction” (Masunah, 2016).
Dance can encourage participants to “develop acceptance and appreciation for body diversity” (Traver, Duran, 2014).
Why Dance Fitness?
* Specifically applies to students with disabilities: limited verbal, motor control.

5. Teaching Strategies How we present choreography
High
Medium
Low 1. 2. 3.
Levels
Break Down
Student-Centered
Visuals
How we present choreography
How we motivate participants
How we effectively cue
How we modify skills to suit all ability levels

6. Break Down Teach each move one at a time Give each move a name
Write this down in your own notes
Talk about how each move relates to the music
Chorus
Verse
Bridge
Lyrics
Check for understanding before moving on
Break Down

7. Level 3: Complex move, multiple body parts emphasized, add fitness component
Level 2: Standard move, more than one body part can be emphasized, medium impact
Level 1: Basic or modified move, one body part emphasized at a time, low impact
All levels can be high energy!
Levels

8. Visuals Cue without losing your voice
Provide students with easy to follow instructions during the dance
Indicate boundaries
Provide structure to the lesson
Incorporate other subjects
Refresh memory (yours and your students)

11. Student-Centered Choice Leadership
Gives students ownership, creativity, expression
Students can choose:
Moves
Music
Style
Leadership
Showcase students
Modeling
Give yourself a break!

12. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone!

13. Let’s Dance!

14. What’s My Name? Squat bounce to clap balance Step together
Balance only
Arms out, clap
Balance variations
March in circle, pump arms
March in place
Hand to knee
High knees
Rhythm
Lunge party
Step touch
Slow walk
2 Step lunges with muscles, walk back 4 counts with swagger
4. Ab sway side to side
Tactile cue
Arm reaches
Ab rock, jump together
     
What’s My Name?
Lunge party
Step touch
Slow walk
2 Step lunges with muscles, walk back 4 counts with swagger
        
     
4. Ab sway side to side
Tactile cue
Arm reaches
Ab rock, jump together

15. Solo Tu (Partner Dance) Out-Out-In Half-time Jump out, jump in
Add Clap, Sound Effects
Increase speed
Partner Party
No bounce, arms only
Arms go up, down simultaneously
Move in a circle, around the room
Turn
Independent from partner
Guided
Simultaneous turn
Touch the Ground
Reach to the side, down
Lean
Jump up
Criss Cross
Solo Tu
(Partner Dance)

16. Goosebumps! Step out, together with snap
Snap up, snap down (flex arms)
Feet only
Speed up
Swing side to side with hand circles
Twist (squash the bug)
Twist in place
Upper body twist
Twist to lunge
Add sunshine arms
Jump out (star), jump in (feet together), party
Jump or party only
Step out and in, one foot at a time
Choice in jump (straddle, tuck)
Kicks (add turn)
Half tempo
Jazz hands
Add bounce
Partner up
Goosebumps!

17. Freeze Dance/Four Corners
Games
Soul Train: Two lines, dance down the middle
Dance Battle: Two lines, move every 16 count
Signature Move: Each student has move, listen for name or number
Show Off: Circle, dance in the middle
Copy Cat: Follow the Leader
Mirror: Partners, face each other
Freeze Dance/Four Corners

18. Thank you for attending!
Contact
Website:
Thank you for attending!

19. Betty A. Block & Peggy V. Johnson (2011) The Adapted Dance Process, 
Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 
82:2, 16-23, DOI:  /
Masunah, J. (2016). Multicultural Dance Education for Teaching Students with Disabilities. 
Multicultural Education,23, 2-6.
Traver, A. E., & Duran, J. (2014). Dancing Around (Dis)Ability: How Nondisabled Girls Are Affected by Participation in a Dance Program for Girls With Disabilities. Qualitative Inquiry, 20(10),
1148–
References