USING DANCE TO TEACH HISTORY

Using dance to teach history is a fun way to make any time in history spring to life for your students. We teach a large range of dance styles from different periods in history, from Medieval dance to present day.

Your teacher will bring in photos and video clips to show the students, and also dress in a dance costume (where possible) to help bring the period in history to life for your students.

Music

We use music from the period and talk about the instruments used.

Background history

At the start of your workshops, your Zest teacher will talk about the dance culture at that time. How the dance originated, and the social setting this dance was performed in.

Some examples of historical dance styles we teach:

• 17th & 18th Centuries: Court Dances, Tudor dance, Medieval, Baroque, Regency
• 1920’s: Charleston
• 1930’s: Swing, Jitterbug, Waltz and other Ballroom styles
• 1940’s: Lindy Hop
• 1950’s: Rock and Roll
• 1960’s: Twist, Hand Jive
• 1970’s: Disco,
• 1980’s: Hip Hop, Breakdance, Contemporary

Dance styles

Using dance to teach history is great fun. You can have one dance style taught to all your classes, or a different dance style taught to different classes throughout the school. We can start the day off with an assembly or end with a performance by your students to show everyone their dances.

Blogs

Read some of our blogs to see how we have made periods in history come alive at these schools….

History day celebrating 75 years of a school being open

Decades Dance Week

World War Two dance workshop

Please get in touch to let us know what time in history you are studying, and we can let you know what we can do for you.