Children are creative creatures who need time and space for movement and dance creation. In educational institutions, dance education is implemented less than other areas of the kindergarten Curriculum. In the graduation thesis, we use a practical example to demonstrate how we can create dance dramatization using dance improvisation and active co-creation of pre-school children.
In the theoretical part, we described what kindergarten Curriculum demands from teachers in the area of dance education, what is dance, dancing, dance elements, what is influence of dance on a child’s development, what are the tasks and encouragements of dance education on child’s expression, and teacher’s influence on child’s dance creativity. We described dance dramatization and its meaning for child’s well-being.
In the empirical part, we described the project of creation of the dance dramatization Rumeno čudo, which was implemented with children aged from five to six years in the group Žabice (Frogs) of the Oton Župančič Kindergarten in Ljubljana. On the basis of the three sets, we enabled children to know their body and creative movement, to know the fairy tale Rumeno čudo, to create costumes, scene, choose music, and to create and present the dance dramatization. The course of implementation, children’s and teacher’s responses, as well as our experience were described in analyses with reflexions that were enriched with photos. Children created their own costumes, requisites, scene, and they created their first dance dramatization using a method of improvisation. They enjoyed the creative process, they cooperated and learned new skills of solving conflicts.
Throughout the dance project, we established that children have a strong need for dance and movement activities, they are internally motivated for creation and love to do it. Children responded positively to the project, and created various dancing activities with interest, cooperation, and curiosity. They enriched the dance dramatization with their imaginative and critical proposals. In implementation of dance animation, we established that not only art field is intertwined in it, but also other curricular fields, meaning that this is a comprehensive activity in which child develops comprehensively. In implementation of dance education, teacher must be patient, flexible, communicative, creative etc. Mainly they must let go of the fear of performing dancing activities with the pre-school children.
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