Dance Board

Credit: Kate Williams

Previous Heart and Harmony Music Therapy Intern

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Objectives

• Gross Motor
• Coordination
• Executive Functioning (planning and decision making)
• Memory (with removal of the dance move visuals)

Materials

• Foam Board with velcro
• Dance Move Visuals
• Labels (i.e. 1st Verse, 2nd Verse, Chorus, etc.)
• Recorded Music

Procedure Allow the client to choose the dance moves for each part of the song (verses, chorus, bridge, etc.). Review the moves physically before beginning the song to allow for either learning or practicing. When the music is played, model for the client.

Adaptations

• This can be made more difficult by using separate upper (hands) and lower body (legs) moves and pairing combinations of this.
• When working with a group, turn taking can be addressed when deciding on dance moves. Also you can incorporate moves that require more than two people, such as a conga line.

Making the Visual Aid Kate took a foam board and simply attached 3 rows of 4 Velcro squares evenly. The top serves to be used as the labels for the parts of the song. The second can be used for simple moves or upper body moves while the bottom is used for lower body moves. The dance moves are simple stick figure representations of the moves with their names.