Dance and Drama
Primary 2 · Creative Arts
Dance and Drama
Lesson 1 of 3
13 min
Let's begin
Keza is at a wedding in Nyamata. A big drum starts up. Boom — boom — boom.
She looks down at her feet. They are already tapping! She never told them to tap.
Today you will learn to dance on purpose. Your feet, your arms and the music will all move together.
Put your hand flat on your chest. Sit very still. Feel that little thump, thump, thump? That is your heart. While you sit still it keeps the same steady time. It does not rush ahead and it does not drag behind.
Music has a thump like that too. We call it the beat.
Here is a drum. Say it out loud, nice and even:
BOOM . . . BOOM . . . BOOM . . . BOOM
Every BOOM comes after the same little gap. Now clap once on every BOOM. Your clap and the drum land together.
That is it. You have found the beat.
Dancers count the beat in fours. Try it now, out loud:
1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 1 — 2 — 3 — 4
Keep the gaps the same size. Nod your head on every number. When you reach 4, go straight back to 1. Round and round, like a bicycle wheel.
In Rwanda the drum is called the ingoma. When you hear the ingoma, count with it. The counting keeps your body tidy.
Stand up tall. Now walk on the spot. Put one foot down on every number.
| Count | Your feet |
|---|---|
| 1 | left foot down |
| 2 | right foot down |
| 3 | left foot down |
| 4 | right foot down |
That is the easiest dance step there is. And you are already dancing! Your feet and the beat are landing at the same moment.
Watch Mugisha do this one. Count out loud with him.
| Count | Your feet |
|---|---|
| 1 | right foot steps out to the right |
| 2 | left foot slides over and taps beside the right |
| 3 | left foot steps out to the left |
| 4 | right foot slides over and taps beside the left |
Now you are back where you began. Out, tap. Out, tap.
Keep the steps small. Do not run away across the room! Bend your knees a little. Stay soft.
The famous Rwandan dancers are called the intore. They lift their arms high above their heads. Their arms make the shape of the long horns of a cow.
Try it now. Lift both arms up and open them out into a big V. Keep your fingers together and straight. Lift your chin. Stand proud.
Now give your arms the beat:
| Count | Your arms |
|---|---|
| 1 | begin to lift them up |
| 2 | hold them high, like horns |
| 3 | begin to bring them down |
| 4 | rest them low |
Slow arms. Steady beat. Now you look like a dancer.
This is the whole thing. Go slowly the first time.
| Count | Feet | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | right foot steps out | arms begin to lift |
| 2 | left foot taps beside it | arms are high |
| 3 | left foot steps out | arms begin to come down |
| 4 | right foot taps beside it | arms rest low |
Do the whole box four times. Count out loud every single time. Louder than you think!
A good dancer matches the music. The music leads. You follow.
| The music is… | So you move… |
|---|---|
| fast, like wedding drums | quickly — small, quick steps |
| slow, like an evening song | slowly — long, smooth steps |
| loud and strong | big — arms wide, feet strong |
| soft and quiet | small — gentle hands, tiny steps |
And when the music stops? You stop. Freeze like a statue. Do not wobble. A dancer listens even more than she moves.
Tip
Feet first. Arms after
Learn the steps with your feet while you count 1, 2, 3, 4 out loud. Only when your feet know the way should you add your arms.
Nobody can learn two new things at the same time — not even a real intore dancer.
Do these standing up. Try each one, then tap Show answer to check.
Clap on every beat and count to 4. Do that four times over. How many claps did you make?
Answer: 4 claps each time, four times over. 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 16 claps.
The ingoma starts beating very fast. Should your steps be quick or slow?
Answer: Quick. You match the music. Fast drum, fast feet — and keep the steps small so you do not fall over.
You are doing the side step. On count 1 your right foot steps out. What happens on count 2?
Answer: Your left foot slides over and taps beside your right foot. Out, then tap.
The song goes very soft and quiet. Should your arms make big shapes or small shapes?
Answer: Small shapes. Soft music, small movements. Save the big arms for the loud parts.
The music stops all of a sudden. What do you do?
Answer: You freeze. Stop at once and hold still, exactly where you were.
Now dance for real. Find any song — on a radio, on a phone, or just sing one yourself. Count 1, 2, 3, 4 and do the side step all the way to the end of the song. Add your arms if your feet are ready.
Answer: There is no wrong answer here. If your feet landed on the beat, you did it.
What you learned today
Quick check
The side step. Put the moves in order.
Tap the cards in the right order.
