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CDI fulfills California State Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards
Photographer: Mark Edward Harris
“The children were totally focused throughout the class as they engaged in activities that demonstrated the elements of dance. . . . . Your expectations were high and clearly demonstrated a knowledge of the LAUSD standards.”
-Leah Bass-Baylis, Dance Advisor, LAUSD, 1999

CDI fulfills the VAPA standards for 4th Grade Dance in the following ways


(See Standards)

1.1: Demanded by instructor through mirroring, call and response.
1.2: Steps are assigned letters and performed in various orders.
1.3 & 1.4: Live accompanist changes tempo, dynamics. Students develop spatial “radar.”
1.5 & 1.6: Students analyze peers’ work: act as "judges," "choreographers," "dance doctors."
2.1: Students develop movement that is incorporated into choreography. Memorize long sequences.
2.3: Through group movement and solos, students understand and discuss choreographic processes.
2.4 Students learn three dances with a beginning, middle and end; rehearse and clean choreography.
2.5: Thematic performances allow students to invest movements with subtext and purpose.
2.6: Instructors demand complete focus and commitment in classes, performances.
2.7: Built into class format.
3.1 & 3.3: Performance themes explore cultures.
3.2: Accompanist identifies music, discusses historical context.
4.2: Watch peers, give feedback.
4.3 & 4.4: Classes have performance context: Use energy, dance to counts, look at audience, use facial expressions.
5.0: CDI’s mission: use dance to teach life and learning skills.
5.1: Incorporate basic music theory, math principles.
5.2: Dancers described as artists and athletes. Students check heart rates.
5.3: Entrance games, group transitions, games develop “dancer radar.”
5.4: The choreographic process is described as writing a story: steps equal words, phrases equal sentences, sections equal paragraphs, and the whole piece equals the story.

Photographer: Natalie ObermaierPhotographer: Natalie Obermaier