By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Students who are blind or visually impaired can benefit from involvement in dance. Dance can improve students movement, coordination, independence and can also help the student increase their orientation and mobility skills. The student may have opportunities to participate in dance within the Physical Education program, or may choose to take formal dance lessons.

Dance Instruction

The Arts Education Chapter in Foundations of Education 2nd edition, Volume II written by Donna McNear, makes the following suggestions:
  • If the student receives O&M services, the O&M specialist can collaborate with the P.E. teacher or dance instructor to determine the students current skills and determine what skills need to be per-taught to provide the student with the skills to participate.  The O&M can also help to orient the student to the physical environment whether it's the gym, a classroom or a stage. 
  • Students with low vision may need physical guidance or access to a dance instructor's movements. To do this, the student may need to be in close proximity to the instructor. Students who are blind will need to initially be motored through the movements. To do this, allow the student to place their hands on the teacher to understand the movement.
  • If a student has a difficult time with a particular movement, have the student practice the skill or each movement separately before putting it all together. Students may need feedback and repetition for new skills and more difficult movements.
  • Provide the student with verbal prompts or audio prompt (clapping, whistles, music or other sound source) to help the student keep oriented during movement activities.
  • Fade assistance as the student becomes more comfortable and and increase independent.

Movement Skills

Whole Body Movements:
bend backward, bend forward, bend sideways, crawl, hop, jump, lift, lie down, roll, run, shuffle. sit, skate, skip, squat, stand up, stoop, sway, tiptoe, twirl, turn, walk

Lower Body Movements:
bend knees, click heels together, kick, stamp, stand on one foot, stand on tiptoe, swing legs, tap toes, tap heels, wiggle toes

Upper Body Movements:
bend arm, catch, clap, clutch, fold, grasp, move chin down, move chin up, nod head, pat head, pound, pull, punch, put arm across body, raise arm up, put arm down, reach, rub, shake head, shrug, slouch, straighten arm, stretch, swing arms, throw, tug wave, wind

Finger Movements:
cut, flick, lace, pinch, point, scratch, snap, squeeze, tap, tie, twist, wiggle

Facial Movement:
grimacing, squinting, wrinkling

Ways to Move:
loudly, happily, quickly, quietly, sadly, slowly     

Directions in Which to Move
up, down, backward, forward, sideways, in a circle

Move in Relation to an Object
over, under, in front of, in back of, between, beside

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