- Definition
Narrative form in dance means the dance tells a story, just like a book or movie, with a beginning, middle, and end.
The ballet The Nutcracker uses narrative form to tell the story of Clara and her magical nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: A dance in narrative form is like acting out a story for a friend, using your body to show the beginning, middle, and end.
Ask your child: What story do you think this dance is trying to tell?
Common mix-up: Kids may think dance is just a series of moves set to music. A narrative dance uses movement to tell a specific story with characters, a problem, and a resolution.
Examples
- A dance showing a seed sprouting, growing into a flower, and then wilting tells a simple story.
- A performance where dancers act out a folk tale using movement instead of words.
narrative form is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
