Darla Hanley's Music Room
Creative Teaching for Students of Today (& Tomorrow) PK-8
Today’s Teaching Strategy: A Beautiful Line Dance
(Line Dance)
Upper Elementary (5)
© 2025 Darla S. Hanley
This teaching strategy is all about moving and grooving—and enjoying a great song. It goes with “A Beautiful Day” by James King and Anders Lewén because of its positive message and danceability.
This track is available on multiple streaming audio platforms. (Like many of my teaching strategies, you should feel free to find other audio tracks to anchor the learning experience using music that works in your setting or new tracks to simply “mix it up.”)
Hi! I’m Darla, an experienced PK-12 music educator, college professor, and former Berklee College of Music Dean looking to connect with teachers, parents/caregivers, and others seeking to advance creative music making for today’s students—and their teachers. In Darla Hanley’s Music Room you will find teaching strategies, advice and teaching tips, playlists, and more.
A Beautiful Line Dance
Today we are going to perform a line dance. A line dance is a dance performed without partners—we will all line up in rows (lines). And this type of dance follows a choreographed pattern of steps that repeat.
ProTIP: Telling students the type of dance they will perform and its basis in repetition prepares them for the dance.
Teach the dance steps without a recording. Below is a text description of the dance—and a demonstration video to make it easy!
Materials/Set Up
Open Space Like a Dance Floor
Dance Steps
Walk backwards R, L, R, Feet Together with a Clap (1, 2, 3, 4)
Walk forward L, R, L, Feet Together with a Clap (5, 6, 7, 8)
Sidestep to the R: R, L, R, Feet Together with a Clap (1, 2, 3, 4)
Sidestep to the L: L, R, L, Feet Together with a Clap (5, 6, 7, 8)
8 Step Walking Turn: R, L, R, L, R, L, R, L (so you are now facing the wall that was behind you when you started)
“John Travolta Moves” R then together, L then together, R then together, L then together =
R arm up Stretching Across Body while R Leg Steps Out to the R—then Bring Arm Down and Feet Together (1, 2)
L arm up Stretching Across Body while L Leg Steps Out to the L—then Bring Arm Down and Feet Together (3, 4)
R arm up Stretching Across Body while R Leg Steps Out to the R—then Bring Arm Down and Feet Together (5, 6)
L arm up Stretching Across Body while L Leg Steps Out to the L—then Bring Arm Down and Feet Together (7, 8)
Repeat the Sequence!
Play the recording of “A Beautiful Day” and direct students to perform the line dance with the track.
ProTIP: Use the first 0.16 seconds or so of the track to groove and feel the beat before beginning the dance.
What was your favorite part of the line dance? Why?
ProTIP: Asking these questions provides students with the opportunity to express personal preferences—with a rationale.
EXTEND the Learning:
Record students performing the line dance and play the video as the audience enters for one of your concerts. (Better yet: Use your video captured here AND make a few others to show your students playing instruments, singing, and moving as an opening montage!)
Have students create an original line dance.
ProTIP: Invite students to create new movements to replace one 8-count at a time (i.e., Replace the walking backwards/forward with something new and perform the rest of the dance as is; then replace the sidesteps count of 8 with something new, etc.) until a whole new dance is made.
ProTIP: Instead of creating a whole new line dance, invite students to only replace the first 8-count with original movements, and have as many students as time permits offer suggestions for everyone to perform.
🎵 James King and Anders Lewén “A Beautiful Day” Link to Track on Spotify
Formation
X X X X X
X X X X X
X X X X X
Learning Targets
Move
Learning Outcomes
Respond to show the beat and feel of a recorded example
Create an original line dance*
Perform a line dance
*This outcome only happens within the EXTEND the Learning part of this teaching strategy.
Assessment
Informal Observation/Formative Assessment
Thanks for checking this out. If you use this teaching strategy, be sure to leave a comment to let me know how it resonates with your students!
Great teaching demo!!