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[Dance Basics] Simple Choreography for Middle School Students

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Bassist and radio listenerkappamaki
A Kyoto-based bassist who loves radio and ska punk. I mostly inhabit the ani-radio scene, but I’m not a professional. I’m a bit unusual in that I’ve built up my anison knowledge through ani-radio. My love of ska punk centers on Japanese bands. I’ve also worked as a staffer at a music studio. I’m always running around in circles every day.

You probably have a lot of chances to dance at events like sports festivals and culture festivals.

For people who already do dance as a hobby or take lessons, being good at it might be a given, but beginners often don’t even know the names of the moves.

Here, we introduce easy-to-understand basic steps and choreography for dance beginners.

Once you learn the basic movements, you’ll find that trending dances on social media are easy to do!

Try combining different moves and use them as inspiration for your own original dance!

[Dance Basics] Simple Choreography for Junior High School Students (1–10)

cloisonné

cloisonné

cloisonné

The cross turn is a move where you cross your legs and rotate once from that position.

Compared to other turns, it has a much lower risk of falling, which is a major characteristic, and it’s often used in basic practice to help you get the feel for turning.

It’s a simple movement: lightly jump while crossing your legs, spread your arms wide, and complete a single rotation as you release the crossed legs.

Because of this simplicity, it’s easy to grasp how to position your center of gravity and how your feet should move during the rotation.

Since it uses both arms and both legs, it’s difficult to perform simultaneously with other tricks, but it works well as a way to transition between sequences.

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Shuffle

Sharp and slick! Super easy way to do the “Shuffle” [House Dance]

Shuffle

If you want to step up from beginner to intermediate, this shuffle is recommended.

Since this step often puts your weight on one foot, it requires a certain level of strength and explosiveness.

As with other steps, it becomes easier to dance if you focus on lifting your center of gravity.

Since TikTok and Instagram became popular, shuffle dance has gone mainstream, so many of you have probably seen it before.

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box step

box step

box step

The box step is a move where you imagine the corners of a square and step alternately left and right.

It’s known as a classic choreography used in hip-hop and dance music.

First, step one foot forward, then cross the other foot over as you step.

Next, pull the foot you initially moved forward back so your feet are aligned front to back, and finally return the forward foot to the starting position to finish.

As you move your feet, make sure to shift your weight using your whole body.

It’s easier to remember if you draw an illustration showing the order of the steps, so that’s recommended.

Try dancing it to the down-and-up rhythm of hip-hop.

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[Dance Basics] Simple dance choreography for junior high school students (11–20)

Two-step

Entry Basics: “Two-Step Course” — So you’re a friend interested in breakdancing! — [Breaking Beginner]

Two-step

The two-step is a basic move in hip-hop and breakdancing.

In breaking, many dancers use the two-step as a kind of lead-in before entering power moves.

Like the Box or the Brooklyn, it’s a relatively easy dance to perform.

Because the movements are large, it can be quite tiring, but the step itself is on the easier side in terms of difficulty.

If you’re a beginner, why not try it as practice for keeping rhythm?

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Happy Feet

[Dance Basics/Happy Feet] Basic step practice that even beginners can do!! Let's dance together to the music!

Happy Feet

Starting from a stance with your feet together in the center, this step opens the body forward, back, left, and right in time with the rhythm, and it’s commonly used in house dance.

What matters is how quickly you can maintain balance—where your center of gravity is when you tilt your body, and which part of your foot you use as the pivot.

Pay attention to shifting the axis between heel and toe and to the knee action that makes those transitions look smoother, and practice gradually.

If you also focus on how you swing your arms when transferring weight and on the shapes you create when you stop, it will not only improve your balance but also make the step look more dynamic.

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Slide

Slide

Slide

The slide is a very simple step: bend your knees and elbows and move to the right, then straighten your knees and elbows once while opening your chest firmly, and repeat the same movement on the left side.

Because the movement is simple, it might work better in the interlude rather than during the intense parts of the song.

Also, when dancing with a large group, synchronized sideways slides have a strong impact, so be sure to use this in choreography for songs by idol groups and other large ensembles!

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scuba

How to Do and Practice the Locking Basic “Scoo B Doo” (Scuba) — a Simple Yet Super Cool Move

scuba

The step called the Scuba—also known as the Scuba Pop—is striking for its pendulum-like, wide leg swings.

As you can see in videos, this step centers on very intense movement.

Because of that, it can be extremely tiring, and many people may find repeated practice tough.

In those moments, try imagining an axis running through your chest.

A pendulum always has a central axis.

For the Scuba, the ideal central axis is around the chest.

If you picture that chest axis while kicking your legs out wide to the side, it will look more elegant and also help conserve your energy.

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