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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 Middle School Students (21–30)

Twell & Lock

Twell & Lock

Twell & Lock

This is a combination of “Twirl” and “Lock,” which are fundamental shapes in Locking.

First, the Twirl is a movement where you rotate your wrist twice in sync with the up (bounce) motion.

The key points are to relax your wrist and coordinate your elbows and shoulders with the up.

The Twirl fits into the flow of the dance, while the Lock creates the hit or accent—so you move with the Twirl and make your punctuation with the Lock.

Adopt a slightly hunched posture, put your weight on the supporting leg, extend both arms lightly forward, and open the elbows to brace your body.

Since sharpness is crucial in Locking, it’s important to engage and tighten at the accents.

It’s recommended to incorporate this to tracks with emphasized rhythmic beats.

With fast-tempo songs, the movements can become too flowy, so it’s best to start with slower tracks and gradually get used to it.

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Paper Goo-Goo Paper Goo

Paper Goo-Goo Paper Goo

Paper Goo-Goo Paper Goo

For those looking for simple yet dynamic choreography, I recommend a move called pa-pa, goo-goo, pa-goo.

On the first “pa,” extend your right hand and right foot forward; on the next “pa,” extend your left hand and left foot forward.

With the two “goo” beats, close both your hands and feet to the center.

For the final “pa-goo,” extend both hands and feet at once, then bring them back in.

Since we don’t usually move the hand and foot on the same side simultaneously, it might be tricky at first.

But once you get used to it, your body will start moving automatically.

Because it uses space broadly, it also works well for the chorus of a song where you want to add impact.

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[Dance Basics] Easy Dance Choreography for Junior High School Students (31–40)

6 steps

Breakdance Basics: How to Do the “6-Step” — Practice Method That Even Beginners Can Definitely Master

6 steps

If you’ve learned the basic steps of breakdancing, the 6-step is highly recommended.

While it’s called a step, in breakdancing the 6-step is considered a floor move.

Even people who aren’t familiar with breakdancing have probably seen this move.

That said, because the 6-step sits between a floor move and a step, it isn’t easy for beginners to master.

If you’re finding it hard to dance smoothly, try focusing on your axis.

By keeping the supporting hand—the axis—in mind, you’ll start to intuitively sense your position.

Once you can keep your position, all that’s left is to keep the steps going.

So beginners should definitely practice with a strong awareness of their axis.

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Inverted jump

Inverted jump

Inverted jump

The step characterized by large up-and-down movement is the “reverse jump.” Swing your arms widely backward and move your legs back to match.

As you land, open your legs and drop your body low.

Because it ends in a low position, it works well as a transition into movements that start low.

It’s a simple move that makes your body look big, so it’s a handy technique you can use as part of choreography for almost any genre of music.

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down chest

down chest

down chest

The down-chest is a move where you keep rhythm while pulling your chest backward.

The key is to imagine someone pressing into your solar plexus and to make a big, full-body motion to cave your chest in.

Once you get used to it, try extending your arms forward or lowering your hips at the moment you cave your chest—your choreography will instantly level up and look cooler! That said, a routine using only the down-chest can feel a bit lacking, so it’s best to incorporate it between other moves.

It works not only with dance music but also with rock tracks, so give it a try.

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Brooklyn

[For Beginners] A Cool “Brooklyn” Practice Method You Can Do in Just 3 Minutes

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is characterized by movements that open the legs and arms outward from the center to the left and right.

The choreography is simple yet powerful, making it a perfect match for hip-hop or dance music with heavy beats.

The key is to stay mindful of your body’s center so your position doesn’t shift as you dance.

Start with your legs turned inward and open them outward to both sides.

Go up on your toes here, aiming for dynamic motion.

For the upper body, push your chest forward and repeatedly swing your arms left and right.

Keep the overall concept of opening from the inside out in mind.

This choreography is recommended for those trying an energetic number in creative dance.

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club step

[Basic Dance] Let's master the Club Step!

club step

The club step is a basic dance step where you move side to side with your knees turned inward.

First, place your feet a little narrower than shoulder-width apart.

Then, to move to the right, shift your weight onto the heel of your right foot and the toes of your left foot.

To move to the left, shift your weight onto the heel of your left foot and the toes of your right foot.

Once you’ve mastered this basic motion, you can add all kinds of variations.

Its comical look makes it a good match for upbeat, pop-style music.

However, it’s also a movement that can easily strain your knees, so be sure to warm up thoroughly before practicing!

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In conclusion

The dance steps and choreography—they look doable when you watch clear tutorial videos, don’t they? Each one carefully teaches you with slow and mirrored versions, so every piece seems very easy to dance.

I highly recommend these for anyone who wants to start dancing as a hobby, so be sure to make use of them.