Wonderful sports day / athletic festival

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

Charleston

How to do the Charleston step

Charleston

It’s a bit tricky, but a great step to try for hip-hop-style tracks is the Charleston.

Start by practicing the move called “pata-pata,” where you first turn your heels outward and then quickly turn them inward as you step.

Once you’ve got that down, combine it by walking while crossing your feet forward and backward at the same time as the pata-pata motion.

Finally, add a lift of your foot timed with the moment your heels turn outward in the pata-pata, and you’re done.

It can be tough until you get used to it, so take it slow and practice each part while referring to videos on YouTube and the like!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

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.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

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.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

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.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

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.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

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.