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[Dance Basics] Simple Choreography for Middle School Students

[Dance Basics] Simple Choreography for Middle School Students

Last updated:2025/5/8

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)

sidestep

[Dance Basics / Side Step] Basic step practice that even beginners can do! Let’s dance together to the music!

sidestep

The side step is one of the simplest moves in dance.

It’s easy to do: when moving to the right, step out with your right foot and then bring your left foot in to meet it.

When moving to the left, just switch the leading foot.

This way, even beginners can pick it up quickly! Once you get used to the movement, try adding variations, like doing a small stomp when your feet come together or incorporating arm movements.

Because it’s a simple move, it works with any song.

If you’re unsure about choreography, start by moving to the tempo of the music and then decide on your upper-body movements.

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shamrock

It went viral on social media! We’ll explain how to do the stylish step “Shamrock” and share tips!

shamrock

This step involves stepping out to the side while simultaneously rotating your body to face sideways, then rotating your arms and body to return to the original position.

Be mindful of whether you pivot on your toes or your heels during the rotation, as well as the speed at which you turn your body.

Although it’s a foot-centered step, a key point is to coordinate your arms and body to return to position, which makes the movement look bigger.

If you perform the sequence smoothly, it will flow easily into the next move and be simple to incorporate as part of a choreography.

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pas de bourrée

[HOUSE] Pas de Bourrée RISING Dance School Rising Dance HOUSE PADOBRE

pas de bourrée

A great choreography for house and other dance music is the pas de bourrée.

It’s super easy because it’s just a combination of three steps! First, step your right foot out to the side; next, sweep your left foot behind; finally, step your right foot out to the side again.

Then start the same sequence from the left foot and keep repeating.

The key point is to turn your body firmly at the moment your legs cross.

By the way, it’s easier if you count the rhythm as “tan, ta-ta-tan.”

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Popcorn

Beginner Hip-Hop [Popcorn]: A fun and cool bouncy step — the correct way to do it ☺️

Popcorn

Popcorn is one of the fundamental hip-hop moves, known for its dynamic look.

You create the effect by lightly bouncing on the upbeats and kicking, choosing your foot landing points with a triangular pathway in mind to add variation.

The basic popcorn is just the step, but when you layer in upper-body movements and arm actions, the motion becomes truly dynamic.

Since lightness is the key, keep from dropping your center of gravity too low and maintain an upward intention.

As a foundational step, it’s a move you can incorporate into virtually any hip-hop track.

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kick step

[Dance Basics/Kick Step] Basic step practice even beginners can do!! Let’s dance together to the music!

kick step

The kick step is an easy-to-learn choreography that makes effective use of kicking movements.

When you actually try it, it’s best to start with a simple move: kick your feet forward and backward, and jump at the moment you kick.

Once you get the hang of it, you can make it look much more polished by angling your kicks diagonally or combining them with arm movements such as bending and extending.

Because the moves are simple, it also works well with non-dance genres like pop.

That said, it’s a fairly demanding routine, so don’t push yourself too hard!

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Running Man

A video that lets you learn the Running Man in 4 minutes

Running Man

The Running Man became widely recognized by a broad range of listeners after being featured in “R.Y.U.S.E.I.” by Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS from EXILE TRIBE.

Even though the dancer’s position doesn’t actually move, the performance makes it look as if they’re running, and combined with the song’s sense of speed, it left a powerful impression.

To do it: with your feet staggered front and back, simultaneously pull the front foot back while lifting the opposite foot up; then as you move the pulled foot to the back, lower the lifted foot to the floor.

Repeat this alternation to form the Running Man.

It’s a recommended dance skill for genres like hip-hop and shuffle dance, where groove and dynamism are essential.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Biz Markie

[Step With a Punch!?] A Complete Guide to Biz Markie’s Method and Tips!

Biz Markie

Biz Markie is a move often used in basic hip-hop rhythms.

It’s easy for beginners to pick up, so it’s recommended for anyone struggling to choreograph their own dance.

The Biz Markie is completed by combining two elements.

First, focus on the torso and hips: tilt your upper body forward while your hips go back, then shift your upper body back while tilting your hips forward.

Second, the arm action is key: from chest level, punch straight out to both sides, then keep your elbows tucked in and punch to one side, repeating the motion.

It’s a step that synchronizes your body rhythm with your arm movement.

It’s especially recommended if you’re trying 90s-late hip-hop styles or rap-influenced tracks.

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