The first class is often the most important, because you not only have to set the tone for the year, but you also have to learn names and get to know your students. But breaking the ice with (and amongst) dancers can feel tricky without a few tools in your back pocket. 

Here are seven icebreakers you can use from some of the best names in the business.

From Anne Green Gilbert, Creator of the BrainDance and Founder of the Creative Dance Center in Seattle, Washington

1. Back to Back

Have students choose a partner, any partner, by standing back to back with someone nearby. Instruct them to make contact with just their elbows, just their heels, etc. After students get the hang of ways of making contact, cue them to dance away from each other, emphasizing a specific body part. When you say “Back to back!,” they should find their original partner or a new one. Repeat the process all over again. This activity is great for students who may feel shy about choosing a partner initially. The back-to-back motif enables them to find partners without the awkwardness of eye contact.

2. Group Mirror

Have students spread out so that they have ample space around them. Face them and challenge them to move whatever body part mirrors the body part you move. Start slowly with simple arm, leg, and head motions. When you raise the arm closest to the door, see if your students are moving their arm that’s closest to the door at the same time, at the same speed. Once students are comfortable with this, add additional challenge by increasing the speed of your movements or locomoting through space. Eventually, you can call on students to take their turns as the leader. Use this as an opportunity to identify students by name so that students familiarize themselves with one another.

3. Together/Apart

Instruct students to find a partner or two, depending on your class size. When students are together with their duo or trio, they should move slowly around, under, and over one another. Call out “Apart!,” cuing students to move away from their partner(s) with lively, spacious movements. Alternate cuing “Together!” and “Apart!” to vary the speed, size, and dynamics of the movement. If appropriate, have students switch partners every time you call “Together!” This is not only an excellent way for students to familiarize themselves with their peers, it’s a great introduction to the elements of space and movement (locomotor and nonlocomotor).

From Sheila Kogan, Longtime San Francisco Bay Area–Based Dance Educator

4. Hello and Goodbye

This activity is a great warm-up and cooldown for younger dancers. Sit in a circle with arms and legs extended in front of you towards the center of the circle. Instruct dancers to flex their hands and feet to make the “hello position.” Next, have dancers point their hands and feet down to make the “goodbye position.” Check that students are sitting up tall as they move their hands and feet between these positions. As a way of introduction, go around the circle saying hello to each student by name as the group moves to the “hello position.” Try the activity again at the end of class as a cooldown, saying “goodbye” to each student by name, as well.

5. Jump Your Name

Ideal for first-graders through fourth-graders, this activity is a great way to learn both students’ names and general temperaments. Have the class stand in a circle and, one at a time, have each student jump and say their name at the height of the jump as loudly as possible. If a student is shy, let them pass or offer them an alternative to introduce themselves. This exercise will reveal a lot about your new class: their level of energy, shyness, coordination, and sense of timing. Bonus: It’s a quick way to shake off those new-student jitters!

From Patricia Reedy, Co-Founder of the Luna Dance Institute in Berkeley, California

6. The Freeze Game

Allow students to move however they’d like through the space. Beat a drum and stop the music and say “Freeze!” Students then hold very still in a shape of their choosing. Repeat the process, challenging students to create shapes that highlight different body parts or have different qualities: “a shape of one foot,” “a curvy shape,” “a low shape,” etc. Draw students’ attention to interesting and creative shapes made by dancers around the room: “I see Marlowe is making a jagged shape that is close to the floor” or “Eli’s shape has crisscross lines that he’s making with his arms and legs.” Students will grow more comfortable, confident, and creative as the activity continues, and you can bring it back throughout the year to explore different elements of dance.

7. Name Syllables

Assemble dancers in a circle. Pass a drum around; as each student receives it, they beat out the syllables of their name: Pa-trish-a. Have the class repeat that student’s name rhythmically before the drum is passed. During a second pass around the circle, have the whole class repeat each student’s name as the named student does a simple movement for each syllable of their name. Make sure the class repeats both the name and the movement to help solidify names for the whole class.

Further Reading

For more on these icebreakers and additional ideas for your dance class, check out the following books:
Body, Mind & Spirit in Action: A Teacher’s Guide to Creative Dance, by Patricia Reedy
Creative Dance for All Ages, by Anne Green Gilbert
Step by Step: A Complete Movement Education Curriculum, by Sheila Kogan