Probability of Dance

Project Description

Join our Office of Outreach in this month’s resource focused on combining math and dance to create unique dance sequences by manipulating dance elements with a variety of probability tools through the choreography concept of Chance Dance made popular by choreographer Merce Cunningham.

Best suited for grade 5; can be adjusted for grades 3-4 or 6-12.

Artistic Process
Creating

What's Included

Guiding Question

Standards Addressed

2026 South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Visual and Performing Arts Proficiency Standards in Dance:
Artistic Processes: Creating- I can conceive and develop new artistic ideas and work..
D.CR.IL.1.1: I can make choices by combining and manipulating a variety of dance elements.
D.CR.IL.1.2: I can explore a movement solution using a variety of senses, ideas, and moods.
2025 South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Mathematics Standards:
Grade 5: 5.DPSR.2.1: Represent the probability of a simple event as 0, a fraction, or 1. Limit fractions to denominators of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 25

About the Project Creators

Melissa McCrary is a lifelong dancer and educator who began training at age three and later earned her B.A. in Dance from Winthrop University, a Master of Education from the University of South Carolina, and is completing a Ph.D. in Global Leadership. She taught dance in South Carolina public schools for 17 years and is currently the Dance Educator, Fine Arts Lead, and Arts Grant Manager at Chester Park Elementary School of Fine Arts, as well as the dance facilitator for the SC Arts Leadership Success Academy. A past SCDA Dance Educator of the Year, Melissa is deeply involved in statewide arts leadership through curriculum development, assessment work, and service on multiple boards and committees.

Interested In This Resource?
Request this resource here.

About the Governor's School's Outreach Programs
As a part of the Governor’s School’s mission to serve as a resource to teachers and students across the state, the Office of Outreach provides classroom resources and professional learning opportunities to enrich arts education in South Carolina. Learn more.

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