The Graduation Two-Step

These discussion ideas can build your child’s awareness of movement in common rituals. Movement isn’t random. There’s serious community choreography happening around them everyday. A fun part of this lesson will be showing the right way – and the wrong way.

• When preparing for a graduation (or wedding) ceremony, take a few minutes to say what the ceremony is about. Why is graduation an important milestone?
• School graduations have a lot of work to do. They need to make it official that the students have successfully completed their work. They need to help the families see and feel the importance of the moment. And they need to make sure that all of the graduates get the time and attention they deserve.
• There is always music – music that feels grand and a little slow. The music says, “This is important.” And it is important because it represents a very big change in someone’s life. Their lives will be different from this point on.
• The caps and gowns also add to the solemnity and importance.
• And then, the procession. Graduates march in a very special way – in a long line. (Show them.) This means it takes quite a while to get all the way to the stage – which is perfect so every mom and dad have a minute to get some pictures and to wave and generally burst with pride.
• Let’s practice it now. It all feels very controlled, doesn’t it.
• Imagine if the music was very fast, what would happen? How would the ceremony feel different?
• What would happen if the graduates didn’t march in a line at all? What if they all ran up at once? How would the ceremony feel?
• When the event is over, all the students march out again, but this time it is casual and a little faster.  The music and the movement now reflect the happiness and relief.
• Do you think it’s important that they end by marching out in pairs? Would the ceremony feel less important if the graduates just jumped off the stage and ran to their parents.