Dive Deeper at Home: Dance Like a Deep Sea Animal

Archived Webinar

In the video above, marine biologist Karen Osborn introduces us to the gossamer worm, which lives in the deep sea. She explains how she studies it and shows video of it moving. Then dancer Kylie Murray translates the worm's movements into dance; viewers are encouraged to dance along with her! The program is moderated by ocean educator Lara Noren. This Zoom webinar aired July 16, 2020, as part of the museum's Deep Sea Animal Adaptations week, a Natural History Summer Explorations program for students entering Grades 3-7.

You can watch the video and then do the challenge below, or go right to the challenge.

Deep Sea Exploration Challenge

Dance is a great way to interpret the way animals behave in the deep sea. Your challenge is to create your own dance that is inspired by a deep sea animal that follows this pattern:

1. Starting pose
2. 8-counts of locomotor movement (traveling movement like walk, skip, roll)
3. 8-counts of non-locomotor movement (move in one spot like bend, twist, sway)
4. Ending pose

Your dance will be designed by considering five important elements of dance.

What You Need

• Space to move around in
• Optional: Music 
• Image or videos of a deep sea animal to inspire your dance (check some out below!)

Directions

1. Pick a deep sea animal that inspires you to dance and watch how it moves. Explore these or other websites and videos. 

• Deep sea worm (NOAA)
• Deep sea crustacean (YouTube)
• Sorceress eel (YouTube)
• Deep sea squid (YouTube)
• Chimaera  (YouTube)
• Deep sea shrimp (YouTube)

2. Review the chart below. Each column describes an important element of dance and includes questions and ideas that can help you create your dance.

3. Use the questions in the chart to give you ideas for planning your dance.

Chart adapted from Local Motion Project and Perpich Center for Arts Education (2011)

4. Now put your dance together! Optional: Find music that inspires you to move like your chosen animal.

Start with dance that involves the following pattern:

• Starting pose
• 8-counts or beats of locomotor movement
• 8-counts or beats of non-locomotor movement
• Ending pose

5. Show your dance to your family or friends! Share with them what you love about how you can combine dance with deep sea science!

Take it a Step Further

1. Think about adaptations your animal would need to survive - how would it eat? How would it avoid predators? How would it attract a mate? Revise your dance to incorporate these adaptations. 
2. Pick a new animal and create a new dance using the following pattern, or create your own pattern:
   1. Starting pose
   2. 8-counts or beats of locomotor movement
   3. 8-counts or beats of non-locomotor movement
   4. Ending pose
3. Watch some other ocean animal dance interpretations (Smithsonian Ocean Portal)
4. Explore More:
   1. Ocean Portal Worm Images, Videos, and Info
   2. Watch Ocean Biodiversity - Exploring Marine Invertebrates with Dr. Karen Osborn