Teaching Ideas for War Dance by Kabalevsky

This blog presents a series of teaching ideas for War Dance by Kabalevsky (from his collection 30 Children’s Pieces Op.27)…

… and with a title like this there is plenty of scope for the imagination!

So what springs to mind when you think of the title ‘War Dance’? Totem poles. Feather headbands. Open, dusty plains. Buffalo. Wigwams. Prairie sunsets. John Wayne movies!

But you don’t just want to read about teaching ideas.

Instead, let’s visit that wide open prairie, let’s smell the war paint, let’s feel the vibration of those beating drums – and let’s experience the energy of this fabulous Grade 4/5 piece through the music!

WATCH THE VIDEO

In this video I explore:
1. Tempo & mood
2. Form & structure
3. Dynamic contrasts
4. Rhythm concepts
5. Cadences
6. Ledger lines

GET A COPY OF THE PIECE

The two editions that I refer to in this video are:
Boosey & Hawkes – click here
Schirmer Performance Edition – click here

DOWNLOAD THE STUDENT WORKBOOK

(Because I know how much piano teachers love teaching resources!)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

TEACHING IDEAS PROJECT

If you’d like to check out teaching ideas for other pieces of repertoire, check out the links below:

#1 – Rhyme Time by Elissa Milne click here
#2 – The Flying Trunk by Yvonne Adair click here
#3 – Watermark by Louise Chamberlain click here

This blog post was written by Sharon Mark-Teggart | Co-Founder & Director of The Curious Piano Teachers