Prancing is a large rhythmic motor skill that can be done in place, or moving forward over the floor. It precedes skipping in difficulty. It is an important skill to master as the elements make up parts of the more advanced skipping motor skill.

The whole series of 16 large rhythmic motor skills beginning with the easiest to most complex includes: walking, running, marching, galloping, sliding, hopping, jumping, leaping, pedaling, prancing, toe pointing, skipping, waltzing, minuet, schottische, polka.

For kids that have learning disabilities that make balance difficult, assist by holding one of their hands while they practice.

Prancing Technique

Prancing can be learned and practiced in place, alternating feet, and then as a moving step across the room. Look at the illustration.

Begin with feet parallel. Legs change role of supporting leg and working leg alternately. The supporting leg balances the weight of the body while the moving leg, the working leg, moves.

Now a little bounce is added as the legs exchange positions. To do that bend the supporting knee, push supporting foot into the floor and then push upward with supporting foot leaving the floor.

Opposite foot lands in supporting position and step is repeated over and over: left, right, left, right.

Prancing Kinesthetic Lesson

This is a coordinated step, so for beginners it is useful to face the back of a chair or table and hold on for balance with both hands. When that becomes comfortable try holding on with just one hand. The free arm can be extended to the side for balance.

The rhythm is even such as 4/4 time at first and then double time when the lesson is mastered.

A sequence to use with your students is 2 slow prancing steps in place and 4 double time prances in place; 2 slow prances and 4 double time prances. The counting rhythm would be:
1, 2, &/ 1, 2, 3, 4 &/1, 2, &/ 1, 2, 3, 4

When your students have truly mastered their balance the class can spread out in the room and perform without support; both arms stretched to the side.

When students are balancing securely prancing in place, move on by having the students at the back of the room facing you, then proceed to prance forward toward you. Students then turn 180 degrees to face back of room and prance back to place. The image of a prancing horse is how the bounce in this intermediate motor skill should look.

The benefit of learning to prance is the coordination needs both right and left hemispheres of brain to work together, so the connections between are strengthened.

For more practice

All 16 basic rhythmic motor skills and dances for practice are in my book:
Rhythms and Dances for School Age Kids


Article and illustration by Susan Kramer