What’s Up Everyone!
Dancing is a fun and easy way for students to get their body moving and active for a lifetime. The Cupid Shuffle is a classic dance we love to teach our students every year. Whether they attend a birthday party, wedding reception, or school dance, more than likely the DJ will end up playing this line dance classic.
Focus on Doing Their Best
When I teach dances, I like to remind students they don’t have to be the best dancers, they just need to try their best. I want to show them the steps so they have to confidence to join in if they hear the song being played.
Check out Marcus teaching the Cupid Shuffle below:
Breakdown
I like to start off by having the students in a central area so they are all facing the same way to start. After they are sitting, I play the song for them so they hear the song and feel the rhythm.
Then remind them of the “Why” behind the activity.
It’s a fun and easy way to keep your body healthy and they may hear it at special events later in your life.
I also want to remind them, they don’t have to be the best dancers. I don’t even care if they make mistakes. I just want them to do their best and forget the rest.
I also so them a non-example of someone not trying their best to establish a clear expectation.
Steps to the Dance
After the introduction, I go through the steps of the dance.
I like to mirror the dance steps (going opposite, facing students) so students see which direction to go.
It takes some time to understand how to mirror the dance but it helps students understand better.
This is a FOUR count dance, with FOUR Steps each for a count of FOUR and throughout the dance you will rotate around to FOUR different walls… so the magic number to remember is… FOUR
Step One: Shuffle to the Right
- Step and slide to the right for a count of FOUR
Step Two: Shuffle to the left
- Step slide to the left for a count of FOUR
Step Three: The Kick
- Step and tap heel then switch legs FOUR times
Step Four: The Cupid Shuffle
- Twist feet and slowly turn your body to face one wall to your left. (It will be your right if you’re mirroring)
Practice Tips
We like to practice without the music first. Each step in isolation, then altogether. Then all steps to all four walls. Then we practice with the music.
The goal is for students to know the steps and be able to dance them without the help of the teacher.
This dance is great for all ages, but with K-1st I’ve found I can be more successful with them if we don’t turn to our left, but instead just keep facing the same direction. Sure they could learn it, but you would have to spend more time with them than I’m usually willing to commit in my lesson.
Dance for a Warmup Activity
Once your students know the dance you can use it as a warmup activity or an instant activity that students complete when they come into the gym.
I will sometimes give my students a choice of doing the dance in the middle or doing walk jog lines or hurdles around the perimeter.
That’s it!
Remind students how awesome line dancing is and they don’t have to be the best they just have to try their best.
Dancing is an easy way to keep their bodies healthy for a lifetime and you can’t do it wrong if you’re having fun and doing your best!
Line Dances Cheat Sheet
If you’d like to purchase a Line Dance Steps Cheat Sheet which includes the Cupid Shuffle and other popular line dances that we teach in PE Class you can check out our dance E-book by clicking the graphic below:
More Dance Resources:
- Teaching my students The Jump Dance from Mr. Chris
- Teaching Locomotors with The Chicken Dance
- Teaching the Hokey Pokey with Hula Hoops
- My Stereo Setup