Dance
Welcome to the Dance Department
"Dance is the hidden language of the soul." - Martha Graham
Head of Department:
Mrs Molloy
e-mail: lleigh2.310@parkhighstanmore.org.uk
Dance is an exciting and creative subject which aligns with our Performing Arts Faculty Vision ‘to develop confident, creative, reflective, resilient and analytical artists, who are able to work both as strong collaborators and independent learners’. Students are encouraged to develop their physical, expressive, technical and mental performance skills, as well as their evaluative and analytical abilities. Confidence is a key skill the students cultivate, empowering them as presenters and commanders of a stage, building their resilience and broadening their aesthetic, social and cultural experience through a holistic engagement with dance. We expose learners to a variety of Dance styles, works and vocabulary, aiming to instil a love of artistry and foster their curiosity. An awareness and understanding of safety is paramount to our aims as a department, ensuring that students work compassionately and supportively in the dance space.
Key Stage 3
Our broad, balanced and diverse KS3 curriculum embraces and exceeds that of the National Curriculum within PE and is structured to enable students to develop their skills from beginner to highly competent. ‘Introduction to Dance’ lays the foundation of key Dance skills in performance and choreography, which are developed and honed throughout Year 7-9. Students learn how to develop their physicality and technical skills through learning key set phrases within each scheme, each of which builds in complexity and supports choreographic creativity. We embrace the diversity of dance in our curriculum, exploring a breadth of choreographers such as Hofesh Shecter, Akram Khan and Boy Blue Entertainment, among others, aiming for students to not only develop knowledge and understanding of a range of styles, but to embrace a variety of choreographic voices. Additionally, students embrace a range of dance styles, from African to Contemporary in order to support their cultural development, alongside their performance range. We explore dance technique, safe studio practice, choreographic skills and dance analysis, allowing students to develop the strong foundations they need to continue their studies at GCSE.
Year 7
In Dance pupils study skills based around collaborative choreography, learning set phrases and routines, performance, appreciation and evaluative skills. Each half-term is alternated with Drama in Year 7
| Autumn | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|
|
Introduction to Dance |
Nutcracker |
Musical Theatre |
| Assessment | ||
|
Formative
Summative Students will be required to show a final performance of a piece of choreography created using the stimulus of Sports. |
Formative
Summative Students will be required to show a final performance of choreography and repertoire based on Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker. |
Formative
Summative Students will be required to show a final performance of one of the musicals they have learnt this term. Alongside this they will reflect and evaluate their performance in a written assessment. |
Home learning is allocated on a half-termly basis within Dance and Drama. Year 7s are assessed throughout the year, within lessons, and with a final performance at the end of each scheme. These performances are expected to showcase the students’ best work and should be rehearsed outside of lesson time. Students are encouraged to take pride in their work and add costume, music and props/set where appropriate.
Knowledge Organisers:
Year 8
In Year 8, pupils study skills based around collaborative choreography, learning set phrases and routines, different styles of dance, performance, appreciation and evaluative skills.
| Autumn | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|
|
Cultural Dance: African and Capoeira Street Dance |
Defying Gravity Guernica |
Shechter Parkour |
| Assessment | ||
|
Formative
Summative Students will be required to show a final performance combining the styles of dance they have learnt this half term for their formative assessment. Formative
Summative Students will be required to show a final performance using the key movements of the 3 dance styles explored this half term for their formative assessment. |
Formative
Summative Students will be required to show a final performance using contact work based around a stimulus of their choice. Summative Students will be required to show a final performance using Pablo Picasso’s Guernica Painting as a stimulus. |
Formative
Summative Students will be required to perform a group piece inspired by their own background and Shechter’s choreographic concepts. Summative Students will be required to show a final performance of their choreography inspired by Parkour, Physical Theatre and Set works. |
Home learning is allocated on a half-termly basis within Dance and Drama. Year 8s are assessed throughout the year, within lessons, and with a final performance at the end of each scheme. These performances are expected to showcase the students’ best work and should be rehearsed outside of lesson time. Students are encouraged to take pride in their work and add costume, music and props/set where appropriate.
Knowledge Organisers:
Year 9
Year 9 is an important preparatory year for those wishing to pursue their Dance study at GCSE and equips students with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to advance in their dance practice further. Throughout the year we aim to expose the students to a variety of performance, choreographic and appreciation experiences, developing their physical skills and overall knowledge of Dance.
| Autumn | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|
|
‘Swansong’ by Christopher Bruce |
Dance inspired by Film |
‘Rebel’ by Boy Blue Entertainment |
| Assessment | ||
|
Formative
Summative Students will be required to show a final performance using contact work based around a stimulus of their choice. |
Formative
Summative Students will be required to show a final performance using contact work based around a stimulus of their choice. |
Formative
Summative Students will be required to show a final performance using contact work based around a stimulus of their choice. |
In Dance, pupils study skills based around collaborative choreography, learning set phrases and routines, different styles of dance, performance, appreciation and evaluative skills.
Home learning is allocated on a half-termly basis within Dance and Drama. Year 9s are assessed throughout the year, within lessons, and with a final performance at the end of each scheme. These performances are expected to showcase the students’ best work and should be rehearsed outside of lesson time. Students are encouraged to take pride in their work and add costume, music and props/set where appropriate.
Key Stage 4
At GCSE, we follow the AQA Dance syllabus which builds and consolidates the foundations set throughout KS3 and pushes students to realise their performance, choreographic and academic potential in Dance through the two components found within the specification. Further information can be found at www.aqa.org.uk/dance
Dance has key links to other subjects; namely Physical Education, Art, Drama, English, Science, History, PSHCEe and Mathematics. Students who have taken Dance for further study after Park High have gone on to a variety of professional conservatoires including Arts Educational Schools, Bird College and Trinity Laban. Dance can lead to an array of different careers, not just being a dancer. Students who have studied Dance at GCSE and A Level have gone on to study Business, Photography, Physiotherapy, Teaching, Forensic Science, Coaching, Medicine, English and Art.
Year 10
Students are expected to study, in their entirety, 6 professional works over the two-year Dance course. Students must ensure that they are revising these works throughout their GCSE.
Artificial Things choreographed by Lucy Bennett
A Linha Curva choreographed by Itzik Galili
Infra choreographed by Wayne McGregor
Shadows choreographed by Christopher Bruce
Within Her Eyes choreographed by James Cousins
Emancipation of Expressionism choreographed by Kenrick H20 Sandy
| Autumn | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|
|
Emancipation of Expressionism and A Linha Curva Within Her Eyes and Shadows |
Artificial Things and Infra Set Phrases and C2: Section A and B |
Trio and Set Phrases and C2: Section A and B C3 Revision and Trio |
| Assessment | ||
|
Do nows, low stakes quizzes, home-learning tasks. Performance at the end of the half term. Students will also be required to take an end of unit test. Do nows, low stakes quizzes, home-learning tasks. Students will be required to perform a piece inspired by one of the profession works. Students will also be required to take an end of unit test which includes questions based on the previous two Anthology Works as well as the current areas of study. |
Do nows, low stakes quizzes, home-learning tasks. Students will also be required to take an end of unit test. Ongoing teacher-assessment in lessons based upon the learning and execution of the set phrases. Do nows, low stakes quizzes, home-learning tasks. Students will also be required to take their Year 10 mock written exams. |
Ongoing teacher-assessment in lessons based upon the learning and execution of the set phrases and the trio. Do nows, low stakes quizzes, home-learning tasks. Ongoing teacher-assessment in lessons based upon the learning and execution of the set phrases. Do nows, low stakes quizzes, home-learning tasks. Students will complete an end of unit mock practical examination in the last week of the summer term. |
Students are assessed each term through performances and end of topic written assessments.
In the Summer Term, each student will sit a formal, written, internal exam which will consist of all elements taught throughout the course. Appropriate preparation in the form of revision should be taken seriously with sufficient planning and organisation to ensure each student fulfils their potential.
Examination Board:
Useful Reading Material:
AQA GCSE Dance: Student's Book by M. Clunie, L. Dale and L. Paine
The Intimate Act of Choreography by Lynne Anne Blom and L. Tarin Chaplin
Year 11
| Autumn | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|
|
Trio and Set Phrases Revision Choreography |
Choreography and Revision |
Revision
|
| Assessment | ||
|
An Exam for Component 1: Performance (NEA) of the trio performance and set phrases. Mock Exam for Component 2: Written Exam. |
An Exam for Component 1: Choreography (NEA) of Choreographed pieces. Component 2: Section A Mock Exam. |
Component 2: Section B Mock Exam. Component 2: Section C Mock Exam. Component 2 Real Exam |
All students who follow this course will be given home learning weekly. Wider reading is always useful either from the websites offered, the text book or as directed by their classroom teacher.
Students will be assessed throughout Years at the end of each term in both a practical and written capacity.
Student practical coursework is assessed internally between March-May and then externally moderated by AQA.
In the Summer Term, each student will sit a formal, written, internal exam which will consist of all elements taught throughout the course. Appropriate preparation in the form of revision should be taken seriously with sufficient planning and organisation to ensure each student fulfils their potential.
GCSE Dance consists of two components:
Dance component 1: Performance and choreography - is internally marked and externally moderated
Performance, 40 marks 30%
Chorography, 40 marks 30%
Dance component 2: Dance appreciation
Written examination 1 hour and 30 minutes, 80 marks 40%
Examination Board:
Course Specification:
AQA 8236 GCSE Dance
Qualification obtained:
GCSE Dance
Useful Reading Material:
‘AQA GCSE Dance
Additional Information
Enrichment
Our vast offer includes opportunities to participate in the school musical, an annual Culture Evening, talent shows and our senior dance company Goop! is nationally recognised. We run Arts Week in the Spring Term, giving opportunities for students to participate in a range of activities with visiting dance practitioners and companies.
Useful Websites
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