Dance

“We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams.” – Albert Einstein

Our Vision | Key Stage 3 | Key Stage 4 | Key Stage 5

Our Vision

Our vision is to develop a department known for nurturing innovative and inspiring new dancers and dance works. We aspire to develop a passion for Dance amongst students in a full functioning CPA arts building and to be recognised for the manner in which it contributes to the quality of students’ wellbeing and development as a whole child in terms of social, physical and emotional.

Dance is taught across all the Key stage 3-5 and offers GCSE Dance and A-Level Dance awarded by AQA examination body. The opportunities and extra-curricular activities that we offer are of the highest standard and we continue to strive for excellence.

Extra-curricular programmes include Mondays `Boys’ Dance company`, Wednesday Year 8 and 9 Dance club and Thursdays Year 7 Dance club.

Key Stage 3

All pupils cover the three strands of the Dance Curriculum: Performance, Choreography and Appreciation. The Dance curriculum aims to provide pupils with a range of experiences that will develop both their practical ability and their theoretical understanding of dance as a Performing Arts subject. Pupils are taught how to choreograph and successfully structure dance works.

Dance is taught as a subject within PE in Year 7, 8 and 9 and is on carousel with all other PE sports units. with a diverse range of styles, professional works and choreographers explored and studied. Dance encourages students to use their creativity through choreography whilst reflecting on their own work, and the work of others, through appreciation tasks becoming a thinking dancer. Students develop their physical skills (balance, control, co-ordination) through performing challenging and invigorating movement sequences which are inspired by the relevant topic and learn to perform using expressive skills(focus, projection, phrasing, musicality and spatial awareness) effectively. Whilst there are teacher led activities which focus on physical and expressive skills, students collaborative group work in choreography tasks allow the students an opportunity for expression and application of knowledge, further developing their communication and appreciation skills.

Outside of the lesson, there are a number of performance opportunities for students who enjoy and excel in Dance, such as Whole school production, Dance Showcases, GCSE and A level Choreographies, Dance competitions, Arts Awards evening and Sports Awards evening.

Year 7

Students focus on developing their technical, physical and expressive skills studying a variety of Dance styles including Charleston, Bollywood, Rock and Roll and African Dance.

Year 8

Students focus on developing their technical, physical and expressive skills with the introduction of a given stimulus; `Order and Chaos`, through the styles of Street Dance, Hip Hop and Break Dance.

Year 9

Students focus on developing their technical, physical and expressive skills studying the style of Contemporary Dance which instils the technique required for GCSE Dance at KS4. They study the basis of `Hypothetical choreography` and learn to create their own choreography linked to a variety of different stimuli.

Key Stage 4 - GCSE Dance - AQA

The GCSE specification focuses on the aesthetic and artistic qualities of dance and the symbolic use of movement to express and communicate ideas and concepts through the interrelated processes of performance, choreography and appreciation. The course is 60% practical and 40% theoretical and pupils study six professional works within a dance anthology. The anthology’s mix of artistic, cultural and aesthetically diverse works, has been selected by the AQA exam board to broaden pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the wide range of dance choreographed and performed in the United Kingdom today.

Core content

1.Performance

2.Choreography

3.Dance appreciation

Assessment objectives

Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual and are the same across all GCSE Dance specifications and all exam boards.

The assessments will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives.

AO1: Perform dance, reflecting choreographic intention through physical, technical and expressive skills.
AO2: Create dance, including movement material and aural setting, to communicate choreographic intention.
AO3: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of choreographic processes and performing skills.
AO4: Critically appreciate own works and professional works, through making analytical, interpretative and evaluative judgements.

Key Stage 5 - A Level Dance - AQA

At KS5 we offer A Level Dance in order to cater for all pupils that have a passion for the subject. This course provides a full range of dance techniques, training, choreography and performance opportunities that provide students with high quality teaching and prepare them for their next steps beyond the Curriculum. Within the A Level specification knowledge, understanding and skills will be developed and demonstrated within performance, choreography and critical engagement with the study of professional repertoire located within specific areas of study. Students study the styles variety of Jazz and Contemporary choreographers, companies and practitioners and are offered a board, rich and diverse Curriculum at Riddlesdown which will enhance their Dance technique and their choreographic ability and knowledge as well as teach extended writing skills that will enhance their overall writing ability towards University level writing.

Core content

Assessment objectives

Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual and are the same across all A-level Dance specifications and all exam boards.

The assessments will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives.

AO1: Perform dance through the application of physical, technical, interpretative and performance skills.
AO2: Create dance applying choreographic skills to communicate artistic intention.
AO3: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of performance and choreography from different periods and genres.
AO4: Critically appreciate and assess performance and choreography through making analytical, interpretative and evaluative judgements.